Ironman92;1484111 wrote:99%
Why? Why not pee before going to the pool and then again once you're done? Are we talking 4 hours in the pool without the ability to leave?
Sounds like a big WTF to me.
People generally do pee before getting into the pool and/or getting out of it. But sometimes you have to go during practice, and with the way practices are there isn't every really a break. You only cheat yourself if you take a bathroom break and coaches generally are annoyed by it. The only "down time" in a practice is in between sets. But generally in between sets is also when the next set is being explained. So if you go in between sets, you have no idea what your'e doing for the next chunk of time whether it be 10 minutes or 1 hour. So you're behind the ball as far as the next set, you have to come back, quickly figure it out, and try to integrate back in.
Now the alternative is just to pee in the pool. Yes, it's urine. But it's a small amount compared to all the water you're actually in. The chlorine or whatever chemical agents the pool is using as the disinfect the pool takes care of the small amount really quick. The "complaint" is that this creates the by-products in the air which can make the "pool" smell stronger, but that really doesn't do anything bad. But beyond pee, swimmers are constantly sweating in the pool as well, which would have the same effect as pee as far as creating the by-products (yes, everyone still sweats if the're exercising in water).
So if you have a 1 minute to 2 minute break between sets (that's being generous as in some instances), then would you rather spend that time relaxing for a minute peeing where you are for about 10 seconds, and then able to grab some water and maybe talk to your friends to break up the monotony of swimming endlessly. Or, don't get a drink of water (hydration is important during exercise, just ask Bobby Boucher), quickly hurry to the bathroom, not make it back in time, annoy your coach, miss out on the set explanation, and cheat yourself out of valuable instruction and miss out on the set.
And the final note regarding peeing in the pool. Often, swim suits can be difficult to go to the bathroom in (race suits for guys and any suits for girls). For guys, normal speedos/drag suits you can just untie and pull down to quickly piss at a urinal if you're so inclined. But race suits are tight enough and a delicate enough material that you don't want to constantly be stretching it, as it causes an expensive suit to wear out faster. For girls, I'm assuming they have to completely take off their suit to go to the bathroom, unless they just move and hold the material out of the way while squatting on the toilet, which just seems difficult.
The swimsuit situations is the most evident at championship meets that have a warm up pool. Any time you see a swimmer or group of swimmers just hanging out in a warm up pool before their race, there is a good chance they're pissing because it's easier to pee there instead of finding a bathroom and dealing with the difficult suits.
But because of all the aforementioned reasons (
TL;dr list: lack of a bad effect on the actual water quality besides a brief spike in temperature, loss of chance to grab a drink and socialize, confusion for the next set, loss of chance to get instruction from coach on stroke, loss of actual in water training time, difficulty in dealing with swim suits in order to pee etc.) it's generally easier and better to just pee in the pool.
And generally the kids that do get out of the pool to go to the bathroom, they are the ones that are doing it to deliberately skip some of a set or take a break from the pool and will take their time.
Now I'm speaking from a middle school and older. For kids younger than that, they go to the bathroom freely and it's no issue as for most it isn't really competitive training yet but just teaching proper stroke technique with some conditioning. But once kids get to middle school the situation starts to change the frame of mind changes to one I outlined above.
R list: lack of a bad effect on the actual water quality besides a brief spike in temperature, loss of chance to grab a drink and socialize, confusion for the next set, loss of chance to get instruction from coach on stroke, loss of actual in water training time, difficulty in dealing with swim suits in order to pee etc.) it's generally easier and better to just pee in the pool.