Pro golfers and other athletes are reporting that "performance mouthwear," a partnership between Bite Tech and Under Armour, has raised their games.
I was going to wait until I had a chance to test this out before telling you about it, but Hunter Mahan’s impressive PGA Tour win over the weekend seemed a little too coincidental to ignore.
You see, Mahan is one of a growing number of pro golfers and other athletes who are starting to wear custom, “performance mouthwear” during competition…and they’re swearing it’s helping them perform much better (Saturday and Sunday rounds of 65? I should say so.)
Let me say right off the bat, I tend to be pretty skeptical about performance gear (sorry, Adidas, that performance underwear just didn’t cut it).
However, the fact that Mahan’s win came the day before I was scheduled to pick up my very own, custom-made mouthpiece from my dentist seemed like a message from the golf gods.
According to Bite Tech (bitetech.com), which has partnered with popular sports apparel maker Under Armour to create, “Under Armour Performance Mouthwear,” here is how it works:
“Clenching the jaw triggers the production and release of a cascade of hormones, including cortisol, the stress hormone. Performance Mouthwear prevents teeth clenching and relieves pressure on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). By preventing the excessive production of hormones, the body is able to unlock its full potential.”
This should translate to less stress, fatigue and distraction on the golf course – and lower scores. I am looking forward to trying the product over the next several months and reporting back to you with my findings.
If you are inclined to try it, too, the product is available through a select number of dentists throughout the country (a list of which can be found on the Bite Tech website).
It takes two, short appointments to create a mouthpiece: one to have the molds taken, and a second for your final fitting. Prices seem to range from about $300-$500, depending on the model you choose.
By the way, according to Bite Tech:
“More than 1,000 professional, collegiate and Olympic athletes are already using Bite Tech’s performance mouthwear technology, including Adrian Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald, Bernard Berrian, Bobby Wade, Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, Michael Cuddyer, Ray Allen, Marian Gaborik and Zach Parise.”
And here are some quotes from other sports standouts appearing on the Bite Tech website:
“It has increased my strength, power and heightened my accuracy.”
—Hunter Mahan, PGA Pro
“When the game is on the line I want my body and mind to be 100% in sync, this technology makes that happen for me.”
—Marian Gaborik, New York Rangers, NHL All-Star
“…helps me to stay calm and focused in critical competitive situations….”
—Jason Rogers, U.S. Fencing Team
“…I’ve got power in the 3rd period I didn’t have before. I love this product.”
—Caitlin Cahow, U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team
“I have noticed a huge difference in my breathing and concentration…”
—John Paul Tomich, U.S. Extreme Snowboarder
I guess you could say these pros are literally putting their money where their mouth is (sorry, couldn’t resist).
What do you think? Is this a breakthrough or bunk? Feel free to share your comments below.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Did a quick double check on the date and I see it isn’t April 1st, so …
It makes sense that preventing the grinding and clenching would be beneficial from a muscle tension point of view. If the cortisol claims are true that would be beneficial as well.
Have you come across any research to support these claims? It would be interesting to see if the science backs up the anecdotal evidence.
I liked the “put their money where their mouth is” line 8=)
I believe there is quite a bit of research data available on the Bite Tech website.
I’ve played golf with the same group of guys, every Friday for the past three years. One of our group members has his own dental practice, and started talking about this performance mouthwear a few months back, and ended up ordering one for himself. We’ve all brought the next “game changing” piece of new equipment to our weekly play, myself included, hoping to quickly astonish and beat the pants off of my friends. But… that never seems to be the case.
So, we all laughed at our professional dentist and amateur golfer with his new under armour mouthpiece that was supposed to make him stronger, more flexible, more consistent, etc…
Well, we all became very quiet very fast. I have never witnessed such a dramatic and immediate increase in a person’s game. The thing that boggled my mind is the effects were consistent throughout the entire round. I’ve watched him for three years now, and know his game. He now hits the ball farther, straighter, and golfs a complete game. The only difference was the mouthpiece.
I actually pick mine up tomorrow, and can’t wait until Friday.
~T.M.
When I played HS footfall we had mouthpieces that cost less than $ 10 which were self moulding and form fitting to your teeth. They still sell them save your money!
What is the difference between Bite Tech and an off the shelf mouth/bite guard? Shouldn’t they be about the same?
