Players Believe They Can Remove Various Contaminants
Last month, after the swimming event of the 2024 Paris Olympic triathlon was held in the Seine River in Paris, athletes were seen drinking Coca-Cola.
On the 7th (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the reason athletes chose Coca-Cola instead of water or sports drinks after swimming is due to a kind of superstition passed down in the triathlon community.
It is said that the acidity in Coca-Cola acts similarly to bleach as it travels down the human digestive tract. Accordingly, athletes believe that consuming Coca-Cola after swimming can effectively remove various contaminants that inevitably enter the mouth during the race.
Especially in this Paris Olympics, where the water quality of the Seine River has been highlighted as an issue, the media reported that it was easier to spot athletes drinking Coca-Cola.
The city of Paris has undertaken water quality improvement efforts such as modernizing sewage treatment facilities and constructing wastewater storage tanks. However, an analysis of the water quality before the event detected coliform bacteria and enterococci exceeding the standards suitable for swimming. As a result, some athletes from countries including Belgium withdrew from the competition.
Moesha Johnson, representing Australia in the open water swimming event known as the "swimming marathon," said, "I drink Coca-Cola to wash away contaminants that entered my body during the race," adding, "The legend of Coca-Cola is true."
However, experts have a different stance. They say the athletes' belief that the acidity of Coca-Cola eliminates contaminants lacks scientific basis. Maria Abreu, president of the American Gastroenterological Association, stated, "The human stomach secretes more acid than Coca-Cola," and "Drinking Coca-Cola will not remove more bacteria."
Nonetheless, there is a counterargument that drinking Coca-Cola after the race is not entirely meaningless. For athletes who have completed endurance events, the sugar contained in Coca-Cola helps replenish energy. There is also an opinion that Coca-Cola helps eliminate the distinctive fishy smell of river or seawater. Ginevra Taddeucci, an Italian swimming representative, mentioned the Tokyo Olympics held in the sea, saying, "I drank cola because of the unpleasant salty taste left in my mouth."
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