Garaszczuk Izabela K, Jenczewska Wiktoria, Asejczyk Magdalena
Visual Optics Group, Department of Optics and Photonics, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (Politechnika Wrocławska), wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 6;15(1):28816. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-14497-9.
Shooting sports demand exceptional visual performance, yet detailed assessments of visual function in precision shooters remain limited. This cross-sectional study evaluated 28 pistol and rifle shooters and 20 age- and refractive-error-matched non-athletic controls. Participants underwent comprehensive visual assessments, including tests of visual acuity (VA), Vernier acuity, contrast sensitivity, binocular vision, accommodation, ocular biometry, perimetry, and eye movement tracking. A subgroup of national-level athletes was also analyzed. Compared to controls, shooters demonstrated superior near VA (-0.08 ± 0.06 vs. 0.03 ± 0.07 logMAR; p = 0.003), binocular Vernier acuity (5.4 ± 3.2 vs. 8.7 ± 5.1 arcsec; p = 0.032), and dominant eye contrast sensitivity (p = 0.005). National-level shooters showed fewer gaze shifts (p = 0.044), more stable fixation, and better stereoacuity (25 vs. 35 arcsec; p = 0.005). Modality-specific differences were observed: pistol shooters exhibited better distance acuity and central field sensitivity, while rifle shooters-despite being older-performed better in near VA. However, covering one eye to avoid diplopia, which is inherent in precision shooting, may cause suppression of the covered eye when performed frequently and for prolonged periods. This ultimately may explain why shooting experience correlates with reduced binocular balance and a worse near point of convergence (r = 0.335, p = 0.020). These findings suggest that visual expertise in precision shooting is linked to task-specific visual adaptations. Tailored visual training programs may enhance performance and mitigate training-induced imbalances.
射击运动需要卓越的视觉表现，但对精准射手视觉功能的详细评估仍然有限。这项横断面研究评估了28名手枪和步枪射手以及20名年龄和屈光不正匹配的非运动员对照者。参与者接受了全面的视觉评估，包括视力（VA）、游标视力、对比敏感度、双眼视觉、调节、眼生物测量、视野检查和眼动追踪测试。还对一组国家级运动员进行了分析。与对照组相比，射手在近视力（-0.08±0.06 vs. 0.03±0.07 logMAR；p = 0.003）、双眼游标视力（5.4±3.2 vs. 8.7±5.1角秒；p = 0.032）和优势眼对比敏感度方面表现更优（p = 0.005）。国家级射手的注视转移更少（p = 0.044），注视更稳定，立体视锐度更好（25 vs. 35角秒；p = 0.005）。观察到了特定模态的差异：手枪射手在远视力和中心视野敏感度方面表现更好，而步枪射手尽管年龄较大，但在近视力方面表现更好。然而，在精准射击中，为避免复视而遮盖一只眼睛，如果频繁且长时间进行，可能会导致被遮盖眼的抑制。这最终可能解释了为什么射击经验与双眼平衡降低和近点集合变差相关（r = 0.335，p = 0.020）。这些发现表明，精准射击中的视觉专长与特定任务的视觉适应有关。量身定制的视觉训练计划可能会提高表现并减轻训练引起的不平衡。
