It has been well established stabilizing the head and neck in football is critical to reducing concussions. Some evidence now suggests that clenching on a mouthguard decreases head acceleration prior to impact in studies involving rugby drills/tackling and soccer heading. This research reports a significant reduction in head acceleration when clenching on a mouthguard although football research is inconclusive at this time.
Read entire articles at Does Clenching Reduce Indirect Head Acceleration During Rugby Contac and Effect of clenching with a mouthguard on head acceleration during heading of a soccer ball.
Learn more about how to stabilize the head and neck to the body to act as a single unit during football impact by Dr. Donald Chu (bio) PhD, PT, ATC, CSCS, Sports Performance and Sports Medicine Specialist.