Biathlete Sophia Schneider: Can a dental splint boost her Olympic bid?

German biathlete Sophia Schneider says recurring, one-sided neck and head pain—radiating at times into her arm—hampered her training for years. In the ARD Wissen documentary “Mein Körper. Meine Zähne,” she explains that doctors eventually suspected a jaw misalignment was affecting her posture and movement.

Now an A‑squad athlete since 2024 and a member of Germany’s women’s relay that won the Ruhpolding World Cup in January 2025, Schneider is targeting qualification for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina. Looking for marginal gains, she turned to sports dentist Dr. Siegfried Marquardt, who described her bite as markedly deformed and likely contributing to her musculoskeletal problems.

Schneider began an Aligner therapy—clear trays worn regularly to guide teeth into a better position. After roughly nine months, she reported fewer muscular complaints and greater comfort. As a next step, Marquardt recommended a sport performance splint designed to optimize jaw position during exercise, with the aim of improving mobility, endurance, and coordination.

Experts caution that evidence is not conclusive. Anne Wolowski, a professor of prosthetic dentistry at the University of Münster, says the research is mixed: there are promising case reports, but also studies showing no effect. Nonetheless, performance measurements during a sprint session in Ruhpolding indicated Schneider ran more symmetrically and slightly faster while using the new mouthguard. Those small time gains, she hopes, could help make her Olympic dream a reality in 2026.

The documentary “Mein Körper. Meine Zähne – Wie sie unser Leben beeinflussen” airs on ARD (Erstes) and explores where dental interventions are beneficial and where they may pose risks.