Caffeine supplementation can notably enhance a player’s response and performance in computer gaming. This effect has been demonstrated in a study reported by Scientific Reports.
The research involved nine professional male esports athletes with an average age of 20.8 years. All participants reported no chronic pain, insomnia, or recent injuries. Women were not included in this study due to concerns that hormonal cycles could influence the measured outcomes.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a dose of three milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight or a placebo that contained no active ingredient to control for expectancy effects. The caffeine and placebo capsules were taken about one hour before competition began.
In each game round, three targets appeared simultaneously. Players were tasked with eliminating them with a single shot as rapidly as possible. Those who had received caffeine showed a clear boost in gaming performance, achieving more eliminations and requiring fewer shots to hit the targets.
Reaction speed also improved. This improvement was assessed with the Stroop test, where a participant first reads color words printed in the color that matches the word. For example, the word
“blue” printed in blue ink. The challenge increases when the word is printed in a conflicting color, such as the word “blue” shown in red ink. The time difference between completing the two tasks reflects the pace at which the individual responds.
Additional observations align with existing cognitive science findings: caffeine may enhance processing speed and attentional control, factors that contribute to quicker decision-making in fast-paced tasks.
Earlier research indicates that handwriting practice can strengthen neural pathways more effectively than typing alone, suggesting that certain motor-cognitive activities support brain connectivity in ways that benefit rapid information processing (Doer et al., 2018).