@article {DiFrancisco-Donoghuee001118, author = {Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue and Seth E Jenny and Peter C Douris and Sophia Ahmad and Kyle Yuen and Tamzid Hassan and Hillary Gan and Kenney Abraham and Amber Sousa}, title = {Breaking up prolonged sitting with a 6 min walk improves executive function in women and men esports players: a randomised trial}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, elocation-id = {e001118}, year = {2021}, doi = {10.1136/bmjsem-2021-001118}, publisher = {BMJ Specialist Journals}, abstract = {Objective The effect of prolonged sitting on executive function and performance in competitive esports players are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate executive function following a 6 min bout of walking or rest during prolonged gaming in competitive esports players.Methods 12 men and 9 women completed three separate 2-hour gaming session days assigned in randomised order consisting of a 6 min walk break, 6 min rest break and continuous before and after each session. Postintervention participant exit survey data were also collected.Results The walk condition produced a significantly faster mean solution time (7613.6{\textpm}3060.5 min, p=0.02) and planning time (5369.0{\textpm}2802.09, p=0.04) compared with the resting condition (9477{\textpm}3547.4; 6924{\textpm}3247.7) and continuous play (8200.0{\textpm}3031.6; 5862.7{\textpm}2860.7). The rest condition resulted in the slowest mean solution time (9477.0{\textpm}3547.4) and planning time (6924.0{\textpm}3247.7), with the continuous play resulting in a faster mean solution time (8200.1{\textpm}3031.6) and planning time (5862.7{\textpm}2860.7) than the rest condition. There was no impact on game performance in any of the conditions. However, over 70\% of participants felt that the walk break improved esports performance.Conclusions Reducing sit time and breaking up prolonged sitting have acute and chronic health benefits. This study provides evidence that a 6 min walking break in the middle of 2 hours of gameplay allows gamers to have these health benefits while improving processing speed and executive function.Trial registration number NCT04674436.Data are available upon reasonable request.}, URL = {https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/3/e001118}, eprint = {https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/3/e001118.full.pdf}, journal = {BMJ Open Sport \& Exercise Medicine} }