Simple visual reaction time in badminton players: A comparative study

Background: Adequate sports activity improves health and physical development by increasing muscle strength, alertness, sensory development, muscle coordination, speed, strength, and stamina. Many researches show that sports activity reduces reaction time, which is a reliable indicator of rate of processing of sensory stimuli by central nervous system. So the present study is undertaken to evaluate effect of playing badminton on reaction time. Aims & Objective: To compare visual reaction times of badminton players with those of age-matched controls. Materials and Methods: We estimated the visual reaction times of 50 male badminton players of 18–22 years age group who were practicing badminton for 2–3 h/day for a minimum of 2 years. The visual reactions were compared with those of 50 age-matched healthy male students of Dr SCGMC Nanded (Maharashtra, India) who formed the control group. Results: Visual reaction time of dominant as well as non-dominant limb of badminton players was significantly less than that of the control group who were not practicing any sports activity. Conclusion: Our study results support the view that playing badminton is beneficial in improving eye–hand reaction time, muscle coordination, cognitive functions, concentration, and alertness.