BÉLAIR LAB, an aroma and sensory laboratory operated by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has scientifically verified the effects on performance, rest, and sleep of two professional e-sports players when they were exposed to Restful Green, a green aroma component. The results were presented at the 16th Japan Society of Kansei Engineering Spring Conference in March 2021.
Key points of the research results
Rohto reports that it was able to confirm the effects of Restful Green, an aroma component of green, in increasing the winning rate and recovering from digital fatigue during video game practice, at rest after practice, and during sleep. and digital fatigue.
Background of Research
Rohto has conducted research on the functionality of Restful Green and confirmed its effectiveness in reducing mental fatigue and anxiety. This time, the study focused on "digital fatigue" caused by digital operations such as smartphones, PCs, and games, which are believed to be the cause of sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality among the working generation in recent years.
In addition, since October 2019, Rohto has been collaborating with Digital Hearts Holdings, Inc. to promote e-sports as a new form of entertainment not only to game fans but also to a wide range of people. On February 29, 2020, the company will fully support the "Tekken Pro Championship Japan-Korea 2020," an e-sports tournament for the 3D fighting game "Tekken 7" hosted by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.
About Restful Green
It is a scent module blended based on Berea Lab's proprietary know-how, and is a unique combination of ingredients extracted from natural plants that have been proven to have anti-fatigue and stress-reducing effects on humans in past research. The company will continue to conduct further research on the effectiveness of this scent module.
Test Method
From June to August 2020, two professional e-sports players (one male and one female) practiced the 3D fighting game "Tekken 7" for 3 hours a day in a controlled environment for 14 days.
The players wore a wearable heart rate sensor myBeat (manufactured by Union Tool Corporation) for 24 hours a day, and in addition to monitoring autonomic nervous system activity and body movement throughout the day, psychological and subjective assessments of sleep were conducted before and after game practice to determine whether the space where the game practice took place had a green aroma component (Restful Green ) on alternating days with and without the green aroma component (Restful Green), and compared the results.
Study Results
The study showed that the use of Restful Green during game practice had an effect on the activation of neural activity during practice, recovery from fatigue after practice, and improved sleep quality, compared to the use of no scent.
Test Subjects' Voices
Test Subject 1
Mr. MASA ( @tekken_masa)
I had some sense that the scent of green calmed me down during practice, but I was surprised to find that it resulted in an increase in my winning percentage and made a difference in the quality and duration of my sleep. The results of this study really changed my awareness of fragrances.
I would like to practice while smelling green fragrance in the space where I usually spend a lot of time (such as my room) and when I sleep, especially on days when I want to sleep well, such as the day before a competition.
Test Subject 2
Mimi ( @mimi00618)
Affiliation: DIGITAL HEARTS Gaming Main Title: Tekken 7
I used to like aroma and use it in my bedroom, but I thought it had nothing to do with improving my game performance. I have a hard time changing my habit of going to bed late at night because the most exciting time of the day is at night when online games are played.
I really appreciated the fact that I could improve the quality of my sleep simply by using the green scent during practice. I hope the scent can be used to help me relax right before a game so that I can improve the quality of my sleep even during a short sleep period.
About BÉLAIR LAB
BÉLAIR LAB is an open innovation laboratory specializing in fragrance, where fragrance development by dedicated perfumers and scientific research are combined.
The lab is working to create an affluent society through fragrance by scientifically examining fragrance, which until now has been described by the senses, using the method of sensory design, and applying it to product development and productivity improvement.
The company believes that there is further potential in the effects of e-sports and fragrance, which has led to this verification, and will continue to work on researching the functionality of fragrance and applying it to product development.