Effect of a Prolonged Maximal Bout of Exercise on Visual Performance

Abstract

Background: Despite it being purported that acute, prolonged maximal periods of exercise may impair visual performance, little/no research on this topic is forthcoming. In fact, research has demonstrated that sub-maximal and maximal acute exercise may actually improve cognitive and sensory tasks and thus possibly improve visual performance. Objectives: This study aimed to ascertain the influence of an acute, prolonged maximal bout of exercise on visual performance. Methods: A quantitative study was undertaken with 60 untrained males being divided into a control group (CON; n = 30) or treatment group (TRE; n = 30). Both groups completed a baseline vision test battery consisting of accommodation facility, saccadic eye movement, speed of recognition, peripheral awareness, visual memory, and hand-eye coordination using the following tests; Hart Near Far Rock, saccadic eye movement, evasion, accumulator, flash memory and Ball Wall Toss tests. Two weeks later, participants returned for follow-up testing using the same vision test battery, with the TRE participants first engaging in a standardized incremental maximal treadmill protocol immediately prior to their vision testing. Results: Following the incremental maximal treadmill protocol, statistical analyses indicated that statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences existed for accommodation facility, saccadic eye movements, speed of recognition, hand-eye coordination, peripheral awareness, and visual memory between pre-test and after the aerobic treatment (P = 0.00 for all measures). Conclusions: This study indicates that an acute, prolonged maximal bout of running improves visual performance. As such, an appropriate prolonged maximal warm-up may be required as opposed to a standardized and general warm-up when preparing an athlete for visual skills training or for participation in an athletic event that requires optimal visual performance.

Look into my eyes: What can eye-based measures tell us about the relationship between physical activity and cognitive performance?

“… 94 , 95 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 Five trials studied the effect of chronic physical training on cognitive performance and eye-based measures, 96 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 and 18 studies investigated the influence of an acute bout of physical exercise on cognitive performance and eye-based measures. 92 , 93 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 , 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 , 136 , 137 …”

“… (3) Healthy young adults (students) ▪ n = 14 (5 females/9 males) ▪ 22.4 ± 2.0 years (3.1) Recreationally active based on GLETQ (68.0 ± 38.0 points) (3.2) n.r./n.r./n.r. (1) Moderate-to-vigorous intensity (i.e., 60%–85% of predicted HR max ) and very light intensity warm-up (<50% of predicted HR max ) (2) 10 min (+ 2.5-min warm-up and 2.5-min cool-down period) (1) Pro- and antisaccade task (2)▪ ↓ Antisaccade (but not prosaccade) RT and CV from pretest to post-test Shaw et al (2022) 137 (1) Non-randomized trial with between-subject design and pretest/post-test comparisons (2) Passive CG (3) Healthy younger adults ▪ EG: n = 30 (30 males) ▪ CG: n = 31 (31 males) ▪ 23.11 ± 3.02 years (3.1) n.r. (3.2) n.r.…”

“…Most of the reviewed studies included younger healthy adults with normal cognitive performance (based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the respective studies) who were mainly students and could be classified as recreationally active, 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 108 , 111 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 126 , 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 135 , 137 whereas 6 of the studies compared different types of younger athletes. 109 , 110 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 136 The remaining trials examined (a) healthy school-aged children, 96 (b) younger adults with mobile phone addiction, 134 (c) healthy community-dwelling older adults, 119 , 125 , 133 (d) older adults with self-reported cognitive complaints 118 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, 121 (e) older adults with objective cognitive impairments, 119 (f) healthy older adults, 113 , 120 or (g) a population with a broad age range from 18 to 60 years 112 ( Table 1 ).…”

“…All acute physical exercise studies investigated the effects of continuous endurance exercise (either conducted on a treadmill 93 , 125 , 132 , 135 , 137 or stationary cycling ergometer 92 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 126 , 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 , 131 , 133 , 134 ). One study conducted an intermittent (interval) exercise protocol on a stationary cycle ergometer 133 while another had participants engage in high-intensity interval boxing exercises.…”

A Review of the Essential Visual Skills Required for Field Hockey: Beyond 20-20 Optometry

“…A field hockey ball can travel at high speeds when hit with good technique, requiring a player to react as quickly as possible (15,38,47). Reaction times can be used to classify athletes' game intelligence, implying that mastery of basic drills and exposure to different playing styles would indicate a high level of game intelligence (33). When a team is trailing, especially in the fourth quarter, the trailing team becomes very technical and tactical to level the scores, by having good hand-eye coordination skills and reaction times to the strokes played by opponents (8).…”