question: Why do professional athletes spit water?
comment: They're wetting their mouths and thinning out their saliva. They don't want to drink too much and get waterlogged, which can hamper their performance.
passages: BULLET::::- Wake Forest University's mascot, the Demon Deacon, appears in a commercial featuring David Wright of the New York Mets, wherein Wright, John Anderson, and Neil Everett lampoon the baseball practice of covering the mouth with the glove while speaking on the field so that the opposing team cannot read the speaker's lips — they discuss where they are to meet for a party later that evening while covering their mouths, Wright with his glove, the anchors with folders.
   Water stop (sports)
  
  A water stop is a break and a place to break for drinking water in sports events (sports competitions or training) for some types of sports, such as various long distance types of running (e.g., marathon), cycling, etc. Similarly, a water break is a break to drink water in some sports events held in one place. 
  
  Water stops and breaks have become obligatory relatively recently. Before the 1950s, there had been a practice to eliminate water breaks in order "to toughen up boys" (see "Junction Boys" for an example).
   BULLET::::- A 2010 ad features Steve Levy drinking water out of a fountain. Boxer Floyd Mayweather then splashes himself with the water before the Michigan State mascot Sparty attempts to drink the water as the "This is Sportscenter" graphic is shown.
   Many teams do not use Gatorade but instead use water or another substitute; for example, the Florida State Seminoles use Powerade, due to their sponsorship agreement with Powerade manufacturer The Coca-Cola Company and Gatorade's affiliation with rival University of Florida. After Michigan State University's win over Penn State in 2010, Spartan players dumped a Gatorade bucket filled with green and white confetti on head coach Mark Dantonio. This was done because of the cold temperature and Dantonio's heart condition.
   BULLET::::- Snorkel: A snorkel is a plastic device that helps swimmers breathe while swimming. This piece of equipment helps the swimmer practice keeping their head in one position, along with training them for the proper breathing technique of breathing in through the mouth and out the nose. This technique is the opposite of a common runner's breathing pattern, which is in the nose and out the mouth.
   BULLET::::- In a recent ad, Scott Van Pelt asks spelling bee champion David Tidmarsh to help him by spelling "Pujols". In true spelling bee tradition, Tidmarsh asks for the team (St. Louis Cardinals), country of origin (Dominican Republic), and for the word to be used in a sentence ("Pujols homered to win the game."), then slowly spells the word while Van Pelt cuts him off, saying "I found it online, got it."
   Many swimmers also shave areas of exposed skin before end-of-season competitions to reduce friction in the water. The practice gained popularity after the 1956 Olympics, when Murray Rose and Jon Henricks came shaved and won gold medals for Australia. Freshly shaven skin is less resistant when in the water. In addition, a 1989 study demonstrated that shaving improves a swimmer's overall performance by reducing drag.
   Section::::Smokeless tobacco.
  
  Smokeless tobacco: chewing tobacco, spit tobacco, dry snuff, snus, or ‘tabac à chiquer’ in France, is very common in some sports. There is little data on the number of athletes that use smokeless tobacco, but a study showed that approximately 45 percent of major league baseball players have been reported to use smokeless tobacco. Athletes apparently used smokeless tobacco to enhance their performance because nicotine improved certain aspects of physiology. However, it has been found that smokeless tobacco can cause many harmful health effects such as cancer, mouth and tooth problems, heart disease and high blood pressure.
   BULLET::::- A 2007 ad featuring Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer and Scott Van Pelt having a conversation about Minnesota in the cafeteria.
  
  BULLET::::- A 2007 ad featuring Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz is introduced to members of anchor John Buccigross's family. He greets each one by spitting into each of his batting gloves, slapping them together, and shaking the family member's hand, similar to his typical batting ritual.
   Section::::Application.
  
  The dryrobe is commonly used across a number of sporting disciplines and outdoor activities. In 2016, the dryrobe received coverage in the media for its use in the outdoor obstacle event, Tough Mudder. It began life as an item of sports clothing to be used by surfers.
   BULLET::::- Talking Spit: The team captains sit down and fill their mouth with water. Opposite members of each team try to make them laugh. The team that has the most spits loses.
  
  BULLET::::- Pillow Talk: An alternative version of Talkin' Spit using pillows in substitution of water bottles and a bucket. This concept was used in an episode featuring Victoria's Secret model Chanel Iman.
   Section::::Safety.:Hydration.
  
