People who play video games for two hours can lose the same number of calories as doing 1,000 sit ups, latest research reveals.
A new study, led by gaming app Stakester, has found that male gamers can lose up to 420 calories in a two-hour gaming session, while female gamers can burn up to 472 calories.
During the trial, the team of academics assessed 50 people for two hours while they played a video game to examine how many calories they burnt and how it affected their heart rate.
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In addition, the researchers carried out the same analysis when the participants completed 1,000 sit ups.
According to the findings, the male participants typically lost 210 calories per hour when playing games virtually, while the female partakers lost 236 calories.
Previous research looking into the BMI of esports players has revealed that online gamers are normally healthier than non-gamers due to specific video games making them more active.
Additionally, prior research has identified that gamers do not smoke, or drink as much as non-gamers.
Lead author from a previous research study, Michael Trotter said: “The findings challenge the stereotype of the morbidly obese gamer.
“When you think of esports, there are often concerns raised regarding sedentary behaviour and poor health as a result, and the study revealed some interesting and mixed results.”
Tom Fairey, CEO and founder of Stakester said: “’We all know that competition increases our heart rate and most of us have experienced the “gaming sweat” that happens when you’re searching for a last-minute goal in FIFA or in a tight spot in Warzone.
“It’s no surprise that this burns calories, but we we’re surprised to see just how many is burned during a 2-hour session, it certainly beats doing 1000 sit ups.”
If nothing else, it challenges the stereotype of a typical gamer.
