Visual Skills and Athletic Performance: The Role of Vision Training in Sport - A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background: Visual abilities play an important role in athletic performance by supporting movement execution, perception, and decision-making during competition. Growing interest in perceptual-cognitive factors has increased attention to vision training as a potential method for improving sports performance.

Aim: To review the role of visual abilities in sport, evaluate the effectiveness of vision training methods, and discuss their practical applications.

Material and methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Studies examining visual skills, vision training, and their relationship with sports performance were included.

Results: Elite athletes generally demonstrate better-developed visual and perceptual-cognitive abilities than less experienced performers. Vision training methods, including Quiet Eye training, stroboscopic training, 3D Multiple Object Tracking, and virtual reality-based interventions, may improve selected visual functions. However, evidence for their transfer to competitive sports performance remains inconsistent because of methodological differences between studies.

Conclusions: Vision training may be a useful addition to sport-specific training, although its effectiveness depends on the intervention and sporting context. Further high-quality studies are needed to establish its practical value.