Why do footballers spit so much? Scientific reasons explained

Footballers, among other athletes, are often seen spitting on the field during a game, GOAL explains the reasons behind it.

Football fans are notorious when it comes to noticing details about their favorite footballers. As such one must have often noticed players spitting on the field during a match. Almost every single player does it and quite frequently too but why?

There seems to be a multifold reason behind it, from scientific to performance building, GOAL explores the factors behind it.

According to BBC Science Focus, exercise increases the amount of protein that is secreted into the saliva, specifically a kind of mucus called MUC5B. This mucus is responsible for making the saliva thicker, thus making it harder to swallow, so the natural response is to spit it out.

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However, it remains unclear why we produce more MUC5B when exercising, but it may be linked to the fact that we breathe more through our mouth while exercising and the mucus prevents the mouth from drying out.

Former goalkeeper from Nigeria, Joseph Dosu, has previously spoken on the reasons behind it as well. “They need something to clear their throat… they make a run of maybe 10 to 15 yards and they need air to breathe,” Dosu explained.

Some studies cite this common phenomenon to being a case of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) behaviour, while some believe that it could be a display of masculinity designed to intimidate.

One must have also noticed players spitting their drinks out on the ground after seemingly spraying their mouths with it. This activity is called carb-rinsing and provides footballers, and athletes in general, with performance boost in a game.

The idea behind carb-rising is to fill your mouth with a sugar and salt-heavy sports drink, aka carb filled liquid, to trick your brain. It makes the brain think extra energy might be on the way thus stopping it from thinking that the body is fatigued and provide the athletes with performance boost.

A study published in the "International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" discovered that 12 professional male athletes experienced less fatigue after carb rinsing during their event.

So, the next time you see your favorite footballer spit during a game or spit his drink out, you know why.