Author(s): EMA, R., Institution: SHIBAURA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 751

INTRODUCTION:
It has been reported that wearing a mouthguard improves lower-limb performance, such as vertical jump height (Busca et al. 2018); however, its effects on muscle strength, including that of the upper limbs, remain unclear (Miró et al. 2021). This ambiguity may be related to the limited number of studies that have simultaneously evaluated both upper- and lower-limb performance within the same study. Furthermore, it is unknown whether the effects of a mouthguard differ between individuals who habitually wear one during training and competition and those who do not. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of mouthguard use on upper- and lower-limb performance, with specific consideration of prior experience with mouthguard use.
METHODS:
Twenty-five athletes participated in this study and were divided into two groups: an experienced group (n = 16), consisting of athletes accustomed to wearing mouthguards during regular training, and a novice group (n = 9), comprising athletes using a mouthguard for the first time. Upper-limb performance was evaluated by measuring maximal handgrip strength and the rate of force development of handgrip strength. Lower-limb performance was assessed using vertical jump height. Each measurement was performed under two conditions: with and without a mouthguard. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.
RESULTS:
For handgrip strength and the rate of force development, no significant differences were observed between the with-mouthguard and without-mouthguard conditions in either the experienced or novice groups. Regarding vertical jump height, no significant difference was found in the experienced group; however, the novice group showed a significantly higher jump height (4.5% increase) when wearing a mouthguard compared with the without-mouthguard condition.
CONCLUSION:
These results suggest that the effects of wearing a mouthguard on physical performance become evident in lower-limb performance among individuals who are not accustomed to using one.