Olympic swimmers are taking extra precautions to avoid infection from the Seine with help from one of the most popular soft drinks in the world.
Amid rising concerns about potentially unsafe levels of E. coli in the Seine, some Olympians are drinking Coca-Cola after their races as a way to fight infection.
The thinking is that the acidity of the soda would be enough to kill any bacteria that a swimmer ingests during a race. The problem is that there’s no scientific basis for that theory.
Dr. Maria Abreu, president of the American Gastroenterological Association, told the Wall Street Journal that a healthy stomach is more acidic than Coke, so drinking the beverage wouldn’t kill any additional bacteria that swimmers’ systems haven’t already eliminated.
These are young, athletic people,” she said. “They’re going to be healthy people whose stomach acid is going to be nice and robust.”
The unorthodox solution came about after officials had already postponed several events due to the river’s toxicity. In the leadup to the games, France spent more than $1.5 billion on infrastructure improvements, including an effort to clean the Seine, according to The Independent. That didn’t stop a test run of the marathon course that was supposed to run on Wednesday, August 7, from being postponed due to poor water quality.
Additionally, the Belgian mixed relay team pulled out of the event entirely due to safety concerns after one of its athletes who swam in the Seine got sick. A swimmer from Switzerland reported getting sick as well.