One of the biggest reasons why you pick up an active lifestyle and make fitness the number one priority is because you want to maintain your weight. Although that is a primary motivator, there is also a myriad of other health benefits that you can gain. For instance, you can prevent muscle loss as the body gets less efficient at building muscles when you get older. You can think of exercising as an integral component of healthy aging, maintaining muscle mass and even increasing it.
Another important thing is that it decreases the risks of getting osteoporosis. Fitness is vital for your bone health, especially load-bearing exercises such as stair climbing, hiking, jogging and weight-lifting. For women especially, when you make the effort to prevent osteoporosis, you can protect yourself from falls and maintain your overall bone mass. However, being too athletic may increase your risks of contracting poor oral health. Let’s find out why.
Oral health facts about Olympic athletes
As the world knows, these talented athletes are among the strongest and fittest people with the best slate of health. However, there is one area of wellness that most of them fall short of, and that is 3 in 4 of Olympians have poor oral health. A survey conducted on athletes showed that 45% of them had tooth erosion, 55% had visible evidence of cavities, and 76% had some gum diseases.
One of the biggest causes is the sugar-laden sports drinks and their adverse impacts on the athlete’s oral health. With that said, sugar and many people often cause tooth decay are unaware that they are consuming high amounts of these sugary contents that are labeled with other words. In fact, there are more than fifty variations to call sugar which includes fructose, glucose, lactose, sucrose etc.
Why do people still rely on sports drinks?
People still rely heavily on such drinks because they are widely known to restore any imbalance in your electrolytes. However, you should note that water is still the healthiest way to hydrate after exercise. Sports drinks contain high levels of sodium and can leave you thirsty and wanting more. Of course, the sugary contents in the sports drinks make them very easy to drink.
Also, sports drinks are also widely available in health clubs and gyms, and members automatically assume those drinks can’t be that bad for them.
How do you mitigate risks of affecting your oral health?
For all who are active in sports, try to avoid sugar-laden sports drinks on a regular basis. Keep in mind that these drinks can easily contain dozens of teaspoons of sugar, if not more. If you crave sports drinks or other post-workout consumables, do take the time to study the ingredients carefully and only opt for those that have little to no sugar content.
At The Silverstrom Group, we understand that your oral health can impact your overall health and we strive to protect it. If you require general dentistry services, don’t hesitate to visit us today.
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