The Rise of Personalized Nutrition in E-Sports

Esports has evolved from a niche hobby into a billion-dollar industry, attracting millions of players and fans worldwide. As professional gamers push their cognitive and physical limits, the demand for optimized nutrition has surged. Personalized nutrition- tailored dietary and supplement strategies based on an individual’s genetics, metabolism and lifestyle- is now becoming a game-changer in Esports. The nutraceutical industry is taking notice, formulating specialized products to enhance focus, reaction time, endurance and recovery.

Unlike traditional athletes, Esports players face unique physiological and cognitive demands: (1)

• Cognitive Performance: high speed decision making, memory retention and multitasking are critical
• Eye Health: Extended screen time increases the risk of digital eye strain and fatigue
• Mental Endurance: Long gaming sessions demand sustained focused and stress resilience
• Physical Well-being: Poor posture and repetitive strain injuries are common concerns

Spotlight on Sustained Energy

Traditional stimulants like high-dose caffeine and sugar-loaded energy drinks provide temporary boosts but often lead to crashes, jitters and cognitive fatigue. Gamers and competitive players often engage in marathon gaming sessions, where:

• Mental stamina is required for sustained decision making.
• Reaction time must remain sharp throughout the match.
• Focus and alertness must be maintained without fatigue.
• Sleep cycles can be disrupted, affecting recovery.

“75% of global consumers are seeking sustained mental energy throughout the day” (2)

Gamers are looking for more convenient delivery methods for their supplements. Consumer preferences for non-traditional supplement formats are growing. These formats help address preferences such as taste, mouthfeel, ease of consumption, and allow more opportunity for innovation to keep consumers engaged in their supplement routine. The most popular format right now is gummies. Gummies offer a needed twist to traditional supplements, providing a convenient and enjoyable way to boost your health. Sensient Pharmaceutical offers fully customizable solutions with colors and flavors to set you apart from the competition.

The top formats for energy related products are drinks, capsules and powders. Is your company developing new energy product? Are you having issues masking the off-notes coming from the energy source? Sensient developed a taste masker called Smoothenol® that can greatly reduce off-notes or completely get rid of the off-notes in your application.

Spotlight on Brain Function and Focus

“44% of consumers 18-44 are interested in purchasing brain function supplements” (3)

In Esports, success depends on more than just reaction speed and skill- it requires unwavering focus, mental clarity and cognitive endurance. The difference between victory and defeat can be milliseconds, making brain optimization a top priority for competitive gamers.

During long gaming sessions, gamers face intense cognitive demands including:

• Memory and Recall: remembering strategies, enemy patterns and game mechanics
• Reaction Speed: rapid neural processing split-second movements
• Emotional Resilience: Managing stress, pressure and frustration

The intersection of personalized nutrition and Esports is redefining performance optimization. As gaming continues to grow as a competitive and professional field, the demand for tailored nutraceuticals will only increase. The future of sports nutrition is not just about generic energy drinks- its about precision nutrition that supports cognitive function, mental resilience and overall well-being.

How Can We Help?

At Sensient, we offer unapparelled color and flavor capabilities that cater to the diverse needs of the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Sensient delivers tailor-made color and flavor solutions that enhance product palatability, mask unpleasant tastes and differentiate brands in a competitive market landscape. Through innovative technologies, extensive research, Sensient empowers brands to create products that not only meet but exceed consumer expectations. Contact us to get more information on our capabilities.