Changes in binocular pupillometry in athletes after high exercise stress

Aim. The article deals with studying the changes in binocular pupillometry to establish vegetative activity in athletes after high exercise stress. Materials and methods. 25 male athletes aged 19-34 years with no health limitations participated in the study. We estimated a set of the commonly accepted parameters of pupillometry (pupil diameter, pupil reaction initiation time, pupil constriction diameter, pupil constriction velocity) by measuring pupil reaction to a light stimulus with the help of a non-contact pupilometer (KVAZAR, Moscow). The examination was conducted prior to physical stress and 5, 15, and 30 minutes after. Intertrack-750 treadmill (SchillerAG, Switzerland) was used for testing. Results. The results obtained in a pupillometric study prove that there is a predominance of the sympathetic component in athletes at maximal load accompanied by emotional stress. After physical stress accompanied by fatigue and nervous system exhaustion, there is a pronounced predominance of the parasympathetic component. Conclusion. The data obtained prove that binocular pupillometry can be effectively used in sports medicine to estimate vegetative tone and regulatory mechanisms in athletes.