Should You Chew Gum While Running? It’s a question asked by athletes of all levels – from elite runners to casual joggers. Chewing gum while running can be an effective way to improve performance, but it also comes with risks.
Learn about the potential benefits and drawbacks of chewing gum during your run, so you can make an informed decision that works best for you.
Quick Answer
No, it is not recommended to chew gum while running. Chewing gum requires a lot of energy and focus that can be better used for running itself. Additionally, chewing gum can cause you to swallow air which may lead to stomach discomfort during exercise.
Should You Chew Gum While Running?
Running is a great form of exercise and an excellent way to stay in shape. But should you chew gum while running? Sure, it seems like an innocuous activity, but some potential risks are associated with chomping away on your favorite piece of gum while pounding the pavement.
For starters, chewing gum can interfere with your breathing. When you’re running, proper oxygen intake is crucial for keeping up the pace and pushing through fatigue.
If you’re chowing down on a piece of bubblegum or peppermint flavor while trying to breathe deeply, it becomes more difficult to get that necessary air into your lungs. Not only does this affect performance, but it could also increase the risk of injury if you start hyperventilating from lack of oxygen during strenuous activity.
Chewing gum can also cause jaw pain and cramps when done too vigorously during exercise. Running requires efficient use of energy so muscles don’t become overworked and fatigued prematurely; if part of that energy is being used unnecessarily by moving your jaws around, then it takes away from the power output needed to keep going strong throughout the workout session.
This sort of repetitive motion can take its toll on facial muscles as well, leading to soreness in areas such as cheekbones or just beneath ears where chewing muscles attach directly onto skull bone structure – ouch!
In addition, there have been reports linking eating sugary gums while engaging in physical activities such as running with increased risk for tooth decay due to constant exposure from saliva mixed with sweetener molecules lingering inside the mouth cavity afterward, which may contribute towards tooth enamel erosion over long periods of time.
As we all know, cavities lead not only to discomfort when eating food but require costly trips for fillings at dentist’s office – nobody wants that!
What Are The Benefits Of Chewing Gum While Running?
Chewing gum while running has become a popular habit among those seeking to improve their fitness and performance. While it may sound like an odd pairing, many tangible benefits come with this practice.
The most obvious benefit of chewing gum while running is improved endurance. Chewing activates the jaw muscles and increases blood flow to the head, helping you run longer before fatigue sets in.
Additionally, the act of chewing can help distract your mind from negative thoughts or feelings, such as pain or boredom, which would otherwise undermine your performance.
The act of chewing can also be used as a tool for pacing yourself, allowing runners to stay consistent even when they feel like pushing harder than they should.
Gum consumption during exercise has also been found to increase alertness levels by stimulating both mental and physical energy levels – particularly useful during long-distance runs when the focus needs to be maintained throughout a race or workout routine.
Additionally, studies have suggested that athletes who chew gum prior to competing experience reduced anxiety levels compared to those who do not, which could lead to better overall performances on race day.
Finally, chewing sugarless gum helps prevent dehydration by increasing saliva production in addition to providing a source of glucose for fuel during workouts if needed (although it’s important not to overdo it).
Overall, taking into consideration all its advantages makes it clear why so many people have adopted this simple practice into their running regimens: Not only can it provide an extra edge in competitions, but its positive effects on health are undeniable as well!
How Does Your Choice Of Gum Affect Your Performance When Running?
It is well-known that chewing gum can act as a source of stimulation and improve concentration. Chewing gum also has many benefits for physical performance, especially when running.
It can help reduce fatigue and increase endurance by stimulating energy production in the body and improving coordination through increased alertness.
Additionally, there are other effects associated with different types of gums that could influence your running performance.
Sugar-free gums are the most popular type among runners due to their low-calorie content and lack of sugar crash associated with sugary products such as candy or chocolate bars.
The main benefit of sugar-free gums is that they contain artificial sweeteners, providing an instant short burst of energy while running. This small surge in energy helps to keep you focused on your run and improves overall performance levels, which can be beneficial over longer distances or faster paces.
However, it’s important to remember these effects tend to last only a short period, so regular top-ups may be necessary if you need sustained energy throughout your run session.
Alternatively, some athletes prefer sugar-based gum varieties because they provide a more sustained form of fuel during exercise compared with the initial ‘hit’ provided by sugar-free options.
While the boost from regular sugars provides less immediate gratification than artificial sweeteners, it does offer long-lasting fuel for muscles during exertion – particularly useful during long-distance runs where consistent energy is needed throughout the session rather than just one quick burst at the start line!
But again, it’s important not to overdo it – too much sugar cane cause crashes later in your workout when all those calories have been used up and not replaced quickly enough!
All in all, then – when considering what kind of gum might give you an extra edge during a run – think about what kind will suit your needs best according to how far and fast you plan on going; Sugar-free gives an almost instantaneous pick me up but doesn’t linger past its peak whereas Sugar based fuels stay around longer providing relatively slow burn rates right through till finish line!
Can Chewing Gum Help Improve Your Performance When Running?
Chewing gum while running may not be the most obvious solution to improving performance, but science has proven that it can increase efficiency and speed in a number of ways.
While some runners may think that chomping away on something while pounding the pavement is counterintuitive, there are some benefits to chewing gum during exercise.
One benefit of chewing gum while running is an increase in oxygen consumption. Studies have shown that when people chew sugar-free gum during exercise, their muscles take up more oxygen than those who don’t chew it.
This means that your body will be able to deliver more oxygenated blood to your muscles, making them work more efficiently. Additionally, this increased uptake of oxygen can also lead to improved performance times as well as increased endurance when you run for longer distances or at higher intensities.
Another advantage of chewing gum while running is enhanced alertness and concentration levels which helps improve physical performance by allowing your brain to focus better on tasks such as setting goals and providing motivation throughout a long run or race course.
Chewing stimulates certain areas in the brain related to cognitive function so it makes sense why athletes would want to use this method over other stimulants, such as energy drinks or caffeine pills, which can often cause jitteriness or nausea after prolonged use.
Plus, unlike these other stimulants, chewing does not interfere with natural hormones like cortisol and adrenaline production, which are important for proper recovery after strenuous activity like distance running events.
Overall then, despite being an unconventional approach compared to what many runners might already be doing before hitting the track or trailhead, incorporating a piece of sugar-free chewing gum into a pre-run routine could provide several advantages such as improved alertness and focus levels plus increases in muscular output through greater oxygen consumption – all factors needed for improving overall performance when out on runs!