Nutrients With Optical and Antioxidant Properties to Enhance Sports Performance

The science of nutrition related to sports performance has progressed extensively, particularly in terms of supporting precision sports such as shooting, archery, and electronic sports and games. There is a growing awareness of the critical role that visual function plays in sports performance. This awareness is particularly relevant given the existing empirical evidence that exposure to short-wavelength visible blue light can lead to photo-oxidative stress at the retina. Precision sports athletes frequently encounter this type of light during both training and competition, and factors such as duration and intensity of light exposure impact on performance. In the general population, research on the diet-derived macular carotenoids, including lutein (L), zeaxanthin (Z), and meso-zeaxanthin (MZ), has demonstrated their ability to combat photo-oxidative stress at the retina. These carotenoids not only act as powerful antioxidants, but also serve as a filter of short-wavelength blue light, thereby enhancing visual functions. Despite this science, there is a lack of robust evidence-based nutritional studies specifically targeting visual performance in athletes. This narrative review examines the biologically plausible scientific rationale supporting the hypothesis that macular carotenoids may enhance sport performance in athletes. To do this, we assessed studies reporting the visual characteristics in vision-dependent performance precision sports, and how performance is linked to specific nutrients of the eye.