Gaming brings a ton of joy, connection, and emotion to the lives of many people. That said, gamers who tend to participate in marathon gaming sessions may be impacting their physical and mental state in more ways than they realize.
What is a long gaming session and How does it impact your Body?
Playing video games in moderation tends to have a pretty minimal physical or mental toll on players, according to current research. That said, there are many gamers who are putting in much longer sessions that likely are having an impact on them. Defining a long gaming session feels a little subjective since different types of gamers have different preferences and tolerances for extended sedentary periods.
One research study from 2024 focused on the impact of playing video games for three or more hours in one continuous session. The study associated players who partake in those 3+ hour sessions with higher odds of negative physical symptoms. According to the study, the participants who engaged in longer gaming sessions over the course of a year reported eye fatigue, hand or wrist pain, and neck or back pain.
It’s worth noting that the potential risk for hand, wrist, and thumb damage seemed to be a possibility for gamers who use controllers, as well as PC gamers using a keyboard and mouse.
The risks were similar in nature for gamers who participated in sessions greater than six hours long, but with significantly higher risk of wrist and hand pain.
A different study, from 2022, focused exclusively on healthy males who participate in 18-hour sedentary video game sessions. This is much less common, but it does happen, and it appears to have a greater impact on the body.
The participants suffered from:
- A strong, negative correlation was found between body mass index and total energy intake
- A strong, negative correlation was found in waist circumference and total energy intake
- No nightly dip in blood pressure or heart rate was observed.
“Based on this study, long-term adverse effects of gaming cannot be ruled out. The non-dip of HR and BP suggests that long gaming sessions could be detrimental to cardiovascular health long term.”
Part of the cardiovascular impact and risk seems to come from the fact that gaming triggers fight or flight responses, despite the lack of physical activity. Increases in heart rate indicate that extended sessions have a meaningful impact on the sympathetic nervous system.
The Griffith University study explains that during these sessions the body prepares for physical action (releasing glucose/adrenaline) that never happens, leading to internal stress.
The Dopamine Loop
Although the body isn’t doing a physical workout during an extended gaming session, the brain is still putting in a ton of work. The Harvard Health research explains that gaming specifically targets the the brain’s reward center.
Dopamine makes the brain happy and, naturally, gamers will want more of it when they feel another hit is right around the corner. This is why five-more minutes or one more round can often transform into one more hour without realizing the time has flown by.
Although some psychologists might warn against addiction risks with this kind of dopamine loop, the Harvard Research instead focuses on the loop’s associate with cognitive fatigue. These types of extended gaming sessions are giving your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain used for decision-making, a crazy workout.
How to Mitigate the Risks
Gamers who tend to favor longer sessions can help avoid some of the damage by being aware of the risk and taking steps to safeguard their health. It’s recommended that players look away from the screen at least once every 20 minutes and focus on something that is at least twenty feet away. The short break should last for at least half a minute if possible.
This gives the eyes a break and offers the body a chance to lower cortisol levels and sort of reset.
When it comes to wrist, neck, and back risks, players can proactively avoid some of these problems with some ergonomic strategies. Focusing on proper wrist support (especially for PC gamers) and posture can help limit some of the long-term effects of extended gaming session.
As mentioned at the top of the article, moderation is key when it comes to avoiding bad habits and trying to limit some of the short- and long-term potential side effects of long gaming sessions. Gamers who have any concerns about their health and the impact that gaming is having on it, should definitely consult their doctor for personalized advice and recommendations.
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