Why do footballers chew gum?

Footballers are trendsetters in every department and keep trying different things before, during, and after the game. One such innocuous thing footballers do is chew gum before or during a match.

GOAL discusses the reasons and the benefits of chewing a piece of gum during a football match.

Footballers cover a lot of ground during games. They are constantly running throughout their game and cover 10-11 km per game. This takes a lot of energy and produces a lot of sweat.

As a result, the mouth becomes quite dry without regular water breaks, as the players get dehydrated from running around. According to Science ABC, when you chew a piece of gum, your mouth makes saliva, as it contains enzymes that help break down food.

Saliva is 99% water, so it helps prevent dry mouth and keeps it moist as a result. This in turn helps the players keep their water needs in control during a game.

A study in the National Library of Medicine, suggests that chewing gum may improve aspects of cognitive function and mood and found evidence suggesting that chewing gum reduces stress.

The same study suggests that chewing a piece of gum might help calm the nerves during stressful events and improve productivity. Football managers, most notably Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti, have been seen chewing a piece of gum on the sidelines during the games to keep their stress levels in check.

Chewing a piece of gum may be a habit that some football players or even football managers may have. But at the professional level, every minute advantage makes a difference. Although chewing a piece of gum might raise their style quotient, chewing it has been shown to reduce stress and increase salivation, which may have some sporting benefits as well.