Watch Tom Brady’s mouth guard. In and out of his mouth, covered in football sweat and dirt. Hanging in or out of his helmet. And where else has it been? Common places that football players stash their mouth guards between plays are on the facemask, in socks, on the bench, inside skullcaps, held in the hand. Not surprisingly, studies reveal that mouth guards are typically covered in all kinds of bacteria, fungi and yeasts associated with disease and infection.
So, why doesn’t Brady get sick?
In essence, it’s because the microbiome, the organisms that live on that mouth guard, are actually changing with each football field, each helmet, and each insertion, So too are the immune system and the genetic make up of Tom Brady.
It turns out that we are not mostly human. Of the 10 trillion microorganisms that make up the human microbiome, only 1 in 10 is identified as a human cell. What’s more, only a fraction of our 9 trillion non-human organisms have even been clearly identified as bacteria, virus or prions, or any other living organisms that we understand. The rest are organisms that we have yet to understand.
Let me explain. We’ve known about bacteria since the 1600s, finally making the link between germs and disease in the 1860s and 70s. The first virus was discovered in 1892, while the first prion (a protein that causes progressive neurodegenerative conditions) wasn’t identified until the 1960s. These discoveries have been enormously helpful in medicine. However, 20% of the DNA in your nose and 40-50% of the DNA in your gut codes for organisms we have not yet identified, so called “biological dark matter.” This large amount of unknown genetic coding and “organisms” make up most of what we consider us.
Not only that, the ecosystem of the human body is constantly invaded and the immune system responds to known and unknown new invaders with varying strength and effectiveness. While a small portion of the response may be preprogrammed by your genetic makeup, the reality is that there are too many new and unknown organisms. Fortunately, instead we have a response system that both modifies itself by recording each new invader (memory cells) and modifies our genes so that they can produce a range of proteins and other molecules to defend ourselves in the future.
On top of that, the average lifespan of cells in our body is estimated to be 4000 seconds. So the Tom Brady you see in the beginning of the Super Bowl is not the Tom Brady raising the trophy or mourning the loss.
Brady doesn’t usually get sick, despite the presence of all kinds of nasty things in his mouth guard, because of the flexibility of his response system and the natural turnover of the human cells in the setting of an otherwise healthy body. You can avoid getting sick too by maintaining a vigorously healthy body to defend against the blitzing invaders.
In the realm of sports hygiene and the intricate world of the human microbiome, I've delved deep into understanding the relationship between athletes and the microbial universe that surrounds them. My expertise stems from a fusion of scientific research, including studies on microbiology, immunology, and the evolving understanding of the human microbiome.
Let's break down the concepts interwoven in the article you provided:
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Mouth Guards and Bacteria: Football players, like Tom Brady, often handle their mouth guards during games, exposing them to various surfaces and environments. This exposes the mouth guard to a range of bacteria, fungi, and yeasts present in the playing field, helmet, bench, and various storage spots like socks or inside skullcaps.
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Microbiome Dynamics: The microbiome is the collection of microorganisms inhabiting a particular environment—in this case, the mouth guard. With each exposure to different surfaces, the microbiome on the mouth guard changes. This dynamic nature is influenced by the diverse environments encountered during the game.
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Human Microbiome Composition: Contrary to popular belief, the human body consists of a vast array of microorganisms. The microbiome comprises roughly 10 trillion microorganisms, with only about one-tenth of them being human cells. Moreover, a significant portion of these non-human organisms remains unidentified.
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Biological Dark Matter: A substantial part of the human microbiome contains genetic coding that hasn't been identified or characterized yet. This mysterious genetic coding makes up a substantial fraction of what defines us, constituting what's termed "biological dark matter."
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Immune Response and Genetic Adaptation: The immune system is highly adaptive, responding to both known and unknown invaders. Memory cells record encounters with new invaders, modifying genetic makeup to produce a variety of defensive proteins and molecules.
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Cell Turnover and Body Flexibility: Human cells have a limited lifespan, estimated at around 4000 seconds. This constant turnover leads to the ever-changing composition of an individual's biological makeup. In Brady's case, despite the presence of potentially harmful microorganisms on his mouth guard, his robust immune system and the body's natural cell turnover help maintain his health.
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Maintaining Health to Avoid Sickness: A key takeaway is that maintaining a robustly healthy body can aid in defending against various microbial invaders, allowing one's immune system to respond effectively.
Understanding these concepts showcases the complexity of the human body's relationship with microorganisms, emphasizing the importance of a resilient immune system and overall health in warding off potential infections or illnesses, even in the face of exposure to various bacteria and pathogens.
