As Syracuse tries to sneak into the NCAA Tournament over the next week, one thing is certain: The Orange will not stop chewing gum.

For Syracuse, chewing gum is sort of a secret weapon. Running up and down the court several times without hydration can dry the mouth. But by throwing a piece or two of gum in their mouths, players said they produce saliva, which they said helps them communicate and focus.

Chewing gum has become a significant part of the Syracuse (18-12, 7-10 Atlantic Coast) culture. It’s as much a part of a player’s daily life as putting on basketball sneakers. Coaches and players swear by chewing gum, but the main culprits are the Orange’s best players: sophomore shooting guard Tyus Battle and junior point guard Frank Howard.

“I always chew,” Battle said. “Actually, I’m a gum addict. I chew gum throughout the day and it doesn’t change during games. It calms me down. I kill seven to eight pieces a game. It’s bad.”

Head coach Jim Boeheim, for the record, is not a huge gum chewer. Neither is freshman forward Oshae Brissett. But players can chew as much as they want because it’s always available. On a table set up during practices, about 10 packs are laid out by team managers. During games, there’s gum beside the team bench.

To replenish the supply, student managers run to Tops Friendly Markets every few weeks. They buy just about all of the gum available in the aisle, they said, and spend about $250 per visit. Given the season lasts about four months, Syracuse’s gum budget sits at about $1,000 per season.

“The one thing that worries me is the amount of gum we go through,” joked student manager CB Garrett. “It’s a lot of gum. I worry about the amount of sugar some of these guys are having.”

The intake may not be that much of a problem, said Jane Burrell Uzcategui, an associate teaching professor in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. A registered dietitian, Uzcategui said chewing gum generally reduces the likelihood of cavities, especially when it’s sugar free. Yet even gum with sugar could be helpful, she said.

And complementing gum with Gatorade, as Howard does, could be even more beneficial. Uzcategui said drinking or swishing in the mouth with sugary drinks such as Gatorade reduces perceived exertion and improves endurance.

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Gum is nothing new to the sports world. In Major League Baseball, tubs of bubble gum sit in dugouts and gobs reside in the mouths of some of the game’s biggest stars. Michael Jordan was a prolific gum-chewer when he played in the NBA. There’s a reason for that: Chewing gum has been proven to provide athletes a boost.

In 2011, researchers at St. Lawrence University published a study on the cognitive advantages of chewing gum. They found a positive correlation between chewing gum and the speed at which the brain processes information. Similar studies have proven that chewing gum can improve memory and reaction time.

Studies show it’s also been found to increase overall brain activity, as the act of chewing improves bodily functions. Those movements translate to the nerves, which could increase blood flow to the brain, improve heart rate and produce a stress-reducing effect.

“It has nice sweet taste, a sugary sensation that makes you feel good,” Uzcategui said. “It’s increasing saliva production. And maybe it’s their good-luck charm.”

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Without question, players said Battle is the team’s gum connoisseur. But his affection for chewing gum comes as no surprise. He said he has chewed gum almost every day since he was about 9 years old. He’s been obsessed ever since, making it a focal point in his basketball routine.

Not all players arrive to SU as gum chewers. Howard, for one, had not chewed much gum before he became a starter this season. Now he’s another addict.

“When I don’t chew it, I feel a little more tired,” said Howard, who plays 38.3 minutes per game. “As my minutes increased, my gum intake did too. I might flash Gatorade, get a little sugar in there. Just the little things. It keeps me going. It keeps me engaged. I guess it’s a psychological thing at this point … I have to do a lot of talking, so I guess it does keep me from cotton mouth.”

Howard said he enjoys fruity gum, while his backcourt mate, Battle, is “more of a mint dude.” Battle spits out his gum during timeouts and said he doesn’t chew more than two pieces at a time. For games, he always chews on Extra Spearmint.

One student manager, Brandon Wright, is responsible for most of the gum during games, Garrett said. He keeps packs in his suit pockets. He knows exactly which type of gum is in which pocket, and he knows which pocket to reach into when someone asks for a piece, Garrett added.

When associate head coach Adrian Autry asks, he knows to reach for Wrigley’s Big Red. For Kip Wellman, director of operations, the choice is Trident Layers. Assistant coaches Gerry McNamara and Allen Griffin like Halls Cough Drops, but sometimes they opt for gum, too. Griffin has gone through an entire pack of blueberry gum in half of one practice.

As for what to do when the gum goes bad, Howard said he tosses it in a garbage during a timeout. Almost always, that is.

“If something goes crazy in the game, I might throw it,” Howard said. “I’ve thrown it before.”

Published on March 1, 2018 at 12:20 am

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