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!
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Former Member
Flyman,
As the original poster of this thread, I cheer you on with your studies. Knowledge is power and we don't seem to have a lot of science on this. My gut tells me the safety question is highly variable depending on the composition of the "soup" we swim in, the external environment in the pool area, time spent in contact, pre-shower vs. no shower, de-chlorinating rinses and lotions, and on and on. I still believe the health benefits outweigh the risks but vigilance is warranted. I'm sure running is a very healthy activity but I wouldn't recommend doing it on the interstate or in Chernobyl. Besides, you might get something published that would be of interest to somebody. I had a professer once that said "The definition of a drug is any compound which, upon injection into a laboratory rat, generated a paper". Good Luck!
Flyman,
As the original poster of this thread, I cheer you on with your studies. Knowledge is power and we don't seem to have a lot of science on this. My gut tells me the safety question is highly variable depending on the composition of the "soup" we swim in, the external environment in the pool area, time spent in contact, pre-shower vs. no shower, de-chlorinating rinses and lotions, and on and on. I still believe the health benefits outweigh the risks but vigilance is warranted. I'm sure running is a very healthy activity but I wouldn't recommend doing it on the interstate or in Chernobyl. Besides, you might get something published that would be of interest to somebody. I had a professer once that said "The definition of a drug is any compound which, upon injection into a laboratory rat, generated a paper". Good Luck!
