Exploring the perceived effects of caffeine in a competitive FPS game environment
Hofsté, Hidde (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120933864
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120933864
Tiivistelmä
Esports is an ever-growing industry, where every small detail in athlete performance matters. This research was conducted to study the effects of caffeine on esports, specifically in an FPS game context. Caffeine is widely consumed among First Person Shooter (FPS) players. Despite this, the impact of caffeine on in-game performance remains largely understudied. Historically, caffeine has been regulated in traditional sports, and the effects have been studied intensively. No such regulations and studies have been implemented in esports and, specifically, FPS gaming. As esports gains popularity and relevance, such studies become increasingly important. This thesis investigates both the measurable and perceived impact of caffeine on FPS gaming performance. Data was collected with a survey investigating the impact of caffeine on FPS gamers. This survey collects data based on the perceived impact from the point of view of the respondent. The survey leaves the option for the respondent to share their personal experiences.
The findings show that caffeine consumption is highly prevalent among FPS players. Most respondents consume 100-400mg of caffein per day. A large majority of the respondents reported experiencing positive effects from caffeine. The most common effects were improved focus, faster reaction time and increased energy. This aligns with the prior research discussed in the theoretical part. However, 52 per cent of the respondents also experienced (occasional) negative effects from caffeine during their gaming session. These negative effects were anxiety/nervousness, insomnia/sleep disturbance, and increased heart rate.
To conclude, the results show that caffeine consumption can improve a player’s performance in FPS games, especially in the individual skills that require fast reaction time and intense focus. However, there are also (possible) downsides to consuming caffeine. There is still room to study the long-term impact of caffeine in a gaming environment, as the long-term effects within esports performance remain largely unknown. Such studies can give FPS players a good insight in how to use caffeine to boost their performance in a responsible manner.
The findings show that caffeine consumption is highly prevalent among FPS players. Most respondents consume 100-400mg of caffein per day. A large majority of the respondents reported experiencing positive effects from caffeine. The most common effects were improved focus, faster reaction time and increased energy. This aligns with the prior research discussed in the theoretical part. However, 52 per cent of the respondents also experienced (occasional) negative effects from caffeine during their gaming session. These negative effects were anxiety/nervousness, insomnia/sleep disturbance, and increased heart rate.
To conclude, the results show that caffeine consumption can improve a player’s performance in FPS games, especially in the individual skills that require fast reaction time and intense focus. However, there are also (possible) downsides to consuming caffeine. There is still room to study the long-term impact of caffeine in a gaming environment, as the long-term effects within esports performance remain largely unknown. Such studies can give FPS players a good insight in how to use caffeine to boost their performance in a responsible manner.