It does not take a fan to notice that many sports players and athletes are spitting their drinks out after they rinse and squish it in their mouths. In fact, Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane have been caught in the act many times. So, what's happening with all this spitting?
Actually, it is not water that these players are spitting but a carbohydrate solution. In fact, the practice is quite common among players and is known as carb rinsing.
Many studies have pooled in evidence that suggests that carb rinsing may actually be very helpful in boosting athletic performance.
It has been proven that the rinsing of a carb solution is as effective as actually drinking it during an endurance exercise. Dr Sourav Poddar, a sports-medicine physician, told a website that doing either carb rinsing or swallowing can boost one's performance by 2 to 3 per cent.
But, why not swallow? Athletes avoid drinking carb solutions because doing so can lead to gastrointestinal issues, a thing they want to avoid to ensure a good performance.
The science behind carb rinsing
Experts have wondered and delved into research to understand how a thing that's only rinsed in the mouth can affect one's performance. A common reasoning states that it happens because of the existence of carb receptors in the mouth. They activate even while rinsing and can affect certain areas of the brain, which may in turn affect motor function and bodily movement.
Also, these carb rinsers are often sweet in taste as they contain glucose or maltodextrin, a sweet food additive. Studies have shown that sweet taste can change one's perception of how hard they are physically working. So, when players rinse their mouths with sweet carb solutions, they get refreshed.
However, experts warn that carb rinsing should only be practised in case of activities that are not long-duration exercises. It should ideally only be followed for sports that don't last over an hour or two. If you have to run a marathon, you must consume more carbohydrates and not just rinse your mouth with it. (in pic)
