SynthesisJournal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition2026
Nutritional supplements to improve esports player performance: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of nutritional interventions on competitive performance and dose‒response relationships among esports players of different skill levels: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEsports has become a globally popular competitive activity. The performance of esports athletes depends not only on daily skill training but also on cognitive function, reaction speed, and psychological mood. In recent years, nutritional supplements have attracted widespread attention as a potential adjunctive treatment. However, their actual effects lack systematic evaluation. Objective: The primary aim of this study is to comprehensively review existing evidence and assess the impact of nutritional supplements on the performance of esports athletes, including cognitive, psychological, and gaming aspects.
methodsAs of June 17, 2025, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or randomized crossover trials investigating the effects of nutritional supplements on cognitive function, psychological mood, and competitive performance in esports players were retrieved from the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases. Two researchers independently extracted key information and data from the literature. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Physical Therapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale.
resultsA total of 13 randomized controlled trials were included, comprising 10 randomized crossover trials and 3 randomized controlled trials. The study population comprised 466 participants. The methodological quality of the studies, assessed by the PEDro scale (score range 6-10), was good to excellent. The studies included 18 nutritional supplement protocols, with 14 protocols involving pure caffeine or caffeine-containing supplements. Other protocols included active substances such as inositol-enhanced arginine silicate (ASI + I),
conclusionSpecific nutritional supplements may improve esports players' cognitive function, psychological mood, and gaming performance.However, these findings represent preliminary evidence based on the heterogeneity of the included studies and raise concerns regarding the overall risk of bias in over half of the research. Furthermore, the small sample sizes and focus on amateur players limit the generalizability of the results. Consequently, caution is warranted when interpreting these findings.Future clinical studies are needed to standardize supplementation protocols, dosage, and measurement methods to confirm the benefits of nutritional supplements for esports players.
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.