This webinar will introduce exercise professionals to the unique health and performance needs of female esports athletes. As the esports industry continues to expand, including with the recent announcement of the Olympic Esports Games, understanding the specific requirements of women and female esports players is essential for optimising and supporting their wellbeing and performance, from grassroots through to professional levels.

Esports is a fast-growing industry, with demonstrated economic impact, increasing institutional uptake, and viewership numbers that rival comparable sports events. However, this rapid growth has also highlighted concerns regarding esports players’ health, and inclusivity of the industry for women and gender diverse players. Current esports leagues and tournaments worldwide claim to be open with no gender or sex restrictions, although a very limited number of women players have participated in these competitions. Gaming organisations have prioritised the creation of women-only and marginalised gender tournaments to provide safe, inclusive spaces for professional development. As popularity and competition grows among emerging women and female esports athletes, there is a real need for greater awareness and knowledge of the intersection of esports and women’s health among health professionals to support their unique needs.

This webinar will provide an overview of the barriers and problems associated with gender inclusion in esports, both within industry and research. It will then cover the physiology and health characteristics of esports players with a specific focus on women’s health issues. This includes discussions on topics such as menstrual dysfunctions, physical activity behaviours across the lifespan in women, mental health, and musculoskeletal health and conditions and their relevance to the esports setting. Lastly, it will provide practical applications for the role of the exercise professional in supporting women and female esports players. This includes exercise programming for both esports performance enhancement and health optimisation, drawn from emerging research. Additionally, the potential role of the menstrual cycle within esports training (both digital and physical) and competitive contexts will also be explored.