SUNDAY 25 AUGUST 2019Sports drinks could be
damaging athletes’ teeth
Energy-giving drinks and snacks contain high levels of sugar (Getty)
SARAH YOUNG
Sports drinks, energy bars and gels could be damaging the teeth of elite athletes, according to a new study.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) surveyed 352 elite and professional athletes, 256 of
whom were on course to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The athletes competed across 11 different
sports including swimming, cycling, football, rowing, hockey, sailing and athletics.
The participants, all aged between 18 and 36, filled out a questionnaire on variables such as how often they
brushed their teeth, how much sugar they ate, whether they smoked, if they chewed gum, and when they
last saw the dentist. The majority (94 per cent) of the athletes brushed their teeth twice daily, while 44 per