Physical fitness of the eye is a concept that extends far beyond the traditional ideas of correcting vision defects with contact lenses or glasses. Enhanced visual skills can give an athlete a competitive advantage.
Studies conducted with professional athletes have shown that they not only have greater physical speed and coordination, but also better visual skills. These skills include eye coordination, focusing speed, and depth perception. It is also important for all athletes — from schoolchildren to recreational players — that these skills can be taught.
The latest thinking in sports vision is that since professional athletes have better skills, we know that the wider public is also capable of improving their visual skills and thereby performing better on the sports field, golf course, or tennis court. Visual skills are not only for elite athletes.
80% of all information processed by the brain during sport is processed through the visual system. Research has shown that greater visual processing ability can engage an athlete's decision-making and, consequently, their reaction time.
Specialised vision assessments
A typical assessment covers areas such as eye movement, depth perception, peripheral vision, eye coordination, recognition speed, and the ability to track a moving object accurately at speed.
The good news is that these skills develop as we mature, and if an optometrist finds that they have not developed to the required level, they can be improved through a visual enhancement programme.
Sports vision glasses
Sports vision optometrists generally recommend contact lenses over glasses, especially at higher levels of athletic performance. There are, however, situations where glasses may offer greater protection.
Contact lenses
Contact lenses provide a wider field of view, as peripheral vision is not obstructed the way it can be with some spectacle frames. They also do not fog up, fall off, or become covered in rain, mud, or dust. For most sports, they are the preferred option.
Laser eye surgery for athletes
This is the most straightforward option and, in the longer term, the most cost-effective. Modern no-touch, no-cut laser eye surgery allows a return to even the most demanding sport within one week.
Specialised frames and glasses
For those who prefer not to wear contact lenses or undergo laser eye surgery with Flow3, there is a wide range of specialised frames available for most sports. These range from swimming goggles to frames designed for rifle and pistol shooters.
Swimming goggle lenses can incorporate an optical prescription. Rifle and pistol shooters can benefit from a lens positioned so that the shooter looks through the centre of the lens rather than through its edge, as is the case with standard frames.
For high-risk sports such as squash, where players are at risk of eye injuries from balls, rackets, hands, and elbows, moulded polycarbonate frames and lenses that will not shatter or break are recommended. These can be fitted with comfortable bridges and pads to further reduce the risk of injury.
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