The Effect of Mouthguard Design on Respiratory Function in Athletes

Objective: To test the hypothesis that 2 types of custom-made mouthguards will have no effect on ventilation ((V) over dot(E), L.min(-1)), oxygen uptake ((V) over dotO(2), mL.kg(-1).min(-1)), and heart rate (beats per minutes) at varying exercise intensities (10 km.h(-1) and 12 km.h(-1)) and at subjective maximal effort ((V) over dotO(2)peak) in male field hockey and water polo players. Design: A randomized, prospective, crossover study. Setting: The Physiology Testing Laboratory, School of Sports Science, Exercise and Health at the University of Western Australia, a tertiary educational institution. Participants: Twenty-seven male team-sport athletes. Interventions: Each athlete participated in 3 experimental exercise sessions separated by 1-week intervals. Testing involved a graded exercise test (GXT) performed on a treadmill wearing either a custom laminated mouthguard with normal palatal surface, a custom laminated mouthguard with palatal coverage up to the gingival margin, or no mouthguard. The experimental trials were performed in a random counterbalanced order. Main Outcome Measures: (V) over dot(E) (L.min(-1)) and (V) over dotO(2) (mL.kg(-1).min(-1)) were measured during the GXTat intensities that equated to 10 km.h(-1), 12 km.h(-1) and subjective maximal effort ((V) over dotO(2)peak). Results: There were no significant differences between trials for (V) over dot(E) (L.min(-1)) and (V) over dotO(2) (mL.kg(-1).min(-1)) at any of the intensities assessed (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The wearing of 2 different custom-made mouthguards during a GXT did not impair (V) over dot(E) or (V) over dotO(2) during varying levels of exercise intensity in team sport athletes.