Influence of the use of mouth guards on oxygen consumption: review article

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate, through a literature review, whether the use of mouth guards influences the VO2 and VO2 max values during physical activity. Material and Methods: the study was carried out in January 2017 and included the articles indexed in the MEDLINE/PubMed database from the year 2000 until the date of the search. The search strategy employed the term “mouth guard” with the following words and possible combinations: “ventilatory thresholds,” “athletic performance,” “maximum volume of oxygen,” “aerobic performance capacity,” and “oxygen consumption.” The articles found were presented in a table and analyzed descriptively. Results: the data analyzed indicate that the use of the Type III or customized mouth guard does not negatively influence the VO2 and VO2 max values. Conclusion: according to the literature, Type I and Type II mouth guards had a negative influence on the analyzed variables. The use of the personalized mouth guard, especially Type III, did not present any damage to the VO2 and VO2 max values.