Long term Health Effects

Everything in life has a benefit/risk ratio. There is no doubt that swimming in chlorinated water exposes one to choramines, which are potentially mutagenic/carcinogenic and which clearly increase the risk of asthma. It would be important for USA Swimming or someone else to fund a study (a "case control" type of study) to answer the question of whether or not the incidence of sarcomas or leukemia (cancers of childhood and adolescence) is increased in age group and senior swimmers. Owing to the rarity of these tumors in the general population of young people, this should be a "doable" study, requiring reasonable expenditures. At minimum, a central registry should be established, where cases can be recorded and archived, for use by a future researcher. Club swim coaches should be required to report cases of cancer in young swimmers to a central registry (protecting individual privacy, of course). At the masters level, cancer is so common (and so is death) that it would be a much more difficult proposition to get data to answer the question of whether or not pool swimming has serious long term health risks. The risks of pool swimming may not be completely known, but the benefits are pretty obvious. I take personal comfort in the fact that my 87 year old father (for the past 5 years a USMS All Star), has been a dedicated pool (and open water) swimmer since age 6 and has so obviously benefitted in so many ways that, to me, it makes the benefit/risk ratio obvious also - decisively in favor of a lifestyle which includes swimming often, swimming seriously, and remaining a competitor for life. - Larry >>I am 47years old and have returned to swimming as a fitness choice. I get 3 workouts of 2500yds/week and feel great. I also have an inground pool that my family enjoys in the summer months. My question relates to the long term consequences of chlorine exposure. Do studies exist that show whether swimmers have an increased health risk to cancers? Has anyone looked at pool chlorine exposure as a health risk in any way? The pools I swim in all use chlorine as a sanitizer and I would hate to think my exercise regimen may be doing me more harm than good!<<

Everything in life has a benefit/risk ratio. There is no doubt that swimming in chlorinated water exposes one to choramines, which are potentially mutagenic/carcinogenic and which clearly increase the risk of asthma. It would be important for USA Swimming or someone else to fund a study (a "case control" type of study) to answer the question of whether or not the incidence of sarcomas or leukemia (cancers of childhood and adolescence) is increased in age group and senior swimmers. Owing to the rarity of these tumors in the general population of young people, this should be a "doable" study, requiring reasonable expenditures. At minimum, a central registry should be established, where cases can be recorded and archived, for use by a future researcher. Club swim coaches should be required to report cases of cancer in young swimmers to a central registry (protecting individual privacy, of course). At the masters level, cancer is so common (and so is death) that it would be a much more difficult proposition to get data to answer the question of whether or not pool swimming has serious long term health risks. The risks of pool swimming may not be completely known, but the benefits are pretty obvious. I take personal comfort in the fact that my 87 year old father (for the past 5 years a USMS All Star), has been a dedicated pool (and open water) swimmer since age 6 and has so obviously benefitted in so many ways that, to me, it makes the benefit/risk ratio obvious also - decisively in favor of a lifestyle which includes swimming often, swimming seriously, and remaining a competitor for life. - Larry >>I am 47years old and have returned to swimming as a fitness choice. I get 3 workouts of 2500yds/week and feel great. I also have an inground pool that my family enjoys in the summer months. My question relates to the long term consequences of chlorine exposure. Do studies exist that show whether swimmers have an increased health risk to cancers? Has anyone looked at pool chlorine exposure as a health risk in any way? The pools I swim in all use chlorine as a sanitizer and I would hate to think my exercise regimen may be doing me more harm than good!<<