Nike are constantly raising the bar for performance and setting new standards in athletic training, so with the introduction of SPARQ Sensory Performance (SSP), Nike have developed an integrated approach that allows athletes to fine tune their sensory skills and see their sport better.
Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe is training equipment designed to help athletes strengthen the connection between the eyes, the brain and the body. Following visual testing to evaluate different aspects of the athlete’s visual skills, the Vapor Strobe eyewear blocks or disrupts vision using a strobe or flicker effect that can be varied in speed, so an athlete can develop quicker reaction times and motor skills.
It brings old methods of vision blocking and strobe-effect training into the modern era. Using liquid crystal technology, the Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe lenses flicker between clear and opaque, removing visual information and allowing athletes to become more efficient with the information they are given. In essence, The strobe effect improves reaction time by switching between clear and blocked vision, which trains the brain to anticipate what‘s coming when the eyes are blocked.
The training exercises are to first complete a drill without wearing the Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe eyewear, then do the same drill while wearing them. Finally, remove the Strobe eyewear and complete the same drill one more time. Athletes will experience a noticeable increase of awareness.
The skills trained are: Focus/Attention – Directing and maintaining attention on the primary task, such as tracking an object through space; Timing – Precision and accuracy of timing a response to a moving object; Imagery – Constructing a mental image to recreate and object or event; Reaction Time – Time required to mentally process visual information and take action; Balance – Ability to maintain stability while making rapid eye movement to track or search for an object; Peripheral Vision – Detecting movement.
"Sensory training is at the cornerstone of how we can build better
athletes,” said Paul Winsper, SPARQ Performance Director. “With SSP
we’re able to integrate both sensory and physical training together.
This performance philosophy has resonated with some of the top athletes,
teams and clubs throughout the world.”
“After years of tireless testing, we’ve discovered an innovative way to
help increase athletic performance,” said Dr. Alan Reichow, Global
Research Director of Nike SPARQ Sensory Performance and Vision. “The
SSP ecosystem of testing and products allows our team to serve the
athlete with a clear and actionable plan that helps them see sport
better.”
It’s another step in Nike’s nearly 40-year legacy of game-changing innovations to help athletes perform at their peak, but what do you think of the Nike Vapor Strobe Eyewear? Share your thoughts online, on Twitter and on Facebook.