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A Dietary Strategy for Optimizing the Visual Range of Athletes
Jacob B Harth1, Lisa M Renzi-Hammond, Billy R Hammond2
1Institute of Gerontology, College of Public Health, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews
|April 21, 2023
Summary
Individual differences in visual range, important for athletes, may stem from how the body processes scattered light. Diet-derived lutein and zeaxanthin pigments in the retina likely play a key role in this visual response.
Area of Science:
- Optometry and Vision Science
- Human Physiology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Visual range, the distance of clear sight, is critical for athletic performance.
- Significant individual variability exists in visual range, even among individuals with similar characteristics.
- Environmental factors, such as scattered short-wave light, are known to affect vision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors contributing to individual differences in visual range.
- To explore the role of the body's response to scattered short-wave light in visual clarity.
- To determine if dietary retinal pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin, modulate this response.
Main Methods:
- Quantifying visual range in a cohort of individuals.
- Assessing individual responses to environmental scattered short-wave light.
- Measuring levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in retinal pigments.
Main Results:
- Significant variations in visual range were observed across participants.
- Individual responses to scattered light showed considerable differences.
- Preliminary data suggest a correlation between retinal pigment levels and visual range variability.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences in visual range are influenced by the response to scattered short-wave light.
- Dietary lutein and zeaxanthin appear to be key modulators of visual performance in varying light conditions.
- Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the mechanisms linking nutrition, light scatter, and visual range.
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