Joint Pupillometry and Heart Rate Monitoring Identify Zone-Like High Performance in Esports

Zone-like states, defined as high objective performance with low subjective workload, are sought in esports and other demanding digital activities, yet subjective flow does not consistently index efficient performance. We hypothesized that zone-like high performance is supported by regulated arousal dynamics rather than strongly elevated arousal responses, and that such episodes can be detected from the combined dynamics of heart rate and pupil diameter. Fourteen healthy young adult men completed repeated sessions of a one-versus-one fighting game under three contexts: passive watching, play against a computer-controlled opponent, and competition against a human opponent. Heart rate and pupil diameter were recorded continuously, and subjective flow (Sports Flow Scale), subjective workload (NASA Task Load Index), and in-game performance metrics were assessed. Two-dimensional k-means clustering of heart rate and pupil changes relative to the watching condition revealed three arousal-reactivity profiles. Sessions with larger physiological deviations showed higher flow and higher workload but poorer performance. Sessions with smaller deviations showed higher performance with lower workload despite only moderate flow. Nonlinear analyses indicated inverted-U relationships between physiological deviations and performance, with peak performance occurring when heart rate and pupil responses remained close to the watching baseline during active play. These findings indicate that combined heart rate and pupillometry measures provide a useful multimodal physiological marker for identifying efficient high-performance states and for informing strategies to support performance while managing workload in cognitively demanding digital activities. HighlightsO_LIZone-like episodes in esports were defined by high performance with low workload. C_LIO_LIFlow increased during esports gameplay but did not reliably index efficient performance. C_LIO_LIJoint heart rate and pupillometry classified distinct arousal-reactivity profiles. C_LIO_LIEfficient esports performance emerged with small heart-pupil deviations from watching baseline. C_LIO_LIArousal-performance relationships were nonlinear, consistent with regulated arousal in the zone. C_LI