As the weather continues to cool, there are several sports whose season is about to be underway. One of those sports is hockey, and although the actual season doesn’t start for another week or so (Oct. 10), teams have begun playing preseason games. EyePromise® works with several professional and minor league hockey teams, each one looking to help their athletes gain an edge.

Here’s why these hockey players decided to take EyePromise.

Glare

There are few sports that have the amount of glare that hockey does. The bright stadium lights bounce off the glass, the ice, and even players helmets. This glare can cause temporary blindness, leaving athletes recovering for a few seconds and potentially causing mishaps during games.

EyePromise helps athletes’ eyes recover faster from these bright flashes of light. In fact, one study demonstrated a 5-second reduction in glare recovery time. This means that a hockey player taking EyePromise Vizual Edge™ products can “see normally” 5 seconds sooner than his competitor and win the puck.

Contrast

When thinking of hockey, you may think that it has some of the highest contrast of any sport considering the black puck is moving across white ice. However, the puck often becomes airborne, crossing dark uniforms, skates, and the audience behind the glass. This can make locating the puck difficult, especially if a player’s contrast sensitivity is lacking.

Additionally, the puck can have some crazy spin, and being able to pick up that spin can help players better redirect for a goal or to prevent one. EyePromise Vizual Edge products can increase contrast sensitivity by 14%, helping players pick up those subtle details better and locate the puck faster.

Visual Range

Visual range, or the ability to see objects at varying locations clearly without help, is an incredibly important skillset for hockey players. In a fast-paced game, players need to be able to see all the players on the ice, both their own teammates and the other team’s players. They need to be able to assess each position and where the puck is to make the best decision for the play. EyePromise Vizual Edge products can help players sharpen up their visual range, giving them an even better view of the rink and everything on it.

Occasional Dry Eye

It’s obvious that ice rinks are dry and cold, but this can wreak havoc on hockey players’ eyes. They can experience symptoms of occasional dry eye like dryness, irritation, redness, burning, excessive watering, grittiness, and even blurred vision. EyePromise Vizual Edge Pro includes powerful, soothing ingredients demonstrated to promote healthy tear film and reduce symptoms associated with occasional dry eye. The best part: it works fast, with some study participants feeling relief in as little as one week!

Visual Processing Speed and Reaction Time

Hockey is a fast-moving sport, so any advantage in speed or quickness is critical to winning. While EyePromise can’t help hockey players skate faster, it can help increase their reaction time so they can respond to a play faster and more accurately. One study showed that even young, healthy participants can increase their reaction time by 10%!

What does 10% faster reaction and processing time look like? It’s the difference between getting a stick on the puck for a goal or missing. It’s the difference between the other team getting a breakaway or breaking up the play. It can mean the difference between winning the cup or not.

General Eye Health

As much as we like to tout the athletic “upgrades” our Vizual Edge products can offer, they also deliver a host of general eye health benefits that we think are pretty cool.

Blue Light Filtering

The two main ingredients in EyePromise Vizual Edge products, zeaxanthin and lutein, have been shown to absorb a portion of the harmful blue light emitted by the sun, LED lights, and digital screens. Prolonged exposure to blue light can contribute to digital eye strain and impair vision over time. These antioxidants may help reduce the impact of blue light on the eyes and alleviate symptoms like eye fatigue, dryness, and discomfort.

Improving Sleep

Exposure to excessive blue light, especially in the evening, can disrupt the body's natural circadian rhythm and melatonin production. Zeaxanthin and lutein's ability to filter out blue light may help mitigate this disruption, allowing the body to produce melatonin in a more natural way.

Better Sleep Quality

By reducing digital eye strain and its associated discomfort, zeaxanthin and lutein may indirectly contribute to improved sleep quality. When the eyes are less fatigued and irritated, it may be easier to relax and fall asleep.

The 2023 NHL season is set to be an exciting one, but let’s hope it’s not full of players experiencing slow glare recovery and reaction times, poor contrast and visual range, or blue light damage. EyePromiseVizual Edge products can help ensure that what we’re seeing on the ice is the absolute best these players can deliver. Learn more about EyePromise performance products.

If you’re interested in bringing in EyePromise for your hockey team, contact Chris DiSanto cdisanto@eyepromise.com or Matt Carroll at mcarroll@eyepromise.com.