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Excerpt:

Introduction Cycling is a healthy, aerobic activity that can help the whole body – including the eyes – when done right. For people with glaucoma (a condition that damages the optic nerve over time), regular moderate exercise like cycling may lower eye pressure and improve blood flow to the optic nerve. However, road cycling also brings some eye-specific challenges: bending forward on a bike can raise eye pressure, and wind, sun and crashes can hurt the eyes. In this article, we review the science on how cycling affects eye health in glaucoma, and give practical tips on bike fit, gear and routines to stay safe. Cycling, IOP (Eye Pressure), Ocular Blood Flow, and Autonomic Balance Regular aerobic exercise has been shown to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) – the fluid pressure inside the eye – which is the main risk factor that patients can change in glaucoma. For example, a 2022 clinical trial in open-angle glaucoma patients found that after a session of cycling and walking, IOP dropped noticeably and the ocular perfusion pressure (an indicator of blood flow into the eye) increased (). Likewise, a review of exercise in healthy people noted that moderate cycling (15–20 minutes) causes a small but significant IOP decrease (). In plain terms, getting your heart rate up tends to let some eye fluid drain out more easily, easing pressure inside the eye. In the 2022 trial, the researchers reported that “aerobic exercise is beneficial for patients with primary open-angle glaucoma” because of these IOP and blood flow changes (). Exercise also boosts blood flow throughout the body – including the eyes. Improved circulation means more oxygen and nutrients to the optic nerve and retina (the light-sensing tissue): one article notes that aerobic exercise “significantly lower[s] [IOP] and improve[s] blood circulation throughout the body, including the eyes” (). In eye-specific terms, lowering IOP while keeping blood pressure steady raises the driving pressure that pushes blood into the optic nerve (this is ocular perfusion pressure). So after cycling, more blood can reach the optic nerve, which is generally good for eye health. In addition, regular exercise helps the body’s autonomic nervous system (which controls things like heart rate and blood vessel tone) to stay in balance. In a rodent model of glaucoma risk, researchers found that ten weeks of treadmill exercise prevented a diet-induced rise in IOP and also prevented excessive sympathetic (stress) nerve activity (). In other words, exercise training made the animals’ autonomic responses more normal and kept their eye pressure from rising. By analogy, routine aerobic exercise in people helps keep the “fight-or-flight” stress response in check, which may further stabilize eye pressure and blood flow. Key point: Moderate cycling workouts tend to lower IOP and increase ocular blood flow. Regular aerobic conditioning (cycling, walking, swimming, etc.) has been shown to slow the progression of glaucoma. For instance, one study cited by the Glaucoma Research Foundation found that people who do moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise at least three times a week had about a 10% slower rate of vision loss than those who did little exercise (). In short,

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