Influence of dental and orthodontic diseases on physical performance and endurance of high-class combat sports athletes

Introduction. Oral health issues, such as dental caries, periodontal diseases, or malocclusion, can cause pain, discomfort, and systemic health problems, which in turn may negatively affect the performance and endurance of athletes. In this context, the development of comprehensive dental programs for athletes involved in professional sports is a relevant task.

Objective. To determine statistically significant differences in performance parameters among combat sports athletes for the development of measures to correct the dental status of highly qualified athletes.

Materials and methods. A mathematical and statistical analysis of anonymized medical data on comprehensive medical examination of elite athletes was conducted. Data from 1887 combat sports athletes were processed (n = 1887; males n = 1190; females n = 697). The sample was divided into two groups: athletes without dental pathologies – Group 0 (n = 791; M_e median age 21.00 [19.00;25.00]); athletes with confirmed dental pathologies – Group 1 (n = 1096; M_e median age 19.00 [17.00;24.00]). Diagnoses from endocrinologists and gastroenterologists were also taken into account. Morphometric characteristics and physiological parameters from exercise stress testing were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the StatTech v. 4.6.0 software.

Results. A significant influence of dental diseases on physical performance and endurance was identified. Compared to the group of athletes without a dental diagnosis (Group 0), the presence of a dental diagnosis (Group 1) was associated with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) across a range of physiological indicators characterizing physical endurance and performance: respiratory exchange ratio R(0) = 1.05 [1.03; 1.09], R(1) = 1.04 [1.03; 1.07]; heart rate at the aerobic threshold level HR_AerT(0) = 110.00 [100.00; 122.00], HR_AerT(1) = 114.00 [102.00; 126.00]; heart rate at the anaerobic threshold HR_AT(0) = 143.00 [132.00; 154.00], HR_AT(1) = 147.00 [134.00; 158.00]; peak heart rate at peak load HR_peak(0) = 151.00 [144.00; 160.00], HR_peak(1) = 152.00 [144.00; 163.00]; heart rate at the 3^rd  min of recovery HR_3min(0) = 91.00 [82.00; 101.00], HR_3min(1) = 93.00 [84.00; 102.00]; power output at the level of the anaerobic threshold Pwr_AT(0) = 190.00 [165.00; 230.00], Pwr_AT(1) = 200.00 [165.00; 240.00].

Conclusions. Dental diseases reduce the performance athletes, in particular at submaximal load levels. This has a negative effect on the training process and competitive results in martial arts. In this regard, a comprehensive prevention program and regular dental checkups are recommended as an essential part of preparation, in particular, in contact sports. The use of individual aligners for mitigating excessive impact on teeth under the conditions of overload and extreme situations is proposed.

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