Anyone who has watched a major sporting event on TV has seen a stream of commercials advocating the use of a sports drink to enhance or "fuel" their workout. The perception is often even conveyed that the energy drink is a necessary part of the workout and that the body would be depleted without it. Really?
Over the years I have noticed how the regular consumption of sports and energy drinks have had a negative impact on the teeth. In patients with the habit, I generally notice that the teeth turn glossy smooth and have dips in the front aspect of the tooth and tooth structure loss on the backs of the teeth on the upper jaw.
The enamel actually looks worse, cosmetically, as well as it loses some of it's translucency.
Notice, I did not specify that cavities were present. They aren't always there. The teeth are given one acid wash at a time and lose their sharpness and cutting ability, sometimes with cavities and sometimes without.
Did you know that the pH of Rockstar is about 2.53? That's closer to battery acid (pH 1) than to water. 5-hour energy (pH 2.81) and Gatorade Blue (pH 2.92) aren't that much better. Diet soda has average pH of 2.7.
Juices and citrus consumption can also have detrimental effects, but listen to the difference:
Your body has two systems: the sympathetic (activity) and the parasympathetic (rest and digest). When we eat food, we typically sit down and are utilizing the parasympathetic system. There is plenty of saliva to buffer the food acids we eat and there is little damage sustained to the teeth from the acidic foods and drinks we consume, within reason. I repeat, within reason.
When we are working out, we are in activity mode. Our mouths are dry. There is very little saliva present. Now coat your teeth with acid and sugar and see what happens.
Check with your nutritionist for your own pattern, but in my workouts, day to day, I drink water. I have never run into an electrolyte problem without Gatorade or energy drinks and I know my teeth are a lot happier for it.
Over the years I have noticed how the regular consumption of sports and energy drinks have had a negative impact on the teeth. In patients with the habit, I generally notice that the teeth turn glossy smooth and have dips in the front aspect of the tooth and tooth structure loss on the backs of the teeth on the upper jaw.
The enamel actually looks worse, cosmetically, as well as it loses some of it's translucency.
Notice, I did not specify that cavities were present. They aren't always there. The teeth are given one acid wash at a time and lose their sharpness and cutting ability, sometimes with cavities and sometimes without.
Did you know that the pH of Rockstar is about 2.53? That's closer to battery acid (pH 1) than to water. 5-hour energy (pH 2.81) and Gatorade Blue (pH 2.92) aren't that much better. Diet soda has average pH of 2.7.
Juices and citrus consumption can also have detrimental effects, but listen to the difference:
Your body has two systems: the sympathetic (activity) and the parasympathetic (rest and digest). When we eat food, we typically sit down and are utilizing the parasympathetic system. There is plenty of saliva to buffer the food acids we eat and there is little damage sustained to the teeth from the acidic foods and drinks we consume, within reason. I repeat, within reason.
When we are working out, we are in activity mode. Our mouths are dry. There is very little saliva present. Now coat your teeth with acid and sugar and see what happens.
Check with your nutritionist for your own pattern, but in my workouts, day to day, I drink water. I have never run into an electrolyte problem without Gatorade or energy drinks and I know my teeth are a lot happier for it.
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