Sports research: Sports drinks could be eroding your teeth as well as boosting your energy. Research has shown that the high acidity of some sports drinks can cause tooth enamel to dissolve. This can make teeth more sensitive and leave them susceptible to infection.
The high levels of sports drink consumption by many athletes led researchers at the University of Birmingham to study their potentially harmful effects on people's teeth. Erosion caused by a popular sports drink was compared with water and to a newly designed less erosive drink, in a study conducted by Michelle Venables and colleagues, published recently in the journal, Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise.
Athletes performed daily bouts of intensive exercise over three consecutive three-week blocks. The volunteers consumed a different drink during and after the exercise for each three-week period. The participants wore a special gum shield with an embedded enamel sample so the level of enamel erosion could be measured.
During three weeks of daily sports drink consumption, researchers found up to 30 times more enamel loss than during the three weeks spent drinking only water. "Tooth erosion can be a very significant problem," said Dr Tony Smith, head of research at the university's school of dentistry. "Eventually the hard dentine and pulp can be exposed, leading to infection."
The sugar contained in these drinks helps improve performance when consumed during endurance events, such as marathons. It is their acidity, however, rather than the sugar, that can lead to enamel erosion. Higher acid levels are included in sports drinks to improve the taste and to increase their shelf life.
Exercise can lead to a dry mouth, and without saliva to regulate the acidity of the sports drink, more erosion can take place, putting sports people at even more risk, according to the report.
However, a prototype low-erosion drink tested in the research was no more damaging to teeth than water.
Dr Asker Jeukendrup, director of the university's human performance laboratory, said: "This research paves the way for the development of future products with low-corrosive potential."
Dr Vikki Burns is a scientist from the University of Birmingham on placement at The Irish Times as a British Association for the Advancement of Science Media Fellow.