You may have heard that when we swim in the sea, our body and mind return to their most primitive state. We feel fantastic because it is as if we were returning to our mother’s womb or were transported to very ancient evolutionary stages, to that of our remote fish ancestors.
Well, all of this is nothing more than the embryonic and evolutionary versions, respectively, of… a huge myth that is completely devoid of any scientific basis!
As attractive as it may sound from a literary point of view, we have no capacity to remember either the ontogenetic state of our person as an individual, or the phylogenetic state of our lineage as a species.
In other words, we do not remember how comfortable the amniotic sac that protected us was when we were fetuses, nor do we have the ability to know what the taxa that preceded us on our evolutionary path to the current condition of Homo sapiens felt.
What is evident – and repeatedly verifiable and verifiable – is the feeling of well-being that a swim in the sea gives us.
And be careful, because well-being goes beyond simple pleasure.
While pleasure would be the enjoyment of something related to ecstasy or punctual euphoria (that is, it is an immediate sensation), well-being is something deeper, it is a more “consolidated”, harmonious and calm state of pleasure that transcends the purely sensorial.
This is because, while pleasure is more related to what is experienced, well-being involves more plural aspects such as health, virtue, knowledge or the satisfaction of desires.
When we go into the sea, purely somatic pleasure is joined by a much more complex mental well-being, which makes us feel in bliss.
But why?
Ducks to water
We tend to think of the most obvious: getting into the water refreshes us and that, when the summer heat hits, is the best thing because it counteracts it.
Obviously, we are right. Meeting a physiological need, such as eating when we are hungry or drinking when we are thirsty, is always pleasurable.
But in the case of the bathroom, there is much more.
From a neurophysiological point of view, it has been shown that vertical immersion in water generates very interesting positive effects.
To begin with, it increases the rate of blood flow through the middle and posterior cerebral arteries.
Furthermore, if immersion is accompanied by low-intensity exercise (such as walking in water), the same cerebral blood flow velocity is achieved as moderate running out of water.
Less effort for the same benefits. A bargain that justifies the good press of the aquagym.
In addition to this increase in cerebral circulatory flow, the somatosensory stimuli generated by the increase in hydrostatic pressure produce an increase in cortical brain activity, both in motor and sensory or parietal areas. A boost for our brain.
Third, by simply submerging yourself shoulder deep, you reduce muscle edema and increase cardiac output (without increasing energy expenditure), which promotes generalized blood flow and the transport of nutrients and wastes throughout the body.
This, which results in a drastic reduction in the feeling of fatigue, is the reason why a jacuzzi session is recommended for athletes after intense exercise.
Those of us who do not dedicate ourselves to breaking records do notice how our legs become much lighter as venous return is improved.
All of the above effects are the result of immersion in water. But you might be thinking that we don’t feel as good swimming in a pool as we do in the sea. And you’re right again.
In addition to the effects derived from immersion in water, there are those related to the special nature of seawater.
For swimming, the best is the sea
Sea water, as we well know, receives continuous river contributions of salts and minerals.
Underwater hydrothermal vents and volcanic eruptions on the seabed also contribute to maintaining the high salt concentration (with an average of 35 g/kg of water, of which 80% corresponds to sodium chloride and the rest, mainly, to magnesium chloride, sulphate and bromide).
The direct consequence is twofold. On the one hand, salt water is denser than fresh water. This means greater buoyancy and, consequently, less muscular effort to keep us afloat.
In other words, we swim more relaxed in the sea because we float more.
Furthermore, salts are absorbed through the skin. This makes a very important contribution to inhibiting the disruption of the skin barrier caused by dermal irritants, thus accelerating its recovery and preventing its drying out.
This fact is especially interesting in the treatment of skin diseases such as contact dermatitis or psoriasis and has led to the consideration of sea baths as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of chronic dermatitis.
Sea water particularly enriched with magnesium salts, such as that of the Dead Sea, has also demonstrated an interesting anti-inflammatory action.
In addition to all these beneficial effects, there is also the absence of negative effects from additives that are necessarily present in swimming pools.
Adding chlorine is necessary to prevent the proliferation of protozoa, bacteria and fungi in the water, but it irritates the skin.
We avoided this aggression by replacing the pool with the sea.
The sea is more than just seawater
We have seen that immersion in water is beneficial and that, in addition, the fact that the water is marine is especially advisable for the skin.
But it is not enough to accept Ana Torroja’s proposal in Hawaii, Bombay: sea bathing is much more than just getting into a bathtub to which salts have been added.
The large volume of water that accumulates in seas and oceans acts as a very important thermal regulator.
The greater heat capacity of a dense medium (such as water) compared to air acts as a temperature buffer, so that coastal areas are less cold in winter and less hot in summer than areas of similar geographical location but inland.
This means that the hot air is continuously cooled and currents are created that generate a refreshing and refreshing sea breeze.
The breeze also brings with it a very high concentration of anions that penetrate the skin but also the lungs.
Its physiological and psychological effects are not insignificant: prevention of neurohormonal disorders, reduction of the effects of stress, antioxidant action by increasing superoxide dimutase levels and even improvement of acne.
We can still add more beneficial consequences, such as the relaxation provided by the intensity of the blue colour or the calming and sedative effects of the wonderful sound of the rhythmic beating of the waves.
Do like me and enjoy the sea because, in addition, it is free.
* A. Victoria de Andrés Fernández is a professor at the Department of Animal Biology, University of Málaga. This article was published on The Conversation. You can read the original version here.
Keep reading:
* The invention that allows seawater to be converted into drinkable water in just half an hour (and in a sustainable way)
* Discover the hidden risks in swimming pools and how to avoid them
* The color of your child’s swimsuit can save his life
Click here to read more stories from BBC News Mundo.
You can also follow us on Youtube, Instagram, TikTokX, Facebook and in our new WhatsApp channelwhere you’ll find breaking news and our best content.
And remember that you can receive notifications in our app. Download the latest version and activate them..