Acute Effects of Nicotine on Physiological Responses and Sport Performance in Healthy Baseball Players

There is interest in whether nicotine could enhance attention in sporting performance, but evidence on the acute effect of nicotine on physical response and sports performance in baseball players remains scant. This was an observational study to examine whether nicotine gum chewed before exercise could provide acute effects on physiological responses and sport performance. Accordingly, heart rate variability (HRV), saliva cotinine concentration and α-amylase activity, cognitive function, muscle strength, and baseball-hitting performance were measured. Thirteen healthy male non-smoker baseball players were recruited. Conducting two sequences with 7-day intervals, they chewed nicotine gum (nicotine group) or flavor-matched placebo gum (placebo group) for 30 min. HRV and saliva analyses were conducted before gum consumption (S1), after gum consumption (S2), and after test completion (S3). Cognitive, muscle strength, and baseball-hitting performance tests were performed after nicotine or placebo gum chewing. The outcomes of all assessed variables were compared within and between the groups. Significant changes in HRV, α-amylase, testosterone, and cortisol were observed in the nicotine group at S2 and S3 (p < 0.05). Compared with the placebo group, the nicotine group exhibited enhanced motor reaction times, grooved pegboard test (GPT) results on cognitive function, and baseball-hitting performance, and small effect sizes were noted (d = 0.47, 0.46 and 0.41, respectively). Nicotine could induce changes in endocrine and sympathetic nerve activity and enhance cognitive function and baseball-hitting performance. However, no increase in muscle strength was observed after nicotine intake.

Improper Disposal of Non-biodegradable Chewing Gum is One of the Biggest Threats to Our Ecology: A Review

One of the oldest habits of human beings is chewing gum. It has continued from ancient civilizations to the current time. Gum chewing provides a relaxing experience that individuals enjoy for a long time. The non-food item, chewing gum, has a long history. The gradual progression of its development has provided us with a greater flavour as well as extra medicinal properties. Chewing gum is known for its stress-relieving qualities as well as its ability to keep our mouths fresh. Soon, ‘chewing gum’ will be included as part of the drug delivery mechanism. Unfortunately, it has had some negative consequences. Modern chewing gum is made of non-biodegradable hydrophobic polymers together with artificial sweeteners and flavours. So, chewing this sort of synthetic material over a long time could produce some adverse effects. After chewing, most individuals throw the waste part of chewing gum everywhere, resulting in environmental trash known as 'gum pollution. Each year, chewing gum generates more than 105 tonnes of "plastic" garbage. Thus, the discarded non-biodegradable residue of the gum produces plastic pollution. Every year, enormous sums of money are spent to clean up the abandoned gum from the streets. Again, it has a high potential to trap bacteria inside. Therefore, this widespread habit causes an additional nuisance in this pandemic situation. As a result, the waste part of the gum has multiple dimensions to pollute our environment. Gum disposal has become a major problem all across the world. Gum litter can only be reduced by properly disposing of gum. As a result, it's time to reconsider the role of chewing gum in terms of human health and the environment. This article emphasizes the importance of proper waste (gum) disposal and calls for increased awareness to safeguard our environment from "gum pollution."

Effects of xylitol chewing gum and candies on the accumulation of dental plaque: a systematic review

Objectives A systematic review of published data was conducted with the aim of assessing the effects of xylitol consumption on the amount of dental plaque. Materials and methods Electronic and hand searches were performed to find clinical studies concerning the effects of xylitol chewing gum or candies on dental plaque. Prospective randomized controlled clinical trials published between 1971 and 2020 conducted in healthy subjects were included in the review. Results The initial search identified 424 xylitol articles. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, altogether 14 articles (16 studies) were reviewed. The review identified 12 of the total of 14 xylitol chewing gum studies as having fair or high quality. In 13 of the 14 chewing gum studies, xylitol gum decreased plaque accumulation. In six studies, xylitol gum chewing decreased plaque compared to sorbitol gum, and in three studies compared to gum base/no gum. In three fair-quality studies conducted with xylitol candies, plaque accumulation did not change. Conclusions Habitual xylitol gum chewing appears to show plaque-reducing effects that differ from those of sorbitol gum. This suggests specific effects for xylitol on plaque accumulation. Xylitol candies appear not to decrease plaque. The heterogeneity of the studies warrants further research. Clinical relevance Habitual xylitol gum chewing is likely to decrease plaque.

