Comparative Effects of Esports and Traditional Sports on Motor Skills and Cognitive Performance in Higher Education Students in a Post-Pandemic Context

Bibliographic Data

ID22048362
AuthorsNicoleta Leonte (0000-0001-5275-462X, Universitatea Națională de Știință și Tehnologie Politehnica București, corresponding author), Simona Magdalena Hainagiu (0009-0003-0445-8270, Universitatea Națională de Știință și Tehnologie Politehnica București, corresponding author), Narcis Neagu (Universitatea Națională de Știință și Tehnologie Politehnica București), Julien Leonard Fleancu (0000-0001-9352-1523, Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sciences, Physical Education and Informatics, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Pitesti University Center, 110040 Pitesti, Romania), Leonard Julien Fleancu (University of Pitesti), Ofelia Popescu (0000-0001-9278-6095, Universitatea Națională de Știință și Tehnologie Politehnica București)
Year2026
Volume16
Issue2
Pages222
Publication date2026-02-02
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducation Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/educsci16020222
OpenAlexW7127161289
LanguageEN
References cited28

The rapid expansion of esports within higher education, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has raised important questions regarding their impact on students’ physical and psychological development. While traditional sports are well known for their benefits on motor and physical skills, esports primarily engage cognitive processes through sustained interaction with digital environments. This study compares motor skills and cognitive performance among higher education male students participating in esports and traditional sports in a post-pandemic context. The present study employs a quantitative, comparative, cross-sectional design to examine differences in motor skills (using standardized physical tests) and cognitive performance (focused attention, short-term memory, and information processing speed) between higher education male students engaged in esports and those participating in traditional sports. Male students engaged in traditional sports demonstrated superior motor outcomes, particularly in muscle strength and postural control. Cognitive performance was comparable between groups, with a slight advantage for traditional sports participants in focused attention and processing speed. Although esports may support certain aspects of cognitive performance to a degree comparable with traditional sports, they do not provide equivalent benefits in terms of motor and postural development. These results highlight the importance of maintaining physical activity within university settings and suggest that esports should complement rather than replace traditional sports in higher education programs

Cognition · Cognitive skill · Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance · Higher education · Motor skill · Physical education · Digital Games and Media · Martial Arts: Techniques, Psychology, and Education · Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts

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