Nutrition Is your running fuel eroding your teeth?

Erode running

Is your running nutrition playing havoc with your teeth?

A NE W S TUDY* SUGGE S T S that those who are more physically active – that’s you – have a significantly higher chance of having dental erosion, which is irreversible. And the culprit? Sports drinks. The researchers found that ‘frequent consumption of sports drinks’ led to a ‘2.5-fold increase in the odds of erosive lesions’ . Most runners want to achieve high-level wellness in addition to fast race times, so what’s the solution? Oral health expert and ultrarunner Ian Needleman provides six tips for fuelling in a more teeth-kind manner.

IF TOOTH BE TOLD …you need to brush up on your running fuel strategy

High protein, low performance?

High-protein diets may be in fashion, but a new study* found that following the eating plan for just seven days ‘significantly compromised high-intensity performance in trained runners’ . ‘While the study’s sample group was fairly small, it backs up what we’ve seen repeatedly in sports science, ’ says sports dietitian Renee McGregor. ‘For high-intensity training, carbs are the only fuel that can deliver energy to working muscles quickly enough to maintain this pace. 01/ Go without ‘We’ve all been guilty of using sports drinks when we don’t need to as they’re so convenient, ’ says Needleman. Runs of less than an hour probably don’t require them.

02/ Try a two-bottle

strategy ‘If you’re wearing a race vest, put a sports drink in one flask, water in the other, ’ says Needleman. ‘Use the sports drink, then the water to rinse it out. ’

03/ Limit exposure How many times you drink and how long you keep it in your mouth matter. ‘If you drink it in two or three gulps, that reduces risk, as does using a straw. ’

04/ See a dentist twice

a year ‘Tell them, “I use sports drinks, I feel I need to, so please tell me if I’m getting any damage, ”’ says Needleman. It’s like seeing a physio, but for teeth.

05/ Use high-fluoride

toothpastes If you have damage, try high-fluoride toothpastes. They’re only available on prescription, not over the counter, but may be more protective. 06/ Milk it If you’re using sports drinks for recovery, consider swapping to milk. ‘It’s very safe in terms of dental health, and possibly even protective of teeth, ’ says Needleman.