Mouthpiece Article? I don't believe it

I vote BS too.

They had a special on these about a month ago on ESPN. They are being used now by many professional football teams. They aren't just a mouthguard. They are supposed to align your jaw and your spine allowing for increased airflow as well as mobility. 

Now having said that, I don't really believe that it can do all that they are saying these things do but I do think that having good form and alignment can't be a bad thing.  

Agreed that the "alignment" thing "can't hurt". I just don't think its going to cut my run pace by 25%

Reminds me of that snake-oil that they used to sell on late night TV. You put this magical juice in your gas tank and your car instantly puts out 25% more horsepower.

uh huh...sure....."Horsepower in a can".

If I have taken Albuterol (asthma inhaler) before a run I am probably about 2 minutes a mile faster in the first 30 minutes than if I didn't. It doesn't just affect my breathing, my legs get less tired, presumably because I have better circulation. I wonder if the mouth guards provide a similar benefit - although I am at a loss to explain how that could work.

100% Flimflam

I'll help you.  It doesn't.

Completely agreed.

The mouthpiece belongs in the same category as these necklaces I saw at Sports Authority yesterday. They should have stopped the description right after "...or casual wear". Titanium is cool for jewelry, but it is not MAGIC.

Phiten®'s signature elastomer Sport Type Titanium Necklace features concentrated, micro-sized Titanium Spheres. Its sporty style and moisture-proof material makes it ideal for athletic activities or casual wear. It's recommended for improved blood circulation, fatigue reduction and relaxation.

This user's post has been ignored.

The price is about right. My mouth guard cost a couple hundred bucks from the dentist and all it's supposed to do is keep me from grinding my teeth to shreds while I sleep. (Yeah and then I realized you could buy them at Walgreens for $30.)

If anything, I would think a mouthguard allows you to have more stress in your jaw. If you're clenching, you now have something to clench down on. Right?

yeah but NYT also said that by doing triathlons you "WILL" hurt yourself.

^^^ Maybe that is why you need the mouthguard? problem solved!!

Guys/Gals....

This is not BS or FlimFlam...heck it was posted on the internet, so it has to be true, right???

Saw the ad in this month's Triathlete and my wife, non-triathlete (but soon to be), said "Really, this BS mouthguard is going to give you superhuman strength"...

I am calling for a vote. All in favor of it being BS raise your hand...

Kevin

My virtual hand is raised.

I'm getting a little tired of all the junk out there. No way it's going to knock 2 min/mile off your 10k time. No way. It's not my fitness that makes me slow, it's my misaligned jaw that's been disrupting my chi. Now that my mandible is straight, my knee feels better and my edema is gone!

Thanks Derek Jeter!

A local dentist in Calgary has been selling the same thing for at least a year, and he's got several NHL hockey players on board.

I also would never have believed an aero straw would make a difference either. :P

Wow.  Yes, I vote B.S..  This sort of crap 'reporting' really gets under my skin.  I don't know why, but I read the article and got increasingly angry with every instance of mis-information and bogus use of sources.

Under Armour is now selling one and I saw an ad for it in this month's Triathlete magazine.  Not sure I agree with it, but here is a link to so info on it:

http://bitetech.com/wp/?p=327

Just found this directly on Under Armour's site and is their brochure for it.  It explains the logic behind it:

http://www.underarmour.tv/video/shop/bitetech/1.5-Consumer.tri-fold%20Brochure.UA2.pdf

Don't hockey players wear a mouthpiece anyway?

Under Armor jumped the shark when they came out sunglasses and shoes.

Oh, one more thing:

So far, it's junkscience.

Experts say that Bite Tech's theory on TMJ and stress hormones is far from proven.
"There's no evidence that's what's causing" improved performance, said Dr. Noshir Mehta, an associate professor and dean of general dentistry at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. "There is a relationship between bite and strength, but we don't know why. I'd be concerned about any claims on why it works. Any claims people make about cortisol levels is not backed by science at this time. More research is needed."
Because Bite Tech's mouth guards are not liable to FDA approval, the company's claims do not have to be certified through government tests. So far, they have been backed only in tests funded by the company.

Kids and wusses wear full shields and don't need a mouthguard, unless of course they want improved performance.

     

Wow.  Just wow.  So many claims, not a single reference.  Not one.  I realize that it's not a scientific paper, but they SAY 'science proves...' (and similar things) over and over and over, and yet, not a single reference to anything.  Nada.

But the one thing that really kills me about this is that the basic premises that are being put forward to support the idea are bogus.  So far, I've seen two:  (1) the thing 'opens up your airways' to get more air in.  Who cares?  I could breathe more air in easily. Problem is, I'd hyperventilate.  My problem (and, I'd venture, the same goes for every non-asthmatic athlete) is not getting the air in, but using it.  (2) it relaxes your jaws, putting less pressure on the TMJ.  Newsflash:  relaxation does not require plastic.  (Not to mention that the notion that pressure on the TMJ is responsible for massive production of cortisol, etc., thus leading to fatigue, etc., is pretty dubious.  Is there one iota of scientific evidence to support this idea?  Sure, STRESS may be responsible for cortisol production and other stuff, but does physiologically reducing pressure on the TMJ reduce the effects of the stress?  At all?  Is there one shred of evidence to support this claim?)

I'm not sure why I'm so worked up about this.    It's been a long hard day.

My biggest question is, how many BTers clench their jaws in working out??  Have you ever TRIED to breath when clenching your jaw? its TOUGH... my mouth is open relatively wide to get as much air as possible in my body...  This is frustrating because its just ONE more thing on the market (expensive thing at that) that is "PROVEN" to improve performance instantly rather than the one thing that ACTUALLY will improve your performance...  hard work