Last week, Tua Tagovailoa took a hard blow to the head while sliding, striking the turf with a thud during the game against the Carolina Panthers. It was the kind of hit that made Dolphins fans hold their breath. After all, this is the same guy who has had four concussions in his career so far.
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But this time, the Dolphins QB got right back up and finished the game, albeit a 27-24 loss for Miami. However, Tua seemed fine, and he later explained why.
It’s the diet. Tagovailoa revealed that he’s made subtle yet significant adjustments to his nutrition to minimize concussion risk. And the results, if last Sunday’s game is anything to go by, seem promising.
“Just carbing up more for the games and getting more fluids in… I think it definitely helps with the aspect of the brain… I felt perfectly fine, felt great,” said Tagovailoa.
“Throughout the years, that was one of the bigger things we hadn’t addressed was making sure I got a good amount of carbs in my body so that as I drank water… It would stay in,” he explained.
According to the QB, his doctors made him understand that hydration is equally about water retention as it is about intake.
“The doctors were talking about the liquid that your brain sits in. If I’m eating eggs, bacon, and sausage and there’s not much carbs, like if there’s no bread or whatnot, you kind of drink water, and it’ll just flush out of you. The carbs help soak that in and stay there,” added Tua, whose solution to a serious problem like a concussion is both unconventional and ridiculously simple.
But sports content creator Tyler M. Webb recently broke down how Tagovailoa’s approach is based on science. Webb pointed out that the brain “floats in a cerebral spinal fluid,” and when athletes are dehydrated, that fluid volume decreases, meaning there’s less cushion between the brain and skull on impact.
“Dehydration has also been found to cause the lining of the cells in your brain to become more fragile,” Webb explained, “which can increase the potential damage and inflammation in the brain, even on minor hits.”
As it turns out, carbs may play a vital role in that protection. “Scientists have known for years that carbs help with water retention,” Webb added, “but newer studies are exploring whether they can also help athletes recover faster from concussions.”
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Webb then pointed to a 2020 study from Ole Miss, which found that athletes who consumed more than 475 grams of carbs per day recovered from concussions roughly four days faster than those who didn’t. The logic is simple: When the brain is healing, it burns energy at a higher rate. Without enough glucose from carbs, recovery can stall.
So, while Tua Tagovailoa’s “bread and water” approach may sound odd, it’s physiologically valid. His focus on carbs and fluids ensures the brain’s protective cushion stays intact. Sometimes, not all big problems require complex solutions. Especially when the answer lies right on our dining table.
