The partnership comes after Neubria make available the UK’s first gaming supplement, which claims to support vision and maintain the alertness required during competitive Esport competition.
The supplement, Neubria Zone is a blend of blueberry extract, ginkgo biloba and Pycnogenol (maritime pine bark extract), all purported to improve mental speed, cognition and enhance focus and memory.
Other ingredients in the supplement include 22 vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, folic acid, iron and iodine, along with cognizin, lutein and zeaxanthin, both thought to improve vision by helping to filter out harmful UV rays.
“It’s really exciting as the head coach of exceL Esports that our partnership with Neubria has come to fruition,” said Josh “Furndog” Furneaux, exceL Esports’ head coach.
“We are once again paving the way for the UK scene’s development by demonstrating the importance of physiological and psychological development as essential components of peak performance.
“Our healthy body, healthy mind approach is aiding in breaking down the gamer stereotypes in order to professionalise the Esports industry in the UK”
The Esports industry
Data compiled by Forbes magazine, expects the rise of Esports to hit €731.6m ($905m) in 2018, a huge 38% increase from 2017’s €529.5m ($655m).
The industry is very much US-focused with North America expected to generate 38% of the projected 2018 revenue.
Asia-Pacific is home to half of the 165 million estimated Esport gamers in 2018 with China contributing to 18% of 2018’s revenue, or around €132.5m ($164m).
The explosion provides numerous opportunities for sports supplement companies to engage in sponsorship and advertising activities as the industry looks to establish more stable revenue streams.
Runtime, a Berlin-based Esports performance nutrition provider, revealed back in March that it had has raised a seven-digit figure in its latest round of seed funding.
The firm, which offers a range of products aimed at ‘supplying long-lasting endurance, improve wakefulness, and increase focus without the sugar rush or fast crash’ revealed it had received assistance from BITKRAFT Esports Ventures, Döhler Ventures, Food Angels Germany and angel investors.
The funding would be utilised to ‘expand operations, support marketing and sponsorship efforts, and further extend the range of products’.
Supplement use in Esports
In the past concerns that these supplements might give gamers an unfair advantage were such that the Electronic Sports League (ESL)—the oldest professional Esports organisation—considered drug testing its UK players prior to competition.
This was after reports of competitors using the performance enhancing substances Adderall to aid focus and boost mental endurance.
However, none of the ingredients listed in Neubria’s supplement are featured on the Esports Integrity Coalition's (ESIC) prohibited list.
Commenting on the partnership, Rosendo “Send0o” Fuentes Boveda, exceL Esports team member said “As a professional Esports athlete it always helps to stay one step ahead of the competition no matter what.
“This is something that the new partnership between exceL and Neubria is really helping to push. I believe it is as important to be as healthy in mind as in body in order to play to your full potential.
“With Neubria as exceL’s newest partner, I have no doubt that my own performance and that of the entire team will improve exponentially.”