Mouthpieces should be banned from races

...to the richer side? You have misplaced ideas and values as to what constitutes wealth.

Most tri-guys I know sacrifice to buy these bikes etc.

What about codpieces?

What about codpieces?

And don't even make me ask about, you know...

I replied to a post on this yesterday. The studies I found said that significant changes in blood lactate did not occur when using these exercising at 75 to 85% maximum heart rate. Even so, the people running these tests are still making claims that they work. Not to mention the tests seemed to me horribly run.

Whether the tests accurately measured these or not, here is something to think about. At rest, at sea level your arterial blood will be between 98 and 99% saturated with oxygen. At extreme levels of exercise your arterial blood will still be at the same saturation. In other words, getting oxygen into your body is not the limiting factor of exercise. There are a few examples of elites going into slight hypoxia, but still not enough to effect haemoglobin saturation. Again, the limitations of exercise (excluding slight hypoxia due to altitude) are not due to ventilation.

The mouthpiece improves the efficiency of breathing such that more air enters per breath. Something like 10% of energy used during running is related to breathing. Thus if you have to breath less hard for the same amount of oxygen, you save energy that can be used elsewhere. I'm not going to argue as to whether this thing actually improves performance, but that is the logic behind using one. The other system they are trying to improve is the stress reaction system. Apparently biting down on your teeth during stress completes a stress trigger loop (at the temporomandibular joint). Adrenaline is good for running away to save your life, but is incredibly inefficient. Preventing this loop from completing prevents adrenaline release and purportedly enhance performance in anything from lifting to distance running. I don't know of any elite runners who use them, but Adrian Peterson does, so its worth looking into.

But you are missing the point. You breathe hard when running a mile, not because you need more oxygen, but because you need to get rid of the CO2, which is a by-product of the acid buffering.

A breath rite strip will allow for greater intake of O2, but as already stated, that's not a major problem. Getting rid of CO2 is. Of greater consequence is the energy used and the resulting effect of the contraction of the facial muscles during intense bouts of exercise. If you can combine sunglasses to reduce glare with a mouthpiece to further reduce facial tension, I imagine the results would be noticable.

By the way, this is not new. Several elites were using these more than 25 years ago.

The Tri Fags are all over this. Next thing you know they will invent something to open up the passage ways of your rectum so your pit stops won't take too long.

In addition, to the OP, should we ban orthotics, cho pat straps and knee braces as well?

Wear your dental dam.

ray wrote:

In addition, to the OP, should we ban orthotics, cho pat straps and knee braces as well?

Good point (although I don't know what a "cho pat strap" is). I think this crosses the know-it-when-I-see-it line. One could argue that orthotics, e.g., differ in kind not degree because they are meant to correct a defect, not to enhance performance (though they may do that). Of course some would argue that they correct a defective jaw. How about Breathe-Rite strips?

The point of this thread was to solicit opinions not on whether they work but whether they should be banned. I think they should be, but I admit to not knowing just wear to draw the line.

If the mothpiece corrects the alignment of the jaw, the cho-pat strap does the same thing for the knee. It's just a single band that puts pressure on the patellar tendon causing the knee cap to track straight.

Just followed the link and read the artical. I'm gettin' one. Maybe two.

'This post isn't on whether they work or don't. '

It should be because it's a crock - getting enough oxgygen in is not the problem - it's being able to utilise it that is.

I think the $5k bike is going to price more people out of triathalons

People are always looking for some short cut - 99% of time they are wasting their time and money.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

'This post isn't on whether they work or don't. '

It should be because it's a crock - getting enough oxgygen in is not the problem - it's being able to utilise it that is.

I think the $5k bike is going to price more people out of triathalons

People are always looking for some short cut - 99% of time they are wasting their time and money.

I don't know if these mouthpieces work or not, but I think you, and several other posters are missing the point.

If these mouthpieces reduce the metabolic cost of obtaining the oxygen, freeing up more ENERGY for running, then that would be a performance enhancement.

The argument in favour of the mouthpieces is not that they increase the AMOUNT of oxygen you can take in, which, as you argue is already sufficient, but that they REDUCE the energy cost of taking in the oxygen.

Think of it like this, in a 5k race, the energy spent in the mechanical act of breathing = x; if you wear the mouthpiece then the energy cost of breathing = x-10%.

This 10% saving may or may not have a substantial effect, but that is the argument being presented by the manufacturers of the mouthpiece, which is significantly different to your point.

Until the claimed energy saving is evaluated it is difficult to argue one way or the other, but it might help to actually argue against the manufacturer's claims, rather than a straw man of your own choosing.

only me wrote:

This 10% saving may or may not have a substantial effect, but that is the argument being presented by the manufacturers of the mouthpiece, which is significantly different to your point.

That 10% is your made-up number. Neither of the manufacturers mention that number, or any number.

There is also nothing on their websites or any research that I've seen that shows any benefit for people who do not clench their teeth. How exactly would this thing work for people who have their mouths open? I don't know about you, but when I race I have my mouth open and my teeth apart.

Energy isn't the limiting factor in races below the marathon. Since energy comes from glucose and you aren't running out of glucose, using slightly more or less to breathe isn't likely to have an effect on performance.

The limiting factor in a 5k would be your body's ability to clear metabolic waste and continue to output a lot of power through your legs.

I would like to see the actual studies. Lactate levels on something like this seem like a poor indicator.

Track Fan wrote:

The Tri Fags are all over this. Next thing you know they will invent something to open up the passage ways of your rectum so your pit stops won't take too long.

Got that already. I call it a Bran Muffin.