So Now The Competitive Gamers Are Juicing It Up, Too…

 

If there’s one problem that’s tainted just about every sport in the world, it’s players who use substances to boost their performance including some that aren’t allowed by the league. A new report came out that even competitive gamers are juicing themselves to improve their virtual kills and scores. [photo: Photo: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty]
New Scientist Magazine talked to a former insider in the “eSports” industry who claims that some players are using some pretty heavy duty narcotics to beef themselves up for some big matches. Of course, most of the big league gaming outfits ban the use of such substances but Bjoren Franzen, a former consultant and marketer in the eSports industry, claims the problem is a rampant and widespread one despite such bans.
Of course, you don’t need Barry Bonds’ arms to play games but sitting in one place for so long and maintaining lightning quick reflexes does require a bit of strength. Most of the doping in competitive gaming happens during training where it’s harder for leagues to police players. Most of the doping involves the overuse of caffeine so players can stay up longer and learn the finer points of the game they are competing with, which is illegal in some leagues and can cause serious short and long term health problems.
A smaller percentage of players are even using drugs that treat ADHD and depression to increase their awareness during practice and tournament matches. Harvard Medical School neurologist Brendon Boot warned that a small amount could lead to dangerously higher levels if players find that the drugs give them an edge.
This means that every sport that you ever cared about has people with illicit substances coursing through their veins. We’re never going to watch pure competition against whether it’s baseball or a heated round of League of Legends.