Abstract
Objective: Effects of regular exercise (kendo) on eight visual functions were examined in different age groups.
Materials and methods: Healthy male volunteers who took regular exercise (more than 1 hour of practice more than 3 times/week; n=30) or who took no exercise (n=30) were subdivided to 3 groups according to their age, i. e., young group (21.0±0.6years old and 13.5±1.7 years' experience of kendo group, and 20.9±1.1 years old for no exercise group, respectively; n=10 each), middle aged group (41.1±1.7 years old and 32.0±2.4 years' experience of kendo group, and 41.1±4.2 years old, respectively ; n=10 each) and older aged group (63.3±2.1 and 49.2±1.1 years' experience of kendo group, and 64.2±2.5 years old, respectively; n=10 each). The following visual functions were measured ; static visual acuity, kinetic visual acuity, dynamic visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, depth perception, ocular motor skill, visual reaction time and eye/hand coordination.
Results: We found no effects of aging and regular exercise on contrast sensitivity, ocular motor skill or visual reaction time, while kinetic visual acuity and depth perception declined significantly with age. Contrast sensitivity fell with age, but was strongly correlated with static visual acuity. Similarly, dynamic visual acuity and eye /hand coordination declined with aging, but the reduction was significantly less in the regular exercise groups than in age matched, no exercise groups.
Conclusions : Although dynamic visual acuity and depth perception decline with age, the results suggest the possibility that regular exercise, especially kendo, can slow down the speed of the decline.
