Why Do Soccer Players Spit Out Water?

Why do soccer players spit out water?

Although this question might sound silly to some, it has gotten a lot of attention during the past years.

You have likely seen a couple of professional soccer players spitting out their water during a game and now you want to know the reason behind it.

Well, in this article, you are going to find out why soccer players spit so much. Plus, if you play soccer sometimes, you have probably done it as well in the past without knowing the reasons.

So, this article will help you understand why you spit out water during a game.

Let’s get started.

Why Do Soccer Players Spit Out Water?

In a nutshell, soccer players spit out water to remove sticky saliva that has been accumulated in their throats, to refresh and hydrate their mouths.

These are the main reasons that push soccer players to keep spitting.

Let’s have a deeper explanation so you can understand better.

==>>Also read: Why do goalkeepers spit on their gloves?

1-Soccer Players Spit Out Water To Remove Saliva

Soccer players spit out their drinks to remove saliva that has accumulated in their throats after breathing heavily for a long time.

It is important to understand that when you run a lot and get tired, you start breathing differently than in the beginning.

Therefore, you start to have sticky saliva that can make you feel uncomfortable and lead you to spit all the time.

This is why rinsing your mouth with water or any other drinks can help remove that saliva.

2-Soccer Players Spit Out Water To Refresh Their Mouth

Soccer involves making long runs for 90 minutes.

So, it becomes easy to be overwhelmed by the heat. In this case, you have to rinse your mouth and neck to lower the temperature and refresh them.

After that, you will feel fresh and different and keep running like at the beginning of the game.

3-Soccer Players Drink Water Then Spit It Out To Hydrate Their Mouth

The third reason is the most common reason soccer players spit water.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, you have probably done it before without knowing the reason. Well, it was most likely to hydrate your mouth.

Soccer requires a lot of movements around the pitch. You can hydrate your mouth by simply putting water in your mouth without swallowing it.

The truth is that if you drink too much water in the middle of a game and immediately continue to run, your body might feel heavy and this could ruin your performance

You have probably seen pro players drinking water in the middle of the game and kept playing without affecting their performance.

Well, this is because they drink the right amount of water.

Players need a certain amount of water in their bodies to perform efficiently.

So, they make sure to drink the right amount and spit out the extra.

Now that you understand the main reasons soccer players spit so much, let’s see what other people say about that.

The New York Times

According to the New York Times, soccer players spit out their drinks to boost performances.

Apparently, it’s scientifically proven that athletes can benefit from a boost in performance by rinsing out their mouths during an intense exercise with a carbohydrate solution.

Here is what they stated: For more than a decade, research in endurance sports like cycling and running has shown that athletes can gain a performance boost during intense bouts of exercise by rinsing their mouths with a carbohydrate solution, then spitting it out without swallowing. (The New York Times)

So, rinsing the mouth with a drink sends a signal to the brain so your muscles can temporarily ignore fatigue.

However, here is what some amateurs say in the streets:

Chris Sosa=> ‘I thought it was to set water traps so the enemy would slip when they had control of the spherical projectile’

=>“Maybe the drink doesn’t taste good.”

Doug=> ‘I always thought they were spitting it out because they would risk having to the bathroom in the middle of the game’

=> “I thought they don’t have time to brush their teeth, so, they keep spitting drinks to keep the mouth fresh”

This is to show you that many people all over the world have or had their own opinion about this subject.

Maybe you also had a different opinion before reading this article, let us know in the comment section.

Final Word

This article was all about why soccer players spit out their drinks.

As you already know, they spit out water not only to remove sticky saliva but also to refresh and hydrate their mouth.

I hope you have gained value from this article.

Do you usually put water in your mouth and spit it out? Did you know the reasons listed in this article? What were your assumptions on this topic?

Don’t hesitate to leave your comment below.

You can also read: Why do soccer players wear sports bras?