The Effects of Various Customised Mouthguard Designs on Physiological Parameters and Comfort in Male Boxers

Athletes, who use mouthguards (MGs) as a protective device, often experience obstruction of airflow and interferences with performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of three custom–made MGs (MG1, MG2, MG3), which differed in design and thickness, on respiratory flow and blood lactate during exercise. Fourteen elite male boxers (Age: 26 ± 8 yr; Mass: 80±11) performed newly developed sport specific protocol under laboratory conditions on four occasions – without a MG and with each of the three MGs. The exercise consisted of 4 boxing rounds of 3 mins, with a minute rest after each round. Breath-by-breath analysis (METALYZER® 3B, Cortex) showed that there were no differences in the uptake of oxygen (p > 0.157) between the four conditions. Likewise, the use of different MG did not affect blood lactate accumulation (p = 1.00). However, at the end of the first round the minute ventilation was higher when MG3 was used (86.2 ± 17.5 L/min) compared to MG2 (71.7 ± 13.2) and having no MG (73.7 ± 16.4) (p = 0.002). The fact that a negative effect was not determined on physiological responses could further encourage players to use MGs during both training and competition.