Contact Lenses Enhance Athletic Performance
While eyeglasses are able to provide many patients with sufficient vision correction, contact lenses offer several benefits that give a competitive edge and enhance athletic performance.
Most athletes who rely on contact lenses to provide vision correction prefer to wear soft lenses though athletes who participate in cold weather sports such as skiing or need to keep their eyes open without blinking for extended periods like hockey goalies may experience dry eyes and benefit from wearing gas permeable contacts.
Benefits of Wearing Contacts While Playing Sports
Widen field of vision – Athletes rely on their peripheral vision throughout the game to keep an eye on the ball as well as on their opponents and fellow team mates. Contact lenses ensure that you are able to maintain visual focus on all aspects of the game.
Increase in contrast sensitivity and visual acuity – Contact lens wearers are able to see more fine details and see them from a greater distance than those who rely on glasses for vision correction. This increase will allow you to focus on an item such as a tennis ball better.
Reduce distractions – Players can become distracted when they catch a glimpse of their glass frames while the game is in play. This occurrence is eliminated when contacts are worn. Additionally, contact lenses will not fog up when the temperature changes nor will they slip or fall off during play.
Not only do contacts provide clearer, more stable vision, but they are also the safer vision correction choice for vigorous activities such as tennis and soccer as well as for contact sports like football and rugby. During contact sports, contact lenses make it easier for athletes to receive vision correction while complying with sport safety equipment requirements like wearing a helmet or protective eye goggles.
In addition to enhancing your vision, wearing contact lenses while playing sports can reduce your risk of injury since many eyeglass wearers are injured by their glasses when they are hit during a game. In this type of situation, the eyeglasses are also damaged and require repair or replacement which can put a strain on your budget if you participate in sports regularly.
Tinted Contact Lenses
An athlete’s contrast sensitivity can be further enhanced if tinted lenses are worn. Tinted lenses shape the light received by the eye to offer optimum contrast and visual performance. Two types of tinted contact lenses are typically used during sporting events; they include amber tinted lenses and green-grey tinted lenses.
Amber lenses offer an advantage to athletes participating in fast-moving ball sports such as baseball, tennis, soccer and field hockey. Green-grey lenses enhance vision and block 95% of UV rays for athletes participating sports played in bright sunlight like golf, running, football and rugby. Although green-grey tinted lenses block UV rays, they are not designed to replace sunglasses since they only protect you lens and not your entire eye from harmful UV rays. Both of these lenses are available in corrective and non-corrective (or plano) versions though both require a prescription from a licensed eye care practitioner.
If you are considering switching from glasses to contacts to enhance your athletic performance, take a look at Contact Lens Basics, Proper Contact Lens Care and Common Problems Encountered by Contact Wearers to gain a better understanding of what you will experience when you make the change.