The company positioned itself in the esports market by developing a line to address key areas that impact gamer performance and wellness, such as energy, focus, pain and sleep.
Natalia Sokolova, Co-Founder and CEO of Skinz.gg, said the offerings are purposely-formulated to promote video gamers' health and wellness, as well as power their performance. “Our products and services are used by every type of video game player, professional to casual, and across every type of gaming genre and device,” added Sokolova.
Gamers are athletes too
From mental prowess to cramping fingers, gamers require a number of ingredients to address very specific challenges.
“Extensive gaming sessions can create pain in the wrist, gamer thumb, trigger fingers, etc., as gamers execute hundreds of hand movements every minute while playing,” said Gary Kleinman, Skinz.gg president. “Additionally, gaming heightens senses which disrupt healthy sleep patterns. The long hours gamers spend in front of screens can delay your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm, which reduces melatonin, a vital sleep-inducing hormone. This makes it more difficult to fall to sleep at night. An overexposure to short-wavelength, artificial blue light from the screens that gamers often use well into the night and before bed, can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. This impacts your alertness when playing the next day. These issues can also compound over long periods of time.”
To address these demands, Skinz.gg's product line includes:
EnergiZ is a blend of N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Acetyl L-Carnitine, L-Theanine, and Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (as Peak ATP), a compound that reportedly helps to increase strength, power, recovery and reduce fatigue.
DoZ is an herbal blend of valerian root, passion flower, lemon balm, and chamomile to support relaxation. L-theanine and Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) promote a feeling of calmness to assist in falling and staying asleep. Melatonin, 5-HTP, and vitamin B6 aid in supporting circadian rhythm cycles.
DefenZ helps boost the immune system with a formulation that includes vitamin C, and bioflavonoids quercetin, hesperidin, and rutin.
Got Pain? is a CBD pain cream containing ingredients like green tea leaf extract, rosemary, wintergreen oil, chamomile oil, and evening primrose.
In addition to the initial line of products, Skinz.gg has also tapped Dr. Corey J. Csakai to be the company's chief medical officer. A gamer himself, Csakai said he thrilled to guide best practices to prevent and treat injuries specific to videogaming. “These including everything from how certain products interact with the body, to how hand movements and sitting improperly can lead to health issues when playing."
A wellness culture of gaming has emerged
"Stereotypes persist that video gamers don't care about their health and wellness, and that they just sit around eating junk food and drinking soda and energy drinks. This could not be further from the truth," noted Gary Kleinman, Co-Founder and President of Skinz.gg.
Indeed, the stereotypical pot-smoking couch potato perception of gamers is being replaced by health-conscious millennials who are taking gaming from a pastime to a career.
According to Newzoo, a marketing intelligence firm covering esports, top echelon players can earn much more, up to $15,000 for a single competition plus bonuses.
Even more, top-ranked gamers are being offered scholarships to universities, leading to lucrative careers and serious payouts at competitions.
“We understand that gaming is the window to many careers, in and out of gaming. Gaming skills impact professions in coding, music, story creation, art, etc. Understanding that gaming is not just a ‘couch activity’ but a positive impact on society, gives people permission to be the best version of themselves that they can be,” said Kleinman. "Nearly 200 universities offer around $15 million per year for video gaming scholarships, and there is serious competition for these funds. This is one of many factors driving gamers' increased interest in health and wellness. Just like athletes in other sports, video gamers are very aware of the impact of proper health and wellness on their performance. They're seeking out ways to address the physical, mental and emotional challenges that come with high-level gaming."
Market
"Our company sits at the intersection of dietary supplements and videogaming, which collectively accounts for a half trillion dollars or more in global spending annually,” said Sokolova.
Indeed, the market for esports supplements and functional foods was valued between $25 and $30 million in 2019, according to Future Market Insights.
Additionally, consumer spending on video game content in the United States in 2019 was over $35 billion dollars, and only expected to go up in 2021 following a year in lockdown.
Driving this demand is the collision of blockchain technology and gaming, rising internet penetration, e-sports betting and fantasy sites which have attracted more investments, According to ResearchAndMarkets.com.
