“Chlorine Kills It”: Legendary Michael Phelps Debunked the Biggest Myth Around Swimmers

Michael Phelps’ name has grown synonymous with words like consistency, winning, and records. Whenever there is a mention of swimming, Phelps’ name is sure to come up. Such is the legacy of the most decorated Olympian of all time. Having won a staggering 28 medals at the Olympics, Phelps has pushed the bar not only for the swimmers but for all the athletes that take part in the mega-event.

To become the undisputed GOAT, Michael spent hours in water, training and working hard. When thinking about it, one cannot help but wonder what Phelps and other swimmers do when nature calls. During one of his interviews, Phelps answered this million-dollar question.

Michael Phelps answered an important question

It does not matter if you are the great Michael Phelps or an average Joe; you have got to pee when you have got to pee. There is no ‘postponement’ of such an important task, especially because it is not exactly healthy for your bladder. But what do the swimmers do when they are in water, training, or perhaps even competing? Phelps once gave a frank answer about the same.

During an interview, Phelps told the interviewer that it is common for swimmers to pee in the water. He said, “I think everybody pees in the pool. It’s kind of a normal thing to do for swimmers. When we’re in the pool for two hours, we don’t really get out to pee, we just go whenever we are on the wall.” The candid response from Phelps was surprising, given he was usually shy and stayed away from ‘difficult’ questions such as this.

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But there’s more. Phelps provided some much-needed words of reassurance too! Adding to his statement, he said, “Chlorine kills it, so it’s not bad.” So, there are two questions answered. We now know what swimmers do when they are in the water and have to answer nature’s call. And we also know of another reason why chlorine is added to water in swimming pools.

When Phelps busted a myth about his diet

Moving from Phelps spilling the secrets of swimmers to busting a myth about himself, he once cleared the air over a popular belief. After his retirement, Phelps discussed his famous 12,000-calorie diet.

Michael said, “Don’t believe everything you read. The stories were just ridiculous. I was probably eating anywhere between like 8 to 10 [thousand] probably, at my peak where I was really growing. Still, it became a job.” Even though Michael wasn’t consuming 12,000 calories, he still gobbled up a lot of food in his prime. Phelps was eating fried egg sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, five egg omelets, one pound of pasta, a large pizza, and energy drinks, just to name a few.

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Phelps has since switched to a salad-rich diet and consumes smoothies that incorporate spinach and almond milk. The father of three has drastically turned his diet around.