Scientists at the University of Birmingham are warning athletes that continued use of high performance sports drinks can lead to alarming levels of tooth erosion. The University's Schools of Sport and Exercise Sciences, and Dentistry joined forces on a study into the erosive effects of sports drinks.

In a trial recreating intensive exercise conditions, it was found that some sports drinks can cause up to 30 times more enamel loss than water. However, the study points to low-erosion technology that could mean sports drinks are as harmless to teeth as water.

Previous trials of sports drinks have shown that they are beneficial to athletes by improving hydration and boosting energy. Elite athletes consume between 5 and 10 litres of performance drinks a day during training. A higher acidity level in sports drinks is included for taste and to increase the shelf life of the product. However, sports people are at particularly high risk of tooth erosion, as they have dry mouths so do not produce enough saliva to regulate the acidity of sports drinks.

The study involved a group of active participants who wore mouth protectors to protect their own teeth, with enamel samples mounted into the gum shield. The participants then trialled two different types of sports drink and water. The athletes carried out 75 minutes of exercise to recreate accurate sports conditions and drank the same drink every day for three-week blocks. When studying the enamel samples, water did not cause erosion; a low-erosion prototype drink had a similar effect; yet a performance sports drink caused up to 30 times more erosion.

Dr Tony Smith, Head of Research at the University of Birmingham's School of Dentistry commented, “Tooth erosion can be a significant problem as when the enamel is dissolved the tooth becomes a lot more sensitive. Eventually the hard dentine and pulp can be exposed, leading to infection. This study has shown that whilst an existing sports drink was erosive, it has been possible to formulate this new sports drink with negligible erosive potential. It's also important to remember that similar erosive problems can occur when drinking fruit juices or fizzy drinks”.