Musculoskeletal health in esport: a cross-sectional comparison of musculoskeletal pain among young Danish esports players and handball players

Purpose: There is a continuous debate regarding musculoskeletal (MSK) pain prevalence and training volume among amateur esports players. Previous findings suggest that MSK pain may limit esports participation in this group; however, these results have yet to be replicated in a similar population. It also remains to be investigated whether MSK pain is more prevalent in esports compared to other activities, such as handball. The objectives were (1) to compare MSK pain prevalence among amateur esports players and another group of sports-active amateur players and (2) to investigate whether MSK pain would impact training volume in the two groups. Methods: Eligible players for this cross-sectional study had to engage in either structured esports or handball and be 15–25 years of age to participate. Demographic data, self-reported MSK pain prevalence, training volume, sleep patterns, physical activity level, and activity-limiting pain and burnout were obtained through online questionnaires. Results: In total, 76 esports players and 175 handball players were included. Overall, 48% of esports players and 80% of handball players experienced MSK pain. The odds of experiencing MSK pain were significantly lower in esports compared to handball (OR: 0.24, 95% CI 0.13–0.43, chi-square p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in training volume between players with or without MSK pain in either group. Esports players had significantly higher training volume (additional 13 h/week, p < 0.001) compared to handball players. Conclusion: These findings indicate that esports players are not at increased odds of experiencing MSK pain compared to handball players despite significant differences in training volume.