At 40 years old, he has collected five Ballon d’Or awards throughout an illustrious career that has included spells with Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United across two periods, Real Madrid, Juventus, and currently Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. ..Continue Reading
Ronaldo joined United from Sporting in 2003 for a little over £12m, later securing three Premier League trophies and the Champions League while at Old Trafford.
In 2009, United agreed to a then-record £80m deal with Real Madrid for Ronaldo, leading the Portuguese forward to make the move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Across the following ten years, Ronaldo added four more Champions League titles and two La Liga championships, also becoming the club’s highest ever goalscorer.
In 2018, he transferred to Juventus in Italy for an initial fee of €100m.
He captured two Serie A titles with Juventus before sealing a return to Old Trafford in 2021.
His second stint at United, however, fell far below the success of his first, and he left in late 2022 after his contract was terminated following an interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticised multiple elements of the club.
He now represents Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League as he approaches the final stage of his playing career.
For the Portugal national team, Ronaldo is the nation’s most capped player and leading goalscorer, having recorded 161 goals in 260 matches, and he was instrumental in winning Euro 2016 and two Nations League titles.
Ronaldo’s dedication to professionalism and the disciplined lifestyle he maintains to sustain his performances and longevity is widely acknowledged.
A closer look at one part of this routine—something that may appear unusual—has been clarified and further demonstrates how Ronaldo operates.
During matches, Ronaldo and other athletes do not actually drink water; instead, they moisten their mouths and then spit it out.
This is due to a ‘carbohydrate mouth rinse’ used to stimulate receptors in the mouth, lessen fatigue, and create a sense of increased energy without ingesting the liquid.
According to a post by the Instagram account 45performancepro: “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. There’s a scientific explanation for that.
“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.
“Why? Drinking during intense exercise can cause stomach discomfort. Therefore, heavy hydration happens before the game and during breaks, not in the middle of the action.”
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