Autumn is a period of intensive marathon events. Since the beginning of autumn this year, large-scale marathon events have been held in cities such as Yuxi in Yunnan Province and Taiyuan in Shanxi Province. When watching a marathon race, observant viewers may notice an interesting phenomenon. Some athletes do not directly swallow water when replenishing water during competitions, but instead rinse it in their mouths and then spit it out. Why do we need to rinse our mouths during the competition? To answer this question, a reporter from Science and Technology Daily interviewed Yu Wenzhong, a senior coach of the middle and long distance running team in Tianjin, on October 22. Yu Wenzhong pointed out that athletes need to replenish energy in a timely manner when participating in marathon races. Energy gel is a convenient and easily digestible energy supplement commonly used by athletes to quickly replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes. It is viscous and high in sugar content, and when consumed directly, it can stick to the throat, affecting athletes' breathing and swallowing. Therefore, after supplementing with energy gel, athletes will rinse their mouth with clean water to keep their mouth fresh. In addition to rinsing their mouths with clean water, some athletes also rinse their mouths with a special solution composed of carbohydrates Yu Wenzhong said. A paper published in the European Journal of Nutrition suggests that in long-distance running competitions, athletes who rinse their mouths with sugary or bitter drinks containing carbohydrates may improve their performance. According to Yu Wenzhong, researchers believe that when athletes rinse their mouths with this type of beverage, once they feel a carbohydrate solution in their mouth, it will send signals to the brain, activating multiple brain regions including the insula, parietal lobe insula, and striatum. After receiving these signals, the brain may secrete more dopamine, which in turn affects the cognitive function and athletic performance of athletes. In addition, athletes' breathing rate increases during long-distance running, and a large amount of gas exchange can lead to dry mouth. Rinsing can keep athletes' mouths moist and relieve dryness and discomfort. During the process of "running horses", athletes need to not only rinse their mouths with water, but also replenish their fluids in a timely manner. During the competition, athletes' body heat increases and they need to dissipate heat and cool down through sweat evaporation. But excessive sweating can lead to fluid loss and cause dehydration. Yu Wenzhong said that timely drinking water is one of the effective means to prevent dehydration. In long-distance running, if an athlete feels thirsty, their body may have already become slightly dehydrated Yu Wenzhong introduced that the correct way to hydrate is to increase the amount of water consumed the day before the competition to ensure that the body is in a good hydration state. During the marathon race, there are refueling stations every 5 kilometers where athletes can replenish their water as needed. But in the later stages of a marathon race, it is important to be careful not to drink water frequently, as it may cause discomfort in the stomach and even symptoms such as vomiting. In addition, prolonged running can cause a significant loss of electrolytes, especially sodium, in the human body. Therefore, Yu Wenzhong suggests that athletes should choose sports drinks containing electrolytes when participating in marathon races to help maintain electrolyte balance in the body. The link 'living room marathon' has become a new favorite for indoor fitness. Recently, many parts of China have experienced significant cooling. The weather turns cooler, and people sweat a lot after outdoor exercise, making them more prone to catching a cold. Compared to outdoor sports, indoor sports are less affected by weather. Therefore, replacing outdoor exercise with suitable indoor fitness programs has become a choice for many people, and "living room marathon" is one of them. Enthusiasts of the "living room marathon" can run in circles in the living room, walk in place on the balcony, and run around the bed in the bedroom. Some can run three to five kilometers, while others can complete a half marathon. In the era of mobile Internet, running at home can also participate in competitions. Previously, multiple institutions launched the "Living Room Marathon" online running activity, with thousands of people participating in just a few days. Running enthusiast Liu Guiming said that the benefits of running a "living room marathon" are that participants can replenish their energy at any time and play their favorite music. However, when running at home, it is important to be careful not to disturb the public. It is best to wear shoes with good shock absorption and focus on small steps in movements; At the same time, never choose to run while others are taking a nap or sleeping at night. (New Society)