What do gamers eat?
Three meals a day and a lot of snacks in between, apparently. Market research reveals that 80% of e-sports players regularly consume food and beverages while gaming — with a preference for salty snacks, soft drinks, and the ubiquitous energy drinks to tide them over in between meals and help them play for longer stretches of time.
Small wonder that when most people think about gamers, what comes up is the stereotypical image of a bedraggled player with his eyes stuck on the screen, barely leaving his chair while guzzling soda and munching on pizza all day long.
To be fair, a growing number of serious gamers are now embracing and advocating the benefits of good nutrition, daily exercise, and other healthy lifestyle changes to gain a competitive edge and further improve their skills. In fact, many professional e-sports athletes now have sports nutritionists or dietitians on board to make sure they are supplied with high quality meals and snacks that will keep them in top physical and mental shape.
The majority of e-sports enthusiasts, however, would still find it difficult to take time off from their daily activities — including practicing and playing — just to prepare three healthy and hearty meals a day. This is why many gamers habitually snack or graze on what is conveniently available throughout the day.
If this is your dilemma, then knowing the kind of nutrients you need to maintain balanced nutrition could be a gamechanger, so you can intentionally plan your meals and snacks around a healthy diet that powers up your physical performance, improves mental focus, strengthens your immune system, and supports faster recovery.
What nutrients do gamers need?
Sports nutritionists agree that e-sports athletes require a lean and high-protein diet with lots of fruits and vegetables.
They are also advised to incorporate rich sources of Omega 3 such as fatty fish, nuts, and seeds into their diet for the brain health benefits.
Meanwhile, maintaining levels of electrolytes (or electrically charged minerals) ensure that cells, muscles and organs work properly, thus improving coordination and reducing spasms. There’s a long list of food items that are excellent sources of electrolytes, which includes spinach, turkey, oranges, broccoli, potatoes, tofu, and bananas. There are also electrolyte-enriched beverages readily available in the market, although experts constantly advise to choose the ones with less sugar content. Water is always best for hydration.
Also playing a big part in developing coordination, muscle function, and reflexes are potassium and magnesium. Known to be rich in both nutrients are avocados, spinach, potatoes, edamame (green soy beans), and salmon, as well as a different kinds of nuts, seeds, and whole grain.
On the other hand, nutrition experts warn gamers to be more selective with their consumption of processed carbohydrates which are found in refined grains and sugars, as well as simple carbs (or “simple sugars”) which are broken down quickly for the body to use as energy like those found in candy and soft drinks. Even caffeine has to be taken in moderation as high amounts of caffeine can actually reverse the desired effect of increased focus and alertness, and instead cause overstimulation that is usually followed by a crash.
How supplements help
On the average, the modern person’s diet leaves much to be desired. Except for a select few who go out of their way to spend a lot of time and effort in planning their meals so that they can get most of the vitamins and minerals they need off their plate, most of us rely on nutritional supplements to augment the essential nutrients you might be missing on your daily diet.
In the United States, for instance, supplement usage has increased so dramatically over the last two decades, they are now considered as mainstream health products that are broadly accepted by the public.
In its 2021 Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) revealed that 80% of Americans are currently using supplements as part of their regular health routine. Just as important, 79% of Americans believe the dietary supplement industry is trustworthy — an impressive 5 percent increase from 2020, according to the report.
These numbers concur that while it is ideal to get all of the daily recommended vitamins and minerals from fresh produce and nutritious meals, today’s busy folks need an extra boost in obtaining nutrients that cannot be derived entirely from their day to day food intake.
This is where high-grade natural supplements like VitaGaming can help — by providing e-sports athletes with the finest dietary supplements that are designed to up their game at every level.
Crafted from nature’s powerhouse ingredients, VitaGaming supplements provide the right amount of nutrients gamers need to attain peak performance, topped with a unique blend of carefully selected exotic herbs and medicinal plant extracts which are known to work synergistically in unleashing the optimal strength of their health-giving properties.
VitaGaming’s all-natural supplements are especially formulated for enhanced cognitive function and mental performance (Memory), sustained stamina and stress resistance (Energy), heightened clarity and a more balanced mood (Focus).