I had the same question for the dentist. He told me that the off-the-shelf boil and bite mouthpieces don’t create separation in the back of your mouth. That is where the TMJ resides and therefore while they are good at protecting your teeth from impact, they don’t reduce the release of cortisol and lactic acid.
Sounds like a company using high paid athletes to push their overpriced product, that you probably would not need even if you had a TMJ problem.
As far as I know, Bite Tech does not pay any athletes to use its product, and in fact, several very high profile pros have invested money in the company after using the product and experiencing improved performance.
Interesting. It looks like Bruce Fleisher is another golfer who is using the mouthpiece. I found Bite Tech’s Facebook page with more info: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bite-Tech/219287976313
I’M A DENTIST AND I HAVE SUPPLIED SOME OLYMPIC WRESTLERS WITH THE CUSTOM MADE VERSION OF THIS PRODUCT. WEIGHT LIFTERS HAVE BEEN USING THESE FOR YEARS. TRY LIFTING SOMETHING HEAVY -WITHOUT CLENCHING YOUR TEETH. THE APPLIANCE WORKS ONLY IF BALANCED PERFECTLY TO BOTH SIDES AND THE FRONT OF THE MOUTH. THIS BALANCE ALLOWS THE MERIDIANS AS DESCRIBED IN ACUPUNCTURE TO BECOME IN HARMONY AND THUS ALLOW INCREASE IN STRENGTH. WEIGHT LIFTERS REPORT ABOUT A 5% INCREASE.
OF COURSE THEY ARE NOT FOR EVERYBODY – BUT IF YOUR BITE IS IRREGULAR OR IMBALANCED AND YOU ARE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE – THE INVESTMENT IN 5% MIGHT BE WORTH A TRY. MAHAN JUST WON A MILLION-BET HE DOESN’T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT THE $500.
I have done some research on this because I was asked by a journalist to comment on the use of these new mouthguards by the Welsh National Rugby Team. The evidence produced by Under Armour that the journalist sent me is a series of case studies of athletes (probably sponsored by Under Armour) claiming that these new mouthguards. However, case studies do not prove anything. We need proper experiments. What I have found suggests that clenching the jaw increases muscle strength and power!!!! Also, the idea of reducing cortisol levels is not a great one. In fact, the cortisol produced by the body during physical exercise is useful to increase our stamina. Endurance athletes such as professional cyclists use illegal cortisol drugs to increase the level of cortisol over and above the cortisol naturally produced by the body. Therefore, based on current experimental evidence, I would advise athletes against using these new mouthguards as they may actually reduce physical performance. Proper experimental studies performed by independent scientists are needed to verify Under Armour’s claims.
Thanks for weighing in, Sam. This doesn’t detract from your point, but, for accuracy, be sure to note the difference between a “mouthpiece,” and a “mouthguard,” as Bite Tech/Undor Armour does. The latter offers protection from impact, whereas the former claims only to enhance performance.
I could care less about studies performed by “independent scientists”. I’m using the UA mouthpiece and I know from comparing my own training data that the product is working for me.
Wow, this does seem like an April Fools joke, but the logic sort of does make sense. I want to hear how it went for you.
By the way, putting their money where their mouth is! Bahaha!
Very interesting comments here! I have worked for Bite Tech for over 7 years now and watched as our research department and partners continued to learn more about the effects our technology was having on the body. First, it was an increase in strength and endurance of up to 20% and a reduced heart rate during high-level physical exertion of 4-5 bpm on average, all with a 95% confidence level.
Then we started to learn about WHY our technology was causing these benefits and it opened a can of worms. Soon we were discovering that we were reducing reaction times to audio and visual stimulation, reducing lactic acid levels, increasing flexibility and balance, opening the airway and reducing cortisol levels by up to 49%.
Actually, we shopped our technology to a number of sports-related companies including the biggest on the planet. They couldn’t believe the results of the testing they did during their due diligence process and asked for more time to confirm what they were seeing. UA jumped on it faster and ended up with the exclusive deal in the sports category for our Bite Technology, which has become ArmourBite Technology.
It always takes time for new science to be independently verified and accepted. Years from now, everyone will know what Mouthwear and Performance Mouthwear is and the benefits available from oral appliances on human performance, not just in sports, but in almost every area of our lives. There is a lot going on in that little area around the TMJ.
Seems to me that you can clinch your jaw no matter what you have in your mouth so how does this benefit other than maybe phsycologically.