The whole 'wait an hour after eating to swim' thing is nonsense

I was at the public pool in Springfield last weekend, and a lifeguard actually blew his whistle at a kid who jumped in maybe twenty minutes after finishing a hot dog. It got me thinking. I looked into it, and there's zero medical evidence for this old rule. The idea of getting a cramp and drowning is based on the thought your body sends blood to your gut to digest, leaving less for your muscles. But that's not how bodies work. You'd need to be doing an Olympic level workout to get a dangerous cramp from a bit of swimming on a full stomach. The Red Cross doesn't even teach this anymore. It's just something parents say to keep kids from puking in the pool. Has anyone else actually seen a real case of someone getting hurt from swimming right after a meal?

3 comments

3 Comments

paigem4524d ago

My mom made us wait a full hour after lunch at the lake.

phoenixwalker25d ago

That lifeguard must have gotten his training from a 1950s comic book. Next they'll be telling us not to swim with a full moon or after reading a scary story. Honestly, the only real risk is a kid burping up a chunk of hot dog and ruining the vibe for everyone.

nora_taylor7917d ago

Honestly, I believed that rule forever too. This post totally changed my mind.

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