Effects of fatigue and chewing training on maximal bite force and endurance.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of chewing training on the strength and resistance to fatigue of the masticatory muscles. Twenty-five healthy adults were divided into an experimental group (7 men, 10 women) and a control group (4 men, 4 women). The experimental group chewed a special hard chewing gum one hour daily for 28 days. Maximal bite force and endurance were measured. The maximal bite force already showed a significant increase in the experimental group by the middle of the experimental period (p < 0.05), reached the highest values by the end of the training period (p < 0.001), and also remained at high levels 2 weeks after (p < 0.001). Subjects with weak initial maximal bite force values showed the highest increase in their strength after training (r = -0.66, p < 0.01). This type of training did not influence the endurance time during maximal clenching or the reduction in this endurance time after a dynamic fatigue test. No significant differences were found between the maximal bite force before and that after the fatigue test under either untrained or trained conditions. In the control group no significant differences were found between the recording sessions. In conclusion, 4 weeks training with a hard chewing gum seems to influence the functional capacity of the masticatory muscles and increase their strength.