It’s common knowledge that being in a pool or the sea can make us hungry, but it also has a way of making us feel like we need to pee immediately. Have you ever wondered why a few minutes of swimming can suddenly make it seem like you’ve been holding it for hours?
When we enter water, there’s definitely an increased urge to use the bathroom. The thought process often goes something like, “Should I swim a little longer and then get out?” or “Should I rush to the bathroom right now?” And according to some statistics, there are also people who think, “Why bother with the bathroom? I’ll just go in the water.”
So why does entering a pool or the sea suddenly trigger the urge to pee? Here’s the unpleasant truth… According to research, a typical 400-liter swimming pool contains about 30 liters of urine. This staggering amount suggests that not only is it common for people to feel the urge to pee when they enter a pool, but a significant number of them actually do pee in the pool. Even some Olympic swimmers have confessed to urinating in the pool during training. If you’re feeling a bit queasy, let’s focus on the reason behind this phenomenon.
Have you ever heard of “immersion diuresis”? When we enter water, our blood vessels constrict, redirecting blood to our internal organs. This shift increases blood pressure and can cause the kidneys to become more active as the body compensates for the change by wanting to get rid of excess fluid. The result? An increased urge to urinate.
Immersion diuresis is the term used to describe the increase in urine output as a response to immersion in water.
Pressure plays a role, too As we dive deeper into water, our kidneys react to the increased water pressure by filtering out more fluid, causing an increase in blood pressure. This can lead to a stronger need to pee. Additionally, immersion diuresis tends to be more pronounced in cold water. If you’ve noticed that the urge to pee is stronger in cold water, you’re not alone.
Finally, while there might be 30 liters of urine in a 400-liter pool, we’d like to believe that our readers are among those who don’t contribute to that. Let’s all do our part to keep pools clean and avoid urinating in them.
