Bite Me!

Can a mouthpiece really help you build more muscle?

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated May 21, 2019

Under Armour recently sent me an ArmourBite mouthpiece (seen above)

You wear this minimal mouthpiece while lifting and it can help your performance and maybe even muscle growth. While most people look at this thing and wonder how in the world this can have any benefit, I have been keen on its effects since my colleagues at the Citadel and College of Charleston have been doing a lot of the research in this area. So I was more than happy to give it a try.

Several of these studies have reported improved strength and endurance from wearing the mouthpiece, however, the mechanism for the improvement has been less than clear.

The latest study from the Citadel shows that the catabolic hormone cortisol, or lack there of, may be involved.

The reserachers had weight-trained football players perform a one-hour weight workout while either wearing a fitted Under Armor ArmourBite mouthpiece or not wearing the mouthpiece. In both trials, their cortisol levels rose during the workout. However, as soon as the workout ended, the ArmourBite mouthpiece

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