Do athletes have better vision than the average human?Subah Vohra
- Insight uOttawa
- Jan 11, 2023
- 1 min read
Research has shown that there is a difference between the visual-motor skills of athletes vs. non athletes, but the reasons for this is unknown.
The quiet eye is a term given to the final tracking gaze split seconds before the action takes place, and has been proven to be a key component in the visual-motor coordination skills of athletes. It’s commonly seen in experts and is indicative of better performance.
However, many wonder if this is enough to explain the differences between the vision of athletes and nonathletes, as some question if athletes just have better vision in general than the average human; but these studies were inconclusive.
One of the first extensive literature reviews, conducted by Sherman, concluded that aspects of vision, such as depth perception, eye movement accuracy and speed, peripheral vision, and others could be of great importance in sports. He also suggested that athletes train these aspects along with their physical training, making them better than the average human. This was reflected in the study where various athletic groups had better visual abilities and motor coordination than nonathlete groups.
Several studies support the fact that not only are there differences between athletes and non athletes when it comes to visual-motor skills and coordination, but also a significant difference between professional vs. amateur athletes
An important question then arises: are these differences learned or physiological? Because the differences found directly correlate with the performance tasks at hand, it is more than likely that visual functions are enhanced through learning and training.
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