Text Books and Journals

Donoghue, J. (2025). Research design in esports. In S. E. Jenny, N. Besombes, T. Brock, A. C. Cote, & T. M. Scholz (Eds.), Routledge handbook ofwww.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Esports/Jenny/p/book/9781032531502 esports (1st ed.). Routledge.

I am excited to contribute to The Routledge Handbook of Esports, a comprehensive interdisciplinary study exploring the multifaceted world of esports. Featuring insights from 93 experts, the handbook covers key themes such as esports research, business, media, and future directions. It serves as essential reading for students, researchers, and professionals interested in the rapidly evolving esports industry.

I am an associate editor of the Journal of Electronic Gaming, which publishes peer-reviewed research on game design, player behavior, and industry trends. The journal serves as a platform for sharing insights into the cultural and technological impacts of electronic gaming.

Johnson, T., DiFrancisco-Donoghue, J., & Balen, J. (2025). Conditioning for esports: A guide to training and performance (1st ed.). Human Kinetics.2024 Conditioning for Esports – Human Kinetics

Explore the first www.amazon.com/Conditioning-Esports-Guide-Training-Performance/dp/1718207476 esource dedicated to the unique demands of esports athletes. Conditioning for Esports combines expert insights from exercise physiologists, dietitians, and therapists to deliver evidence-based strategies for injury prevention, specialized exercises, cognitive enhancement, and esport-specific nutrition. Learn to optimize performance, prevent overuse injuries, and master recovery techniques essential for dominating the competitive gaming arena.

Author of Chapter 13 on esports team and player management in the industry-standard textbook Esports Business Management.

Contributor to the globally recognized Esports Business Management text, writing the chapter on team and player management.

ESPORT FEATURED PUBLICATIONS

Where Muscle Matters: How Regional Differences, Pain, and Gender Define Gamer Health

Sitting for Success: A Randomized Controlled Study on the Impact of Chair Design on Muscle Stiffness and Performance in Video Gamers

Reducing thrombotic risks in video gamers: Investigating the benefits of walking and compression sleeves on blood hemodynamics.

Upper body compression wear improves muscle oxygenation following intense video game training: a randomized cross-over study among competitive gamers.

Breaking up prolonged sitting with a 6 min walk improves executive function in women and men esports players: a randomised trial

Esports players, got muscle? Competitive video game players’ physical activity, bodyfat, bone mineral content and muscle mass in comparison to matched controls

Links to Pubmed Citations

ESports

Sitting for Success: A Randomized Controlled Study on the Impact of Chair Design on Muscle Stiffness and Performance in Video Gamers. DiFrancisco-Donoghue, J., Zwibel, H., & Werner, W. G. (2025). Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, 3(1), jege.2024-0018. Retrieved Jun 3, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.1123/jege.2024-0018

Where Muscle Matters: How Regional Differences, Pain, and Gender Define Gamer Health. DiFrancisco-Donoghue J, Jung M-K, Balentine MJ, Zwibel H. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025; 22(5):687. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050687

Reducing thrombotic risks in video gamers: Investigating the benefits of walking and compression sleeves on blood hemodynamics. DiFrancisco-Donoghue, J., Borges, K., Li, T., Ballone, O., Zwibel, H., & Douris, P. C. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 2024 326:3, H538-H547 https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00669.2023

AJP-Heart and Circulatory Physiology Podcast Click here

Gaming in Pandemic Times: An International Survey Assessing the Effects of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Young Video Gamers’ Health. DiFrancisco-Donoghue J, De las Heras B, Li O, Middleton J, Jung M-K. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(19):6855. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20196855

Upper body compression wear improves muscle oxygenation following intense video game training: a randomized cross-over study among competitive gamers. DiFrancisco-Donoghue, Joanne, Alexander Rothstein; Min-Kyung Jung; Hallie Zwibel; and William G Werner. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 15, 108 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-023-00720-5

Editorial: Esports: Playing Into the Future DiFrancisco-Donoghue, J., Schmidt, JG., Stafrace, KM., Balentine, JR Front. Sports Act. Living, 08 July 2022. Sec.Movement Science and Sport Psychology https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.967560

Breaking up prolonged sitting with a 6 min walk improves executive function in women and men esports players: a randomised trial DiFrancisco-Donoghue J, Jenny SE, Douris PC, et al. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2021;7:e001118. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2021-001118

