Why Cristiano Ronaldo spits out water during matches
For years, viewers have spotted Cristiano Ronaldo doing something that looks odd for an elite athlete: he takes a sip of water, swishes it around, and spits it out without drinking a drop. Clips of the ritual circulate on social media every few months, usually sparking the same question — why doesn’t he swallow?
A closer look at the science behind the habit reveals it’s less a quirk and more an example of the small performance details that have shaped his longevity.
A career defined by precision
Ronaldo’s obsession with marginal gains has followed him throughout a career that began at Sporting Lisbon and eventually carried him through some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Manchester United brought him to England in 2003, where he became a central figure in their Premier League dominance and Champions League success.
As previously reported by SportBible, Real Madrid paid a then-record fee to bring him to Spain in 2009. Over the following decade he broke the club’s scoring record and lifted multiple Champions League and La Liga titles. Juventus recruited him in 2018, adding more silverware to his résumé before his brief return to Manchester United in 2021.
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That reunion ended abruptly in late 2022 after his interview with Piers Morgan — a turning point that precedes his current spell at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
For Portugal, the numbers speak for themselves: Ronaldo remains the country’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer.
Why fans noticed the ritual
Ronaldo’s hydration habit became especially visible during broadcasts of major tournaments, where cameras often linger on him during stoppages. Viewers routinely posted the clips online with variations of the same caption: Why does he spit out the water?
According to analysis shared by the Instagram performance account 45performancepro, the answer lies in a technique used increasingly across high-intensity sports.
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The science behind “carbohydrate mouth rinsing”
In its explanation, the account notes: “Have you ever noticed that Cristiano Ronaldo and other athletes don’t drink water during the game? They just wet their mouths and spit it out.”
The post goes on to describe a carbohydrate mouth rinse — a solution athletes swish briefly to activate receptors in the mouth that signal energy availability to the brain. The post explains:
“They use ‘carbohydrate mouth rinse’: a rinse with carbohydrates that activates receptors in the mouth and ‘tricks’ the brain, reducing fatigue and giving a feeling of energy—without needing to swallow.”
Sports nutritionists have long pointed out that drinking during bursts of all-out effort can cause stomach discomfort. Instead, players usually hydrate heavily before kick-off or at designated break periods, when digestion is less likely to interfere with performance.
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A small detail with big purpose
Seen through that lens, Ronaldo’s sideline ritual isn’t a quirk at all — it’s another example of the detail-oriented approach that has kept him competitive well into his forties. And while the method may look unusual, it’s quietly becoming more common across elite football.
You can see the instagram post here
Sources: SportBible reporting, Instagram/45performancepro.
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