A research conducted by the Australian Dental Association (ADA) has revealed that Australians involved with sports and exercises across the country are spoiling their teeth due to the overconsumption of sports and intra-workout drinks.

The study said that around 35.1% adults working out consume health drinks after their exercise at least once in a week. However, they are unaware that the acid content in the drinks has the capacity to erode in as little as five days of daily use.

Nearly 46.1% of the adults and parents of children consuming these drinks were unaware of the effects of excessive consumption of these drinks.

ADA’s Oral Health Committee chair and dentist Dr Peter Alldritt said: "Over the last few decades, the oral health of Australians has started to deteriorate, and in particular we are seeing higher levels of dental disease than ever before.

"Our research has found that while active Australians are doing the right thing by looking after their health and fitness, it is worrying to see that nearly one in two are neglecting their dental health by excessively drinking sports drinks, sipping them over long periods of time frequently each week, causing potentially permanent damage to their teeth."

The research involved surveying around 1,262 active Australians and parents of active children across the country. The findings were released on the occasion of ADA Dental Health Week (3 – 9 August).

The study also revealed that one-fifth of the people interviewed (18.9%) ignore the warnings despite knowing the effects of these products.

Energy drinks that are meant to be consumed by athletes and sportsmen is currently being consumed by regular people, including children. However, the research stresses that the drinks are not meant for regular consumption.