Sports
Blink Behaviour, Pupil Diameter, and Technical Performance in Elite Male Table Tennis Players: A Wearable Eye-Tracking Study
By Centeno A, González-Jiménez R, Bernárdez-Vilaboa R and 3 others.
Abstract
Background
Table tennis is a fast interceptive sport that requires continuous visual information processing and precise visuomotor control. Wearable eye tracking may provide objective information about ocular behaviour during sport-specific performance, although evidence on blink behaviour and pupil diameter in elite players remains limited.
Methods
This observational cross-sectional study analysed blink-related and pupil-related variables during a standardised table tennis stroke-performance test in 17 elite male players. Participants completed a 56-ball robot-based protocol, consisting of six familiarisation trials followed by 50 analysed forehand topspin strokes. Ocular variables included total blink count, blink frequency, mean blink duration, mean pupil diameter, maximum pupil diameter, and minimum pupil diameter. Technical performance outcomes were stroke accuracy and ball velocity.