Sports performance adaptations through occlusal splint: Case reports of triathlon athletes

ABSTRACT

Objective

Occlusal disturbances affect human posture and sports performance. This study aimed to monitor biomechanical adaptations to personalized occlusal splints.

Methods

Splints were customized based on stabilometry, thermography, sEMG, and kinesiography, and administered to three triathlon athletes. They were evaluated during a 4-month period, using isokinetic indexes, running kinematics and anaerobic outputs.

Results

Individuality emerged as a key factor driving type, quantity, quality, and time trajectories of adaptations. The use of instrumental and clinical tests allowed the detection of static balance and biting function improvements, but not necessarily parallel to sports performance improvements.

Conclusion

The authors argue that strength and kinematic imbalances are joint and task-specific and support the use of multi-stage monitoring of the biomechanical effect of mouthpieces. Kinematics of cycling and running may be widely assessed with ecological and inexpensive methods. Strength imbalances need to be continuously monitored due to the high informative value to injury prevention.

KEYWORDS:

• Biting
• strength imbalances
• kinematics
• isokinetics
• posturology

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Alice Cappio, Dr. Luca Iezzi, and Dr. William Peralta, who provided language and writing assistance.

Authors’ contribution

Conceptualization, M.C., D.B., M.D.A. and T.P.; Methodology, M.C., D.B., M.D.A. and T.P.; Formal Analysis: D.B.; Investigation, M.C., D.B. and V.V.; Resources: M.C., D.B., M.D.A., V.V. and T.P.; Writing – Original Draft, M.C. and D.B.; Writing – Review & Editing, M.C., D.B., M.D.A., V.V. and T.P.; Visualization: D.B.; Supervision, M.D.A., V.V. and T.P., Project administration: M.D.A. and T.P.; Funding Acquisition, M.D.A. and T.P.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Medical and Oral Sciences and Biotechnologies, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy funding to M.D.A