IT’S not only your muscles that tire with exercise - your eyes can feel the strain too. But researchers from the University of Auckland in New Zealand recently published findings in the journal Scientific Reports that suggest caffeine can offset slowed eye movement during sport.
For the trial, 11 cyclists used exercise bikes for three hours, some of them consuming the equivalent of 2-3 cups of coffee in doing so, while the others took a non-caffeinated placebo.
Once participants had finished cycling, the researchers tested their eye movement using a head-fixed eye-tracking system. Results showed that the strenuous exercise caused an imbalance of neurotransmitters – chemicals that relay signals between brains cells – which slowed down eye movement. However, participants who consumed the coffee saw their neurotransmitter balance restored, which improved their rapid eye movements. No such effect was found among the decaff coffee drinkers.