It turns out Michael Phelps is one of those 20% of adults who pees in the pool — but that doesn’t mean you should go relieving yourself at the public swimming facilities on your way to emulating Olympic legends. After all, you probably aren’t on the road to athletic glory and can probably find the time to jump out and find a toilet in between games of Marco Polo.

Phelps told the Wall Street Journal (while sitting in front of a picture of himself swimming through an appropriate color of liquid for the conversation) that he and other swimmers don’t think it’s such a big deal to let loose while training.

“I think everybody pees in the pool,” Phelps said. “It’s kind of a normal thing to do for swimmers. When we’re in the water for two hours, we don’t really get out to pee.” He added “Chlorine kills it so it’s not bad.”

Sure, chlorine does kill germs, but swimming in a pool with a few other teammates is a lot different than the municipal pool crowded with who knows how many babies, toddlers and lazy adults with full bladders. Chlorine might not stretch quite as far as one might want it to in that instance.

And as a doctor from the Water Quality & Health Council explained back in May: “No matter how easy it is to pee anonymously in the pool, swimmers should avoid doing so and take their children on frequent bathroom breaks.”

Other irritants like body sweat and makeup can mix with chlorine and sting your eyes in a decidedly ouchy manner. It also bears repeating once more: Most of us aren’t Olympic-caliber athletes spending hours upon hours training for that final moment of award-winning glory, so just hold it.

Breaking News From Michael Phelps: ‘Everybody Pees in the Pool’ [Wall Street Journal]

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