Esports and high performance human-computer interaction are on the forefront of applying new hardware and software technologies in practice. Despite that, there is a paucity of research on how semi-professional and professional championship level players approach aspects of their preparation. To address that, we have performed, transcribed, and analyzed interviews with top-tournament players, coaches, and managers across multiple game titles. The interviews range from competitive events occuring between 2015-2020. Initial processing included transcription and manual verification. The pre-processed interview data were then organized and structured into relevant categories, touching on psychological, physical, and nutritional aspects of esports preparation. Further, where applicable, interview responses where rated and quantified via consensus judgement by a panel of experts. The results indicate that physical training was most often mentioned as a relevant or consistent activity, while nutrition was indicated as relatively unimportant. Qualitative analysis also indicated that consistency and resiliency were noted as the most key factors recommended for upcoming esports competitors. It is also clear that many players put emphasis on balancing their gameplay time and with activities. Lastly, we identified important areas of inquiry towards a deeper understanding of the mental and physical demands of professional esports players.

翻译：电子竞技与高性能人机交互正处于将新型硬件与软件技术应用于实践的前沿。然而，关于半职业及职业锦标赛级别选手如何规划其赛前准备的研究仍然匮乏。针对这一现状，我们对多个游戏项目的顶级赛事选手、教练及管理人员进行了访谈，并完成了转录与分析。访谈内容涵盖2015年至2020年间举办的竞技赛事，初始处理包括转录与人工核验。预处理后的访谈数据按相关类别进行组织与结构化，涉及电子竞技准备中的心理、身体及营养维度。此外，在适用情形下，访谈回答经专家小组通过共识判断进行评级与量化。结果表明，身体训练是最常被提及的相关或持续性活动，而营养则被认为相对次要。定性分析亦显示，稳定性与抗压能力被列为未来电竞选手最重要的推荐要素。同时，许多选手明确强调需平衡游戏时间与其他活动。最后，我们识别出几项关键研究方向，以深化对职业电竞选手身心需求的理解。