Effectiveness and Wearability of Performance Enhancing Athletic Mouthwear
Loading...
Authors
Fasbinder, Adrienne L.
Issue Date
2011
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Performance-enhancing mouthguards are a relatively new
development in sports dentistry that are purported to enhance an athletes'
competitive performance by changing the position of the mandible to relieve
pressure that results from clenching of the jaw (Garner and McDivitt, 2009).
Clenching the jaw results from elevated stress due to strenuous exercise and can
cause the release of the hormones cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine
(Garner and McDivitt, 2008). Chronic exposure to stress, buildup of lactic acid
within the muscles, and the release of these hormones can reduce muscle building,
suppress the immune system, limit peripheral vision, and ultimately cause fatigue
(Balanoff, 2009; Widmaier et. a/, 2008; Francis and Brasher, 1991) . These factors
work to decrease athletic performance. By restructuring the dynamics that occur as
a result of clenching the jaw, the performance-enhancing mouthguard has the
potential to increase athletic strength and endurance.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of the performance-enhancing
mouthguard by measuring athlete's strength. Forty-five athletes from the
University of Michigan football and hockey teams underwent physical strength tests
to evaluate the athlete's change in performance. Results were inconclusive and did
not support the hypothesis that the athletes wearing the performance-guard
exhibited increased strength compared to control athletes that did not use a
mouthguard. Bacterial cultures were taken from regularly worn mouthguards
before and after treatment with common cleansing agents including Listerine,
hydrogen peroxide, and white vinegar. Results did not show a significant difference
between cleansing treatments. They did not support the hypothesis that
mouthguards treated with a hydrogen peroxide solution would show the least
amount of microbial growth.
Description
v, 73 p.
Citation
Publisher
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.