Why You Should Wear A Mouthguard When Lifting Weights

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Top Mouthguards For Lifting Weights AND Why You Should Wear One While Lifting Weights

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When lifting weights or exerting energy, you naturally clench or bite down really hard. Most people don't realize they are clenching their teeth when lifting weights because they are so focused on completing their reps. Clenching creates considerable forces on the upper and lower Jaws and can eventually lead to damaged teeth, headaches, neck pain and injury to the temporomandibular joint (the temporomandibular joint or TMJ acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull). Clenching can also cause your teeth to develop small hoes which store bits of food while eating and in time may turn into full blown tooth decay if left untreated.

Teeth are actually the hardest substance in the human body. When a substance as hard and strong as a tooth grinds against another tooth, there is going to be damage. Teeth can develop stress cracks, fractures, gum recession or you could experience weakened facial muscles.

Some research suggests that using a mouthguard when lifting weights leads to less stress on the jaw which promotes faster recovery. Other research indicates that weight lifters may see an increase in strength and force production when using a mouthguard. The research is in the early stages, but some studies confirmed that wearing a mouthguard during exercise can help increase muscular endurance and prevent muscle cramping.

Research performed by Marquette University discovered that clenching your teeth without a mouthguard in your mouth during weightlifting, dramatically increases your strength. It really doesn't matter who's right in thew debate of whether or not the mouthguard increases strength during weight training. The most important part of both studies is that you definitely should wear some type of mouthguard while weight training to protect your teeth.

“Your jaw muscles, just like any other muscle, will build up lactic acids in the muscles and deplete oxygen. The mouthguard prevents teeth clenching and opens the airways, allowing professional and everyday athletes alike to breathe easier during g a workout.”-Dr. Nicholas Toscano, prosthodontist

While most athletes don't wear a mouthguard when they are lifting weights, as you can see, it turns out mouthguards are very important when weight training. Today, most athletes know the importance of a mouthguard when it comes to competing in a specific sport that includes contact like mixed martial arts (MMA) and boxing, but don't understand why a mouthguard is so important when lifting weights.

If you clench your teeth when weight training, consider wearing a mouthguard. Simple boil-and-bite mouthguards work great but new mouthguards have come on the market that are better for breathing and are focused just on weight training. These types of mouthguards are more focused on preventing clenching of the teeth as opposed to protection of the teeth from external blows. You can also wear a mouthguard designed for teeth grinding like the DenTek or GLOA mouthguard. The DenTek and GLOA are basically the same but the GLOA mouthguard is a better buy. The reviews on Amazon aren't very favorable. My son lifts weights for college football and has recently tried the DenTek for lifting weights. He said it wasn't as comfortable and his breathing was better with the AIRWAAV. You can use any mouthguard to protect your teeth when weightlifting but if it inhibits breathing while clenching down, this is a problem with weightraining because you need to inhale and exhale frequently. The AIRWAAV performance mouthpiece is my top choice for weight training because not only does it protect your teeth from clenching, it also increases your oxygen intake.

1) AIRWAAV Buy Now

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2) Impact (Custom) Buy Now

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3) Damage Control (Custom) Buy Now

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4) New Age 6DS Buy Now

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5) PowerPlus Buy Now

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6) GO2 Buy Now

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7) Shock Doctor Nano Double

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8) Shock Doctor Double Braces

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What if you have braces? You can use any "braces" mouthguard, but the best mouthguard would be one that has breathing channels like the Shock Doctor Double Braces mouthguard.

I also recommend these types of moutghguards except for the (NIKE and Shock Doctor) for the following sports:

1. Rock Climbing

2. Running

3. Yoga

4. Tennis

5. Fencing

6. Kayaking

7. Golfing

HOW I (The Author) TEST MOUTHGUARDS & WHY I CAN BE TRUSTED

My name is Ken Mitchell. I Have been fabricating custom mouthguards for more than 15 years and have been a dental technician for over 20 years. I also, have owned my own dental laboratory for over 20 years.

Besides having work experience with mouthguards, I know first hand the importance of mouthguards in the sports world. I have played several sports throughout my life at the hight school level, including basketball, football, baseball and beach volleyball. I am also a father to two sons and a daughter who have played Soccer, Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Lacrosse and Baseball ever since they were in the first grade. From time to time I have used my children to test mouthguards to get a first-hand, real-world experience with custom mouthguards and store bought mouthguards.

I search for every mouthguard on the market. Then, I purchase (with my own funds) every mouthguard I review through places like Amazon, eBay or directly from the manufacturer, just like you would, then evaluate every mouthguard based on my expert opinion. I also comb the internet to find other reviews on durability to develop a better understanding of specific mouthguards pros and cons over an extended period of time.

Every mouthguard I review, is fitted and examined by me. The only time a mouthguard is fitted by another person besides me, would be my son, who plays college football. I used him mainly to fit and use mouthguards for weight training.

When I review a mouthguard it must pass certain criteria to rank in my top 10.

• FIT- I believe this is the most important factor in evaluating a mouthguard, because without a tight fit, all of the other criteria can be thrown out the window.

• Comfort- Comfort goes hand in hand with the fit, if the the mouthguard is comfortable you wont get distracted by focusing on your mouthguard, instead you will be focused on the game and perform at your highest level.

• Protection- With advancement in materials, mouthguards that are thick, aren't necessarily more protective than thinner mouthguards. Brands like SISU and Game On, provide thinner mouthguards that are 40-100% stronger than EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) that is used by most mouthguard manufacturers.

• Sport- Almost every mouthguard on the market is made for use in multiple sports but there are a few mouthguards that are designed for weight training or exercising. I will break down which sport each mouthguard is better for.

Remember to always take into consideration that every mouthguard may not suit your specific requirements. Each person is different and everyone's mouth is unique to that person. The Mouthguard Review can only evaluate the initial fit of a mouthguard and only "real world" use can show long term durability and other design flaws.

*The Mouthguard Review has no connection to any mouthguard manufacturer and has no financial incentive to rate any brand over another. All of the reviews are written and performed by one person and are 100% unbiased.

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THE MATERIALS AND INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE HAVE BEEN PREPARED OR ASSEMBLED BY THE MOUTHGUARD REVIEW AND ARE INTENDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ADVICE FROM A LICENSED HEALTH-CAR PROFESSIONAL. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY SOLELY ON THIS CONTENT, AND THE MOUTHGUARD REVIEW ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR INACCURACIES. ALWAYS READ LABELS AND DIRECTIONS BEFORE USING A PRODUCT. SOME OF THE INFORMATION MAY BE DATED AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE MOST CURRENT EVENTS. I WROTE THIS ARTICLE MYSELF AND IT EXPRESSES MY OWN OPINIONS.