Effect of Mouth Protector on Athletes' Physical Capability

Part 1. Effect on Muscular Strength

Abstract

Eight basketball players were chosen as the subjects for this experiment concerning custommade mouth protectors and their effects on the muscular strength were examined by several movement tests. Muscular strength was measured in both conditions with and without mouth protectors.
The following results were obtained:
1. Leg-curl movement indicated the highest mean value of the increasing rate with 13.5%, followed by pull-down, chest-press, leg-extension and upper-back movements in this order.
2. The results showed remarkable differences between with and without mouth protectors in most subjects, that is, 7 subjects in leg-curl and pull-down movements and 6 subjects in leg-extension movements.
3. No large differences were found between with and without mouth protectors in 6 subjects in chestpress and upper-back movements.
4. Mouth protector would be more effective to the lower limbs in increasing rate of the muscular strength than to the upper limbs.