You never stop to think about your mouth bacteria when you are working out. But interestingly enough, these two are correlated, proving there is a lot of information we do not know yet about our bodies.
When we exercise, our blood pressure is reduced. However, the state of the bacteria in your mouth can influence the effects of working out on your blood pressure.
When a group of scientists conducted research, they found that the blood pressure reduction, usually present after exercise was significantly reduced when people use an antibacterial mouthwash to rinse their mouths compared to people who rinse with just water. This shows that the state of bacteria in our mouths is essential and correlated with our cardiovascular health.
The study involved 23 adults who were asked to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes on two occasions. They were also monitored afterward for two hours to check the state of their blood pressure. Half of a group was asked to rinse their mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash, while the control group was asked to rinse their mouths with flavored water. Neither the people who participated in the study nor the scientists knew which mouthwash was real.
The results showed that the people who rinsed their mouths with the real mouthwash had a higher blood pressure than the individuals who used placebo mouthwash. This showed that the effects of reduced blood pressure caused by exercise were lowered by more than 60% when antibacterial mouthwash was used right after the workout. This indicated that oral bacteria are essential when it comes to circulation, at least for the period after the exercise.
The scientists concluded that oral bacteria is essential for how our bodies react to exercise, and it is crucial for the recovery process after the workout. Oral bacteria are critical for opening our blood vessels. If oral bacteria is removed, the vessels remain in their current state.
So what does this mean? This study has shown that bacteria in our bodies is essential to keep balanced even if we don’t understand what it is supposed to do. If you want to have the best effects after working out, it is best to avoid any antibacterial mouthwash, at least immediately before or after the workout.
