According to Dr. Amrin Shaikh, Head Dietician at Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central, ‘Drinking carb-rich drinks in long-term sports gives energy to the players’ brain.
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Sneha Kumari: The historic FIFA World Cup 2022 matches are going on in Qatar. Whether you are a fan of football or not, but you cannot ignore the enthusiasm generated towards this game. if you too enjoy the match During the game, you must have often seen players filling liquid in their mouth and then spitting instead of swallowing it. Now the question arises that why do they do this?
It is said that there is some science behind it as well and it improves the performance of the players during the game. However, the claims of experts related to research and sports are completely opposite to this. A New York Times report states that it is not clear why players do this, but this whole process is called carb rinsing.
Players get energy
According to Dr. Amreen Shaikh, Head Dietician at Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central, ‘Drinking carb-rich drinks in long-term sports gives energy to the players’ brain and keeps them fit. However, drinking water or any other drink while playing can cause bloating or a feeling of fullness. In such a situation, players like to sip liquid and spit it to avoid dryness in the mouth.
He told, ‘This helps the players to improve their performance. It has been proved in the research done on the runners that they feel less tired by doing carb rinsing during the tournament. However, not much research has been done on the benefits of this to football players. There is no solid evidence regarding this. In such a situation, it can only be the belief of the players that carb rinsing works, due to which they keep doing such practice during the game.
Carbohydrate receptors have a better mode of action
In many studies done so far, it has been revealed that this practice involves swishing a carbohydrate solution in your mouth for about five to 10 seconds and spitting it out. Although this practice may sound counterintuitive, several studies show that carb wringing increases athletic performance during high-intensity activity for about an hour.
Studies also show that during exercise, the amount of protein in saliva increases. Which is a type of mucus named MUC5B. Because of this protein, the saliva becomes thick and there is difficulty in swallowing it. This is the reason why footballers are often seen spitting, even though such things do not look good.
The first study on this was done in 2004 on cyclists. The carb wash riders clocked a minute faster in the 40K time trial. At the same time, a study was done on swordsmen, in which the lungs were found to work better after carb ringing.
In 2014, physiologist Trent Stellingwerf of the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific reviewed the literature on carb wrenching and examined 61 studies involving a total of 679 people. Their review found that in 82 percent of the studies, there was a significant improvement in performance compared to rinsing with water.
Carbohydrate intake is necessary
It is worth noting that runners ultimately need to consume carbohydrates to keep their glycogen stores full and for the energy required for running. Rinsing works well during exertion lasting about an hour. Dr. Shaikh told that spitting only saliva without consuming any liquid can lead to dehydration, as it can cause the saliva to thicken.
A report published in Live Science states that there is also a hypothesis that carbohydrate receptors present in the mouth activate certain areas of the brain, thereby improving the way of working or the movement of the body.
just drinking water is not enough
According to sports performance nutritionist and metabolic disorder expert Vaibhav Garg, ‘The thing that the players sip or drink during the match is called electrolyte drink. This drink is used for three reasons. The first reason is that they sweat a lot. The second reason is that their muscles keep contracting and expanding continuously. And the third reason is that their blood circulation is happening very fast. In such a situation, the brain sends blood towards that part of the body where it is most needed. Human body works like this.
nutrients are needed
Garg emphasized that in sports like football, the body’s requirement of nutrients is much higher than in cricket, hence the nutritional requirements change. Carbohydrate and fat intake is high in football. In addition to carbohydrates, lipids are also included in the electrolyte intake of athletes. All this is completely different from cricket.
Most people are unaware of the need for electrolytes. He told that people who exercise regularly, they mistakenly believe that drinking only water is enough, but electrolytes are also very important.
Vaibhav Garg told, ‘Electrolytes are an essential part of our blood. If their supply in the brain is less or there is a blockage in it, then the brain will not be able to function properly. Dehydration can lead to confusion and brain fog.