Effect of Masticatory Movement Using Gum on Walking and Cycling: A Randomized Crossover Design

PURPOSE: Gum chewing stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and increases energy consumption. However, the effect of mastication on physical activity remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of gum masticatory movement on physiological markers related to walking and muscle activation during cycling in different patient groups.METHODS: Using a randomized crossover design, 25 participants participated in walking trials with a 1-week washout; the trials included chewing gum (GUM), taking a candy with the same ingredients as the gum (CAN), and no ingestion (CON). Energy expenditure (EE), metabolic equivalent (MET), oxygen consumption (VO2), and heart rate were measured using a portable metabolic device. The walking distance was also calculated. In the cycling experiment, the other 19 participants randomly completed 7 minutes of the three trials (GUM, CAN, CON) with a 15-minute break. The mean cycling period (MCP), cycle number (CN), coefficient of variation of the cycling period (CV), and integrated electromyography (iEMG) results were measured using the Delsys Trigno™ Wireless EMG System.RESULTS: The walking distance was significantly higher in the GUM group than in the CAN and CON groups by an average of 78 m (7.4%, p<.05). Comparing the GUM and CON groups, EE, METs, and VO2 demonstrated a partially significant increase after 15 minutes. In the cycling experiment, there were no significant differences in the effects of the trials on cycling performance (MCP, CN, CV). However, significant differences were observed in the GUM group for the iEMG results.CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggest that gum chewing improves physical performance, such as walking distance, and improves energy metabolism, such as EE and METs. Additionally, it can influence the improvement in the lower limb muscle activity during cycling.

The prevalence and characteristics of misophonia in Ankara, Turkey: population-based study

Background Misophonia is defined as significant distress (anger, distress or disgust) when exposed to certain sounds that would not affect most people, such as lip smacking or gum chewing. Although misophonia is common, the aetiology, prevalence and effective treatments are largely unknown. Aims Based on our proposed diagnostic criteria, we examined the prevalence of misophonia and its relationship with clinical and demographic variables in a large representative population sample. Method We used a household sample (N = 541) of all residents aged >15 years, living in 300 homes randomly selected in Ankara city centre, Turkey. All participants were assessed at their homes by trained interviewers, for sociodemographic variables, misophonic sounds and related factors, using a semi-structured interview (the Misophonia Interview Schedule) developed for the current research. Results The current misophonia diagnosis prevalence was 12.8% (n = 69 of 541), although 427 (78.9%) participants reported at least one sound that was distressing. The mean number of misophonic sounds was 8.6 (s.d. 8.9, range 0–44); the figure was 17.6 in those with misophonia compared with 7.3 in those without misophonia. Of those with misophonia, only 5.8% contacted services for their condition. Predictors of misophonia diagnosis included younger age, family history of misophonia and previous contact with mental health services. Conclusions Our study showed that misophonia is common in the general population, may cause significant disruption in daily life and is undertreated. Although more evidence is needed to classify misophonia as a psychiatric disorder, our findings support others who claim that the condition belongs to the group of mental disorders.

The Effects of Preoperative Sugarless Gum Chewing on Gastric Fluid Volume and pH

There is a lack of consensus regarding the preoperative fasting period on gum chewing due to conflicting evidence. Our study aimed to determine the effects of preoperative sugarless gum chewing on gastric fluid volume and pH. This prospective randomised study was performed on patients who underwent elective operation under general anaesthesia. Sixty patients who fasted overnight were randomly assigned to either “non-chewing gum” as control or “chewing gum group” as intervention group who chewed one piece of gum upon the call to the operating theatre. They were further enquired whether gum chewing helped cope with hunger and reduced anxiety. Gastric volume and pH were determined immediately after induction of anaesthesia. Gum chewing had no significant effect on gastric fluid volume measured [30.4+13.6 (control) vs 29.1+11.6 ml (intervention), p = 0.693] and gastric fluid pH [1.4+0.4 (control) vs 1.6+0.4 (intervention), p = 0.05] while managing to reduce anxiety in 90.3% patients who chewed gum. Pre-operative gum-chewing did not increase in gastric fluid volume or a further reduction in gastric fluid acidity and was able to reduce anxiety in patients in the preoperative period.

Monitoring of Changes in Masticatory Muscle Stiffness after Gum Chewing Using Shear Wave Elastography

This study aimed to investigate if intensive exercise affects the stiffness of the masticatory muscles measured with shear-wave elastography. The study included a cohort of healthy adults (n = 40) aged 40 ± 11 years. In each individual, the stiffness of both the masseter and temporalis muscle was examined three times: at baseline, after 10 min of intensive exercise (chewing gum), and after 10 min of relaxation. Stiffness values (median (IQR)) of both the masseter and temporalis muscle were the lowest at the baseline (11.35 (9.7–12.65) and 10.1 (9.1–10.95)), increased significantly after the exercise (12.5 (11.1–13.25) and 10.3 (10.2–10.52)) and then dropped significantly after 10 min of relaxing (11.75 (9.95–12.6) and 10.2 (9.65–11.9)). The stiffness of the temporalis muscle was significantly lower than that of the masseter muscle. The values of the stiffness of the masseters correlated significantly with the values of the stiffness of the temporalis muscles. Shear wave elastography proved to be a sensitive method for showing changes in the stiffness of the muscles involved in the mastication occurring as a response to the effort, which increased the muscle stiffness. Further research is needed to broaden knowledge on the impact of eating habits and the occurrence of parafunctions on the development of temporomandibular disorders and the condition of masticatory muscles.