Swimming After Eating: Was Mom Right About Waiting 30 Minutes
No swimming after eating. Mom and dad said you have to wait at least a half hour to go swimming, after you ate your peanut, butter and jelly.
Mom Warned Us That Swimming After Eating Was Very Dangerous
It’s hot out. Even hotter in the hell that Las Vegas becomes in the summer. You just want to get in the pool!
It was the longest half hour of our lives. But mom and dad said it, so it was true: No swimming after eating, for at least a half hour. We listened, because we didn’t want to cramp up, and go down – never to be seen again.
The mean neighbor lady across the street, who we would see at the pool or lake, told us we had to wait an hour. For the love of god – we only had 8 hours to swim! We had no tablets, no video games – we had friends! And we were going to dive for quarters, and play Marco Polo as long as we could!
We were warned repeatedly about jumping in the pool right after eating. But it wasn’t true, and it’s really ok. Doctors say, in most cases, there really is no need to wait at least 30 minutes after eating to hop back in the pool.
The age old warning was because parents – and mean neighbor ladies – were worried that people might drown, or struggle in someway, because their blood will be diverted to their full stomachs instead of their muscles. Then they would cramp up, and that would be it.
Waiting To Swim After Eating Isn’t Completely Wrong
Dr. Matthew Badgett of the Cleveland Clinic says that, in reality, people still have plenty of blood flowing to their muscles after eating. He actually swam in high school, and s used to eat a couple bananas and drink some water or Gatorade before he raced.
He worries now, though, that the old warning can actually cause complications. You have to quench your thirst before swimming, especially on hot, sunny days. You can still sweat even though you are in water, And people may not realize that they can still get dehydrated, which can lead to muscle cramps.
Here Are The Simple Rules For Swimming After Eating
So, here are the rules: If you are jumping in the pool or lake after eating, it’s no big deal for recreational type swimming. But if you are swim laps or exercising in a body of water, you might want to let your food digest to avoid cramps. Just like you would probably wait before taking a run.
By the way, Dr. Badgett suggests NOT swimming after drinking a few beers, or any alcohol. It’s dangerous. You’re not as coordinated, but you think you are. Alcohol and swimming – just stay away from it! Those factors all can cause problems when dealing with strong currents or ocean tides at the beach this summer.