  As with other sports, weight trainers should avoid dehydration throughout the workout by drinking sufficient water. This is particularly true in hot environments, or for those older than 65.
  
  Some athletic trainers advise athletes to drink about every 15 minutes while exercising, and about throughout the day. 
   BULLET::::- Diuretics, used to cleanse the system before having to provide a sample.
  
  BULLET::::- Blood transfusions, which increase the blood's oxygen carrying capacity, in turn increasing endurance without the presence of drugs that could trigger a positive test result.
   In 2014, the dryrobe started to be used by Team GB athletes, beginning with triathletes Alistair Brownlee and Jonny Brownlee. The popularity of the clothing item spread throughout Team GB and was frequently used by Great Britain's athletes in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. By 2016, the item was used for a variety of sports and sports events.
  
  Section::::History.
   Just before the competitions, Adi Dassler visited Owens in the Olympic village. He was the founder of the Adidas athletic shoe company, and he persuaded Owens to wear Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik shoes; this was the first sponsorship for a male African American athlete.
   On 11 April 2018, during a live broadcast at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Australia Bushell fell into a swimming pool after miss placing a step whilst interviewing some of the English swimming team, including Adam Peaty who was left in tears of laughter like most people in the area. Due to the fall, the microphone eventually stopped working and they had to go back to the studios.
  
  Section::::Early life.
   It is also common for competitive swimmers to shave the hair off their legs, arms, and torsos, to reduce drag and provide a heightened "feel" for the water by removing the exterior layer of skin along with the body hair. Some professional soccer players also shave their legs. One of the reasons is that they are required to wear shin guards and in case of a skin rash the affected area can be treated more efficiently.
  
  Section::::Other reasons.:As punishment.
   Section::::Potential threats.
   In the first half of the 20th century the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, the precursor to the American Lung Association, and state affiliates had educational campaigns against spitting to reduce the chance of spreading tuberculosis.
  
  After coffee cupping, tea tasting and wine tasting, the sample is spit into a 'spit bucket' or spittoon.
  
  Section::::Competitions.
   BULLET::::- Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford stars in two 15-second spots. In one spot, Stafford finds some stale Chinese food in the refrigerator and throws it in the trash only for the Georgia Bulldogs mascot to pull it out of the garbage. In the other, the mascot spills water but is being scolded by Stafford, who believes he's used the bathroom on the carpet.
  
  BULLET::::- A 2012 ad features golfer Arnold Palmer making an Arnold Palmer (a drink of iced tea and lemonade) in the ESPN cafeteria, as Stuart Scott and Scott Van Pelt look on.
   BULLET::::- Improving marketability
   Regarding drug-testing the athletes, according to USA Basketball spokesman Craig Miller, "Since 1990, all of our teams have been tested in competition. I believe since around 1988 we have also been subject to out-of-competition testing. We have been 100 percent fully compliant with USADA and WADA."
   Many baseball players give a teammate who has just hit a walk-off home run, or a pitcher who has thrown a no-hitter, a Gatorade shower while they are giving a post-game interview on the field. Salvador Pérez of the Kansas City Royals is known for giving a Gatorade shower to teammates after every home win and notable away wins. Other times, baseball players receive a cream pie to the face in lieu of a Gatorade shower.
   BULLET::::- A 2010 ad features anchors John Buccigross and Dari Nowkhah coming out of the men's room complaining how bad it smells and then the Colorado Rockies mascot Dinger comes out with toilet paper popping out of his butt.
  
  BULLET::::- A 2010 ad features the Georgia Bulldogs mascot who runs through the cupboards of the ESPN kitchen until he finally finds some animal crackers.
  
  BULLET::::- A 2011 ad features the Maryland Terrapins mascot Testudo arriving late at a pre-show meeting.
   However, during lengthy races, he snacks on Clif bars and cran-razz shot bloks, Peppermint Patties, Coca-Cola, cheese pizza and avocado sandwiches. For a race in the heat, like Badwater, Lewis relies on liquid calories, namely Clif hydration drinks, though he discloses his secret weapon: "One of the greatest secrets in the world is Coca-cola. It's jet fuel," says Lewis. Lewis was featured on a No Meat Athlete podcast describing his Badwater win and race-day nutrition.
  