Conclusions
A good visual performance is necessary to perform a good motor action. An aspect that can affect many crucial visual abilities during sports activities is the possibility of enjoying a proper optical correction. Uncorrected sight defects get some abilities worse, such as the static and dynamic visual acuity, contrast sensitiviness, but also the possibility of an efficient binocularity. On the other hand, however, the optical correction by glasses may have some negative effects on visual abilities: limitations on visual field, prismatic effects due to fixation outside the optical axis, etc.
The best solution to reach a good visual performance, without experiencing negative consequences, seems to wear contact lenses, which in fact represent the most favoured choice among sportspeople and, as a consequence, the most common solution in sports activities.
We must always keep in mind that the visual demand changes not only among athletes, but also according to the sport performed: each sport has its own setting of specific rules, tools and environmental conditions.This is the reason why an expert who deals with vision-care in sports must always carry out an analysis of the athlete’s own visual demands, in order to plan that integrated event - made up of correction, training and coaching - which enables him to reach the best possible performance.
Edited by Fabrizio Zeri, source:Professional Optometry, August 2008