The practice of physical activity is closely linked to eye health. Visual skills are needed in different modalities, such as distance visual precision sports, and healthy eyes can provide high performance, for example, for sports shooting and archery athletes.
But the importance of correct vision goes beyond precision sports. There are situations, for example, in football, where the game view allows the player to make the millimeter pass that defines the match. In this scenario, precision guarantees fast motor actions with results that follow the pace of the match. This is called dynamic vision.
On the other hand, the oculomotor function, related to eye movements, allows the athlete in a static position to initiate a precise pursuit movement, as in the practice of flying shooting.
Another example of a sport that needs sharp eyesight is boxing. Fighters do not necessarily need to look at opponents’ fists, and follow-up with an ophthalmologist can help improve the ability to see movements that occur outside the athlete’s line of sight.
“When the image reaches the athlete’s eyes in an incomplete, blurred, handicapped way, the brain takes longer to make decisions, which impairs action and reaction movements”, explains ophthalmologist José Westphalen.
Other visual abilities that can also interfere with sports are:
- Contrast sensitivity;
- Visual concentration;
- Depth perception;
- Eye movements;
- Visual reaction time;
- Peripheral vision;
- Visualization and eye-hand-body coordination;
- Visual memory.
Campaign
The Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology (CBO) intends to address the issue of eye health and exercise in the Visão no Esporte campaign. The objective is to sensitize amateur and professional athletes, coaches, teachers and managers about the importance of preventive eye exams.
“Visual abilities should be evaluated with the help of an ophthalmologist, who is the most qualified professional to deal with the complexity of the eyes. He is the one who promotes visual improvements that are useful for sports”, says ophthalmologist Cristiano Caixeta Umbelino, president of the CBO.
The initiative takes place online, on February 11 (Saturday), from 10 am. Athletes, influencers and specialist doctors are expected to speak about the interaction between eye health and sport and discuss public policies.
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