Sports drinks effect on salivary volume and pH in children after exercise: a randomized clinical study

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the sports' related oral health behavior and the effect of sports drinks on the salivary volume and acidity of 6 to 14 years old children. METHODS: Sixty-eight children with a median age of 8 years old from Waterford Tennis Association camp participated in the study. Each child was randomly assigned to either the control group that consumed water or the experimental group that consumed a sports drink. Salivary volume and acidity were measured for all groups before exercise, right after exercise and after consuming the rehydrating agent. Salivary volume was measured by dripping into a pre-measured (mL) plastic medicine cup while salivary acidity was measured using an electric pH meter with 0.01 sensitivity. RESULTS: Oral health behavior did not differ between the two groups. No statistically significant difference was detected in the salivary volume before and after exercise. A statistically significant increase (P=0.005) was found in the salivary volume before (1.73ml) and after re-hydration (2.92ml) regardless of the drink consumed (P=0.813). Salivary pH increased significantly (P=0.012) before (7.06) and after exercise (7.73), and dropped significantly (P=0.001) after the consumption of the rehydration drink (6.63) among the same group. The pH decrease was greater in the sports drink group (P=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: No difference in the children's salivary volume was found between the two groups. However, consumption of sports drinks reduces significantly salivary pH and thus, water should be the drink of choice for rehydration in children.