Olympic swimmers are guzzling cans of Coke to guard from air pollution within the Seine

Olympic swimmers, among the healthiest individuals on the planet, are turning to an unlikely, unscientific resolution to chase away getting sick from competing within the polluted waters of the Seine in Paris: ingesting cans of Coke.

High swimmers swear by the stuff to forestall an infection, in response to athletes of three groups who spoke with The Wall Road Journal.

“The parable of Coca-Cola is true,” Moesha Johnson of Workforce Australia, stated. “We are going to typically have a Coca-Cola afterward simply to attempt to flush out something inside us.”

That technique, which swimmers from the US, New Zealand, and Italy all mentioned with the paper, might not be scientifically sound, even when it’s well-liked.

Dr Maria Abreu, president of the American Gastroenterological Affiliation, advised the Journal that Coke is much less acidic than a wholesome abdomen, which means it probably wouldn’t add any infection-fighting energy.

“These are younger, athletic individuals, proper? They’re going to be wholesome individuals whose abdomen acid goes to be good and sturdy,” she stated.

Water high quality within the Seine has been a persistent concern in Paris thus far. Swimming within the river has largely been prohibited for the final century as a result of it’s been too poisonous.

Regardless of French officers spending $1.5bn on infrastructure enhancements forward of the video games, together with to make the Seine cleaner, points have continued.

A take a look at run of the marathon swim course within the Seine was postponed till at this time over considerations about water high quality, although the triathlon blended relay went forward as deliberate the day earlier than.

Final week, Belgium pulled its staff from the blended relay occasion after an athlete who beforehand swam within the river bought sick, and a swimmer for Switzerland additionally missed the competitors as a consequence of sickness.

Final month, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo swam within the Seine to guarantee athletes in regards to the river’s security.

“So I’m actually proud and glad and to all those that wish to proceed saying it’s unattainable to depollute a river, I inform them, ’Sure it’s doable, we did it,’” she stated just lately.

Regardless of these reassurances, some argue swimming the Seine was by no means a good suggestion.

“I’d by no means have chosen the Seine,” Davey Jones, professor of Environmental science and public well being at Bangor College, advised BBC Science Focus. “I do know it’s iconic, nevertheless it additionally runs by a massively urbanised space which is at all times a recipe for catastrophe in terms of potential publicity to chemical substances or organic pathogens.”