For many athletes, the difference between winning and losing can be tiny fractions of a second. Since the beginning of time and the advent of competitive sports, man has looked to gain any edge they can! Whether it be at the earliest Olympic games, playing in a recreational league, or major pro sports. What if your dentist can give you the jaw protection, extra edge you need, and allow your body to perform at its optimum? Recent advancements in understanding how the body works to achieve maximum performance has allowed the development of new high performance athletic mouthguards.
Custom Made Mouthguards Can Make A Difference
The days of boil and bite mouthguards are slowly fading away. Custom made mouthguards give you a very comfortable fit along with added performance extras. A well made custom performance athletic mouthguard can give you the following advantages:
-Decreased Tooth and Jaw Damage. A well fitting mouthguard will give proper support and protection to your teeth and jaws, leading to less physical damage resulting from facial traumas.
-Increased Strength. A performance athletic mouthguard relieves muscular tension in the jaw. This frees up energy that can be used more efficiently by other parts of the body. More power on hand equals increased energy. The end result is increased strength and flexibility.
-Increased Oxygen Intake. These specially designed athletic mouthguards relax and align your jaw to significantly improve airflow and breathing. Studies by various researchers have shown an increase of almost 29%. Increased airflow is shown to improve Heart Rate efficiency, resulting in heightened training, performance, and recovery.
-Increased Endurance. Studies have shown with increased oxygen intake there is also the ability by the body to remove lactic acid faster. When you decrease lactic acid, you increase your ability to perform well longer. These studies have shown a reduction of as much as 25% lactic acid when using a high performance athletic mouthguard.
-Increased Reaction Time. Studies have shown an increase by up to 12% in some athletes. This equates to a significant edge during game time.
-Reduction in Athletic Stress. It has been shown that proper usage of an athletic mouthguard can cause lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol to develop during athletic action.
-Increased Control Of Your Body. When your jaw is aligned properly, you further stabilize the muscles in your head, neck and spine. Body sway is reduced, resulting in stronger core stability and balance. The closer you are to your ideal jaw position, the more your muscles are stabilized and relaxed. This makes breathing deeper and easier, which improves your balance and focus.
Are There Different Types Of Performance Athletic Mouthguards?
There are a few brands out there that claim to improve performance. The leading types are made by UnderArmour and PX3. These two companies have compiled extensive research to back their claims as well as having many high profile endorsers of their product. The main thing is, that these are custom made for each individual to maximize them for their particular sport.
Conclusion
Your jaw, teeth, and bite are as unique as each of our fingerprints, which is why standard mouthguards are not the solution. Will a performance athletic mouthguard turn an ordinary athlete into a Super Bowl winning football player? Probably not. What it can give to any athlete is a boost that could be the difference between winning and losing at their own skill level. Wouldn’t you want that increased protection from harm, and extra competitive edge for yourself or your children?
© 2013, Marielaina Perrone DDS. All rights reserved. Henderson Emergency Dentist