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The science behind gum chewing

by Dawn
(Michigan)

I was curious if there was any "science" behind the gum chewing and lower stress. It's not all in our heads, thought I'd share it.

Levels of salivary cortisol (a physiological stress marker) in gum chewers were lower than those of non-gum chewers by 16 percent during mild stress and nearly 12 percent in moderate stress.

Relieved Anxiety: When chewing gum, participants reported lower levels of anxiety. Gum chewers showed a reduction in anxiety as compared to non-gum chewers by nearly 17 percent during mild stress and nearly 10 percent in moderate stress.

Increased Alertness: Participants experienced greater levels of alertness when they chewed gum. Gum chewers showed improvement in alertness over non-gum chewers by nearly 19 percent during mild stress and 8 percent in moderate stress.

Reduced Stress: Stress levels were lower in participants who chewed gum.

Improved Performance: Chewing gum resulted in a significant improvement in overall performance on multi-tasking activities. Both gum-chewers and non-chewers showed improvement from their baseline scores; however, chewing gum improved mean performance scores over non-gum chewers by 67 percent during moderate stress and 109 percent in mild stress.

Comments for The science behind gum chewing

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Feb 21, 2012
Nice to offer,
by: Karen

I like chewing gum when riding. But the best part seems to be when I stop and hang out with other riders. I like to offer gum to people. I don't smoke but I always thought that smokers had a nice social ice breaker, offering a cigarette. Maybe offering gum isn't that cool, but I it makes people smile.

Dec 27, 2011
Gum chewing
by: Karen

Ive done for years, but it's nice to have some data to back it up. Also, I find less drying of mouth... Mst be a mouth breather.

Oct 17, 2011
Going to try this next time!
by: Andrea

I'm going to have to try the gum chewing trick to see if it lowers my level of anxiety while riding!

Sep 14, 2011
chewing gum
by: Christine Aleta

I remember chewing gum once when I was riding...and I kept thinking: I have to remember to do this again! This helps me ride better and concentrate! I'm not a 'gum chewer' so, of course, I forgot all about it till I read some of the comments here.

Sep 14, 2011
Chew , but don't smack!
by: Sherri

I chew gum. I wonder what my stress level would be like if I didn't!
I recently started my biking journey. I will tell you I never knew I could be so terrified of something I actually Wanted to do!
I found out that chewing gum helped me by keeping me from biting my lower lip - I was doing that every time I had to make a turn.I also don't clench my jaw (but I do sometimes still clinch my cheeks(grin)) .
Tension has no place in riding. I am learning to relax more and , as I become more practiced, I am learning to truly enjoy my bike! What a great thing it is to work through my fear to get to the good part!

Sep 05, 2011
Yeah!
by: sassy2741

Thanks for looking it up. The hubby had always said it was just in my head about me chewing gum and riding better. Now I have the proof. I always knew I relaxed more and didn't worry as much while chewing gum when I ride. It is always good to have actual proof. Thanks again!

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