Chalk In Your Lungs?

[tough gymnast]

Today I was at gym and I breathed in a whole bunch of chalk and started coughing. My questions are, does the chalk go into your lungs and does it stay there like smoking does? Or does it just disappear? And does it effect you in anyway? I was just wondering, I have been thinking about this all day. Thanks

 

[Iwannabemargo]

MAGNESIUM CARBONATE (ICSC)

pretty inert but all fine particles should be avoided

'margo

 

[bribri514]

Never thought about it in my lungs, but it gets my hearing aids and mucks them up bad! So I def. try to avoid wearing them in the gym. I think the particles are too big to get into your lungs, if on the odd chance you breath it directly in it'll get stuck in your mucus in your throat and you'll cough it up. Smoke in cigarettes is a lot more fine I'm pretty sure.

 

[Faith]

As margo said, it's inert.

That means if it does get into your lungs, it doesn't do anything, just sits there until it's coughed up with your natural mucus- your lungs are always getting rid of stuff you breathe in, they're clever like that.

Cigarette smoke, and other stuff like chlorine are harmful because they interact with the body, either being absorbed through the lung into the bloodstream, or interfering with the way the lungs work.

If chalk were an issue, there'd be thousands of ex gymnasts out there with lung disease. Especially the 8 year olds who like to play in it!

 

[gymgurl]

Just saying that that article also states that we should put gloves on while handling the stuff and we seem to chalk up with open wounds and there isn't an outbreak of 'magnesium-carbonate-itis' in gymnasts so its probably even less harmful than the article says

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i didn't read the article but i will assume the gloves are for mining the material from the earth or when refined for pharma use. i've been playing in chalk for near 50 years. no side effects yet.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Well, I've been hanging around chalky gyms my whole life, and I'm certainly addicted to spending time in the gym, so who knows?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i understand you...lol.

 

[gymgurl]

Well, I've been hanging around chalky gyms my whole life, and I'm certainly addicted to spending time in the gym, so who knows?

Ahhhh chalk must be addictive! So that's why i go through withdrawal when i'm not in the gym!