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Visio-spatial skills in athletes: comparison of rugby players and non-athletes

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Abstract

Background

Research pertaining to the superiority of athletes’ visio-spatial expertise when compared to non-athletes is conflicting. This discrepancy may arise due to a superiority in athletes in only specific visio-spatial skills (VSS) and not all aspects of vision.

Aims

The aim of this study was to discern whether rugby players have superior VSS/expertise in comparison to non-athletes, when comparing six visual skills (accommodation facility, saccadic eye movement, speed of recognition, peripheral awareness, visual memory and hand–eye coordination).

Methods

The participants underwent an optometric assessment, after which the VSS components of non-athletes and premier league rugby players were assessed by using six different existing tests namely; the Hart Near Far Rock, saccadic eye movement, evasion, accumulator, flash memory and ball wall toss tests.

Results

A statistically significant (p ≤ .05) difference existed between rugby players and non-athletes for five out of the six tests. Conversely, no real evidence is shown that visual memory differs between rugby players and non- athletes (p = .599).

Conclusion

This study found that rugby players have an enhanced accommodation facility, saccadic eye movements, speed of recognition, peripheral awareness and hand–eye coordination, but not visual memory, when compared to non-athletes. These findings of a superiority of rugby players in specific VSS have broad implications for theories of sport vision, how best to select tests and in the development of sport-specific VSS testing batteries.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Movement Science, University of Zululand, Private Bag X1001, KwaDlangezwa 3886, Richards Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

    Lourens Millard, Ina Shaw, Gerrit Jan Breukelman & Brandon S. Shaw

Authors
  1. Lourens Millard
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  2. Ina Shaw
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  3. Gerrit Jan Breukelman
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  4. Brandon S. Shaw
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Contributions

LM, IS and BSS made a substantial contribution in the design of the study, acquisition, analysis, writing and critically reviewing the article and its intellectual content; final approval of the manuscript; and agreeing to take responsibility for all aspects of the study. GJB made substantial contributions writing and critically reviewing the article and its intellectual content; final approval of the manuscript; and agreeing to take responsibility for all aspects of the study.

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Correspondence to Lourens Millard.

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None declared by authors.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards (UZREC 171110-030 PGD 2019/24).

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Written informed consent was obtained from each participant prior to their involvement in the study.

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Millard, L., Shaw, I., Breukelman, G.J. et al. Visio-spatial skills in athletes: comparison of rugby players and non-athletes. Sport Sci Health 17, 137–143 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-020-00663-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-020-00663-1

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