Although physical exercise can tire the eyes as well as the muscles, a cup of coffee can revive them, says a team of scientists from four countries led by New Zealand expert.
The team of scientists found the first scientific evidence that proves that rapid eye movements slow down when the body is fatigued.
Explaining the study, the team leader, Dr. Nicholas Gant of University of Auckland, said in the study, cyclists exercised in a laboratory for three hours, after which their brain’s control of the visual system was tested using specialized eye-tracking cameras. Hear him:
“It’s remarkable that tiring the legs also slows the eyes This might well be the reason the tired cyclist never saw that bus coming.”
Also See: Fun Tips To Help Boost Your Water Intake
An imbalance in neurochemicals caused by strenuous exercise appeared to spread across the brain’s control systems. But a modest dose of caffeine could restore chemical balance, helping signals from the brain reach the eyes.
“The amount of caffeine we gave during exercise was the equivalent of two cups of coffee. We saw no effect with a decaffeinated placebo drink. Interestingly, the areas of the brain that process visual information are robust to fatigue. It’s the pathways that control eye movements that seem to be our weakest link.”
He said “These results are important because our eyes must move quickly to capture new information,” adding that there is hope for coffee drinkers because this visual impairment can be prevented by consuming caffeine.
The team is also investigating the effects that psychiatric drugs – used to treat patients with abnormal levels of these neurotransmitters – had on the phenomenon.
An earlier study carried out by researchers at the University of California San Francisco, had revealed that drinking coffee regularly does not lead to extra heartbeats – contrary to earlier studies that warned caffeine consumption could cause interruption to regular cardiac rhythms.