During the 2024 Summer Olympics over, gymnastics remained on top for most popular sport to watch. That said, athletics, more commonly known as track and field, was a fast-growing favorite for its record-setting performances. Between marathon, hurdles, long jump, discus, and hammer throw, track and field has an event for just about everyone. With such incredible athletes, it’s easy to forget that one of their most important skills is visual performance.

Here are just a few of the visual functions that athletes competing in these track and field events utilize.

Visual Acuity

Like most athletes, visual acuity is critical for success in athletics. Acuity is the sharpness in vision at certain distances. More specifically, these athletes utilize dynamic visual acuity, which allows them to identify details of visual targets while other subjects and objects are moving. Simply seeing the obstacles (hurdles, sand, etc.), other runners, and finish lines are abilities we can thank visual acuity for.

Depth Perception

Depth perception is another vital skill for those participating in athletics. Whether they need to judge when to unleash their final sprint for the finish line or understand the distance they need to throw their javelin/shotput/etc., altered depth perception can make or break a performance. It’s also important for athletes timing their movements, like when to make the long jump or when and where to land their pole for vaulting.

Visual Processing Speed

Visual processing speed is an important performance skill for almost any athlete. It’s the process in which visual information is received through the eyes and translated to the brain, which decides how to react to that information. Visual processing speed allows relay athletes to time the baton handoff and helps hurdlers jump at the right time. Visual processing speed also affects reaction time, which is critical to getting off the starting line.

Improving With EyePromise®

When it comes to improving visual performance, EyePromise is the trusted choice of eye doctors and professional athletes. Backed by sound science and a 60-day, money-back guarantee, EyePromise eye health performance supplements can help athletes improve:

• Visual acuity
• Visual range
• Contrast sensitivity
• Light and glare sensitivity
• Visual processing speed and reaction time

Furthermore, EyePromise is NSF Certified for Sport, making it safe to take at any competitive level. EyePromise eye health performance supplements work by increasing a protective yellow pigment in the back of the eye known as macular pigment. Like yellow-tinted glasses, healthy macular pigment intensifies the visual field, helping athletes see more details with less visual noise. Learn more about macular pigment in athletics.

Like other Olympic athletes, those competing in athletics are impressive and inspiring, and their vision is critical to their success. Learn more about visual performance and EyePromise.