We have heard the many warnings from our parents in friends about eating before swimming, while most of us often ignore the warnings and still eat a large meal and jump in the pool, we often experience a stomach crap shortly after. Many people wonder if the stories their parents told them as a child were true. While often times sayings like "do not eat before swimming" are passed along through generations, is it really dangerous to eat before your go swimming.
Why you should wait
You just got done eating a large meal and you want to go swimming immediately after you finish. While the cold water in a pool on a hot day is tempting, you should wait to jump right in after you eat. Eating before you go swimming raises the risk that you might drown. It is highly suggested to take a short break after you finished eating, while the time of your break is different depending on what you were told when you were a child, the resting period after eating and before swimming is anywhere between twenty minutes to an hour. After you eat your body needs time to digest the food or at least let it settle in your stomach. Rushing to the pool after you eat might cause you to vomit and if you are swimming when this happens, you will most likely drown due to the fact you are choking on your vomit. When your body is trying to digest your food, your blood circulation goes in that direction which will slow the blood flow to your brain, ultimately bring you to a unconscious state and if you are unconscious you will be unable to swim.
Conclusion
The stories and myths that surround eating before swimming have been around for some time and will be around for generations to come. While most people often disregard the idea of waiting after they eat and often nothing happens. Just take a little breather after you eat in order to let your food rest, this way you will enjoy your meal and lower the risk of drowning. While the amount of food you eat before swimming is still up to debt whether it's safe or not to jump in right after, waiting never hurt anyone.
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