Comportamentos orais em praticantes de musculação

Abstract

Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining health throughout life. In this context, attending gyms and engaging in strength and resistance training are widely adopted modalities aimed at promoting well-being and physical conditioning. However, this type of training may be associated with the exacerbation of oral behaviors characteristic of awake bruxism, and the literature on this topic remains inconclusive. The objective of the present study was to evaluate oral behaviors in individuals who practice resistance training. A convenience sample was used, and participants completed an online questionnaire (Google Forms) that collected data on oral behaviors using the Oral Behavior Checklist during daily life and resistance training (teeth clenching and biting the tongue, lips, or cheeks), as well as training-related variables (frequency, duration, and intensity) and physical activity level assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Descriptive analyses of the variables were performed. Comparisons of oral behaviors between daily life and resistance training were conducted using the McNemar test, adopting a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05). The sample (n = 195) had a mean age of 29 ± 8 years and consisted of 46.2% male and 53.8% female participants, most of whom were classified as physically active (44.1%) or very active (48.2%). The majority reported training sessions lasting 60–90 minutes (54.9%), performed 4–6 days per week (73.8%). Regarding pre-workout use, 110 individuals reported using caffeine, pre-workout supplements, energy drinks, carbohydrates, or thermogenic agents. In the assessment of oral behaviors, a significant increase in the habit of teeth clenching was observed when comparing daily life and training periods (p = 0.041). In contrast, no statistically significant difference was found for the behavior of biting the tongue, lips, or cheeks between the evaluated situations (p= 0.909). The increase in these oral behaviors may lead to manifestations in the stomatognathic system; however, further longitudinal studies are needed to assess clinical signs in individuals who practice resistance training.