Background: The physiological responses to exercise when wearing a mouthguard may depend on the type of mouthguard and the facemask used during exercise testing. This study compared the effects of boil-and-bite (BBMG) and custom-fit (CFMG) protective mouthguards on the metabolic, cardiovascular, and ventilatory responses to exercise when wearing a facemask that allowed mouth only or nose and mouth breathing.
Methods: Twenty-four male college Lacrosse players (mean = 20±2 years) participated in this study. Each participant performed six submaximal exercise tests while wearing one of two facemasks (mouth only breathing and nose and mouth breathing) and one of three mouthguard conditions (BBMG, CFMG, no mouthguard). Steady-state VO<inf>2</inf>, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), tidal volume (V<inf>T</inf>), respiratory rate (RR), minute ventilation (VE), and heart rate (HR) values were measured at intensities of exercise corresponding to 60% and 80% of VO<inf>2peak</inf>.
Results: There were significant main effects for facemask type (mouth only breathing vs. nose and mouth breathing) for VO<inf>2</inf>, VE, V<inf>T</inf>, and RPE. There were significant main effects for mouthguard (BBMG, CFMG, and no mouthguard) for VO<inf>2</inf>, VE, RR, and HR. There were also multiple significant interactions. All of the differences in VO<inf>2</inf>, HR, VE, V<inf>T</inf>, RR, and RPE, although statistically significant, were negligible and of little practical significance.
Conclusions: The physiological responses to wearing a BBMG or CFMG are of little practical significance so they can be worn to reduce the likelihood of dental injuries without impeding metabolic, cardiovascular and ventilatory responses.