An observation of common physiological parameters during esports activity. Koshy, A., Cironis, L. ., McVey, M., Sousa, A., Ahmad, S. L., Hassan, T., Yuen, K., Douris , P. C., Zwibel, H., & DiFrancisco-Donoghue , J. (2020). Received: 14 Oct 2020 / Published: 26 Nov 2020International Journal of Esports, 1(1). Retrieved from https://www.ijesports.org/article/29/htm

Esports players, got muscle? Competitive video game players’ physical activity, bodyfat, bone mineral content and muscle mass in comparison to matched controls, Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue , William G. Werner , Peter Douris ,Hallie Zwibel , Journal of Sport and Health Science(2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2020.07.006

Physiological and Cognitive Functions Following a Discrete Session of Competitive Esports Gaming Amber Sousa, Ph.D., Sophia L. Ahmad, OMS II., Tamzid Hassan, OMS II, Kyle Yuen, OMS II, Peter Douris, P.T., D.P.T., Ed.D.3, Hallie Zwibel, D.O., M.P.H.1,4, Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue, Ph.D RCEP. Front. Psychol. May 29, 2020 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01030

Managing the health of the eSport athlete: an integrated health management model DiFrancisco-Donoghue J, Balentine J, Schmidt G, et al Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2019;5:e000467. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000467

An Osteopathic Physician's Approach to the Esports Athlete. Zwibel H, DiFrancisco-Donoghue J, DeFeo A, Yao S. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2019 Nov 1;119(11):756-762. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2019.125PMID 31657829

Collegiate eSport: Where Do We Fit In? DiFrancisco-Donoghue J, Balentine JR Sports Med Rep. 2018 Apr;17(4):117-118. doi: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000477. PMID: 29629969

Exercise Science

The Effects of Externally Paced Exercise on Executive Function and Stress in College-Aged Students. Douris, P., Cottone, J, Cruz, P, Frosos, N, Marino, C Singamenggala, L Shapuro, J Sousa, A, Handrackis, J, and DiFrancisco-Donoghue, J. J. of SCI. IN SPORT AND EXERCISE (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-022-00173-1

The Effect of Pedal Pump Lymphatic Technique Versus Passive Recovery Following Maximal Exercise: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial. DiFrancisco-Donoghue, J., Chan, T., Jensen, A.S. , Yao, S. Sports Med - Open 8, 8 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-021-00402-x

Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Training in a Recreationally Active Person with Parkinson's Disease . Peter C. Douris, Nick D’Agostino, William G. Werner, John Petrizzo & Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue (2020) Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, DOI: 10.1080/09593985.2020.1762812

Blood Flow Restriction Training on Functional Improvements in an Active Single Subject with Parkinson’s Disease. Douris, Peter, DiFrancisco-Donoghue J International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2018 April Vol.13 (2) DOI: 10.26603/ijspt20180000 training on functional improvements in an active single subject with Parkinson disease.

Utilizing wearable technology to increase physical activity in future physicians: A randomized trial. DiFrancisco-Donoghue J, Jung MK, Stangle A, Werner WG, Zwibel H, Happel P, Balentine J. Prev Med Rep. 2018 Sep 11;12:122-127. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.09.004. eCollection 2018 Dec. PMID: 30234000

RECENT ARTICLES

Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol Use in Parkinson’s Disease: An Observational Pilot Study. Sousa A, DiFrancisco-Donoghue J (July 24, 2023) Cureus 15(7): e42391. DOI 10.7759/cureus.42391

Assessment of gastrointestinal function and its’ effect on bone mineral density and body composition in hypermobility spectrum disorder and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue, Veronica Southard, Madeline Margulies, Min-Kyung Jung, Arline Allera, Bernadette Riley. Journal of Clinical Densitometry,2022, ISSN 1094-6950, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocd.2022.07.005.

Update on Office-Based Strategies for the Management of Obesity. Atif Ghaffar, OMS-IV, Sumrita Bindra, OMS-II, Ian Persits, OMS-IV, Shady Geris, DO, Sara Levy, OMS-III, Jose Villanueva, DO, Patricia Happel, DO, Joanne Donoghue, PhD and Sheldon C. Yao, DO 2020. Osteopathic Family Physician. 12, 4 (Jun. 2020), 28-35. DOI:https://doi.org/10.33181/12043.

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