The Effects of Physical Exercises on Ocular Physiology: A Review

Abstract

Sport has been known to be one of the most important factors in preventing cardiovascular disorders; some studies suggest its role in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. This review discusses the results of various studies regarding the effects of physical exercises on intraocular pressure (IOP), myopia, certain physical parameters of the eye, ocular blood flow, and retinal electrical function. Although dynamic exercises are known to reduce IOP from 1.2 to 5.9 mm Hg only for a short period of time, uncertainty persists about whether isometric exercises or activities such as yoga can increase IOP up to 16.7 mm Hg. There has been an established connection between the time being spent outdoor and reduction in the odds of myopia-2% less odds for every hour spent outdoor. Physical activity and the level of physical fitness have an impact on the changes of b-wave electroretinogram and P100. Physical exercises increase perfusion pressure up to 190% baseline and also increase choroidal blood flow up to 140%, thus providing more blood to retina. Sport-induced change on visual field is a subject of controversy. Majority of patients show a better ocular physiological function due to sports and sports are thus considered essential for preventing common ocular diseases. Further research should focus more on long-term effects of sport-induced changes in ocular physiology and newly discovered techniques may be utilized for such purposes.

Comparison of foveal avascular zone and retinal vascular density in healthy Chinese and Caucasian adults

“…Ethnic differences in ocular anatomies, such as anterior chamber dimension and axial length, are well documented (Wylęgała ), and recent studies have also shown differences in physiology. One study observed lower retrobulbar flow in people of African descent than in those of European descent and suggested that this difference may be because of higher glaucoma rate in African population (Kaskan et al.…”

Ophthalmological Evaluation of Integrated Resistance and Aerobic Training During 70-Day Bed Rest

“…Furthermore, recent evidence suggests a positive role of physical exercise on the retinal physiology. 21, 31 In this study, the lack of significant ocular structural differences between the two groups may be related to experimental factors. For example, although our subjects exercised six days per week, the duration of each training session may have not been long enough to effectively counteract the cephalad fluids shift induced by head-down-tilt and to reduce the amount of peripapillary retinal thickening post bed rest.…”

Exercise-Induced Changes in Ocular Blood Flow Parameters in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients

“…Although several studies have investigated the relationship between exercise and IOP and/or glaucoma [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29], there are scant data about exercise and OBF parameters. Investigating exercise-induced changes in OBF-related parameters in treated patients with POAG, we found a significant increase in both OPA and OPP values immediately after exercise, which persisted for at least 30 min.…”

“…The relationship between glaucoma and physical activity has been previously investigated by several studies [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. These reports have evaluated the effect of different aerobic and anaerobic exercises on IOP [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. In general, a modest and transient IOP decrease has been documented following exercise.…”