Sports drinks may lead to tooth decay, study shows

• Endurance athletes count on electrolyte-rich sports drinks to get them through hours of training for the next triathlon or marathon.
• Research has shown that some of these drinks contain the right balance of nutrients and minerals to keep the energy level from flagging.
• But a new study published in the January/February issue of General Dentistry shows that sipping certain sports drinks over long periods can wear down tooth enamel.
• Researchers led by J. Anthony von Fraunhofer, professor of biomaterials science, used cavity-free teeth that were extracted for orthodontic or periodontal reasons.
• The teeth were sterilized, then enamel walls were cut into blocks.
• These blocks were soaked in screw-cap plastic containers filled with one of several beverages, including sports drinks, soda, energy drinks, iced tea and other sweetened drinks.
• The sports drinks chosen were AMP energy drink, Gatorade lemon-lime, KMX energy drink and Powerade Arctic Shatter.
• Von Fraunhofer said additives and organic acids are to blame.
• The researchers say that their study may be criticized for the long exposure time and small sample size.
• And in reality, athletes will sip drinks for several hours, but not for 14 straight days.
• In between training sessions, they drink water and brush their teeth, so it's reasonable to suggest that those two practices may mitigate enamel damage.
• Bruce DeGinder, president-elect and spokesman for the Academy of General Dentistry, issued this statement regarding the study: "We recommend altering or limiting the intake of soda and sports drinks and choosing water or low-fat milk instead, to preserve tooth enamel and ultimately protect teeth from decay."
• Alternate with sips of water to wash down some of the caustic acids.
• And don't rush to brush your teeth right after a consuming a bottle or two of sports drinks, because that would exacerbate enamel damage.