to pee or not to pee.

have you ever noticed that after swimming you want to pee? well, here is the physiological reasoning behind it. when you're swimming, your body is in a state of weightlessness. this means that the blood that normally pools at your extremities due to gravity, returns to your heart. this increase in venous return leads to increased blood pressure. the baroreceptors and stretch receptors in your body take note of this increase and makes adjustments. one of the changes that occurs is the release of a hormone from your heart called atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). in a nutshell, ANP inhibits the reabsorption of sodium and water from your kidneys - so you get more urine production!

how cool is that?!?!
if i had only known this when i was still swimming... i could shout back at my coach that i wasn't just going to the toilet to "get out of practice" and that i legitimately NEEDED TO PEE!
ahh... if i knew then the things that i know now... :)