Sunglasses for Sports
If you are looking for an edge in outdoor sports such as cycling, golfing or marathon running, you should get yourself a good pair of sunglasses for sports. You may be wondering what is the connection between sunglasses and sports? Y
ou will be surprised to know that sunglasses are important in various sports; they are indispensable in some sports such as surfing, cycling and skiing. The most important reason why people wear sunglasses when playing sports is to enhance their vision.
Light is actually composed of different colors. These colors- violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red or VIBGYOR have unique wavelengths. When these colors combine, they form white light.
Good sunglasses can selectively reduce the transmission of these wavelenghts into your eyes, diminishing glare and enhancing contrast sensitivity. The higher clarity, accuracy and comfort obtained like this can give an athlete an advantage over his or her competitors.
For instance, in softball, baseball and tennis, tinted sunglasses can help the player see the spin of the ball more clearly, so he or she can hit the ball better.
When biking, sunglasses can help the biker see down the road for a longer distance and reduce glare from other vehicles. Now that you know that sunglasses can be beneficial in sports, you may want to know how to choose a tint for your sunglasses. Here are some tips.
Choosing a tint for your sports sunglasses
Sunglasses for Tennis
Mostly, choosing a tint is a personal preference. However, some tints have advantages over others in some circumstances and specific tasks. If you are looking for color perception, a neutral gray tint is the best choice.
However, in sports such as tennis, baseball and golf, contrast is more important because they have to find the ball quickly. Contrast is also important when you are going fly fishing because you have to locate where the fish are at and throw the line there.
For these tasks, copper and brown tinted glasses are best.
Amber, red, yellow (if the sky is overcast or in low light conditions) and orange tint are also good choices to enhance contrast.
Look for sunglasses that offer UV protection
If you play outdoor sports, you already spend more time in the ourdoors than the average person. It is very important that your sunglasses offer 100 percent protection against UV rays. Long exposure to UV rays has been linked to a number of eye problems such as cataracts.
The UV protection offered by sunglasses is dependent on the material of the lens, additives and coatings given to the lens. It means, the darkness and the tint of sunglasses are not a good indicators of the level of UV protection offered by the glasses.
For instance, a yellow tinted sunglasses can offer 100 percent UV protection while dark sunglasses may offer no protection against UV rays. In this case, polycarbonate lenses for sunglasses have become quite popular- they are lightweight, shatter-resistant and they can block all of the harmful rays of the sun without any extra coatings or additives.
Anti-HEV radiation coatings offer additional benefits
Research has also shown that in addition to UV blocking properties, it is better if your sunglasses can also block HEV radiation or high energy visible radiation. HEV radiation is also called ‘blue light’. Scientists have reason to believe that exposure to HEV radiation can cause macular degeneration.
But you need not worry. There are many sunglasses that come with anti-HEV coatings. One type contains a synthetic form of the melanin pigment found in our skin and retina. This pigment has the property of absorbing light.
What are the other kinds of sunglasses lenses in the market?
Sunglasses with tints offer many benefits on the field but if you are looking for more features, we would like to tell you that there are also other kinds of lenses that can enhance your sports performance. Here is a brief introduction.
Photochromic lenses – These lenses take on darker and lighter hues according to the changing light, allowing the right amount of light.
Polarized lenses – These lenses have a special filter to block light reflected from horizontal surfaces. In the process, glare is eliminated. They are especially useful in blocking reflected light from snow, concrete, water and sand.
Anti-reflective coating – This coating is applied to the side of the lenses facing your eyes. It prevents sunlight from reflecting from this surface, when the sun is behind your head. You can reduce it even more, by choosing a wrap around frame.
Mirror coatings– For when the conditions are very bright like when you go skiing or hiking, consider getting a mirror coating applied to the front of your sun glasses. These sunglasses can drastically increase your comfort in highly reflective environment.
There are various kinds of sports sunglasses in the market. Before you buy one, it is a good idea to speak to an optometrist about the type, coatings and tint that you will suit your particular needs.
Alternative Title: Sunglasses have a Positive Effect in Sports
Description Meta Tag: sunglasses, polarized lenses, sports sunglasses, good sunglasses
