Is it true that swimming immediately after eating is dangerous for health and life?

The belief is widespread that bathing immediately after eating is dangerous to health, since swimming on a full stomach can cause convulsions and even lead to death. We decided to check if there is scientific justification for such a concern.

"Do not go into the water after eating" - judging by the materials Media And sites questions and answers, many of us parents warned against this sequence of actions. Explained Usually this is that after eating, blood flow occurs to the digestive organs and its outflow from the limbs. Moreover, physical activity after eating supposedly Maybe To lead to spasms of the stomach, convulsions and even death. Therefore, after eating advised refrain from bathing for at least an hour, or even Two or three. Now such a recommendation can be found on the official websites of medical institutions, pools, schools and city administrationsas well as in media dedicated sports And a healthy image life. It is worth noting that belief about the dangers of swimming after eating also Distributed and in English -speaking countries.

The most likely primary source of this ban "British Encyclopedia" calls The guide for the American Boyskouts of 1911. Indeed, in the third chapter of this guide entitled “Stock Arrangement” in the section “Tips on the Water” there is such text: “Many swimmers make a mistake by going into the water after eating too early. The stomach and digestive organs are engaged in digestion, when suddenly it is required to switch all efforts to swimming. The organs do not have time to rebuild, the digestion process stops, the body is overloaded, paralyzing cramps occur. ” In the 1960s, a warning about the danger of bathing after eating also Present In the recommendations of the American Red Cross. However, neither in the leadership of the Boyskouts, nor in the recommendations of the Red Cross, such a ban was reinforced by links to any research.

In 1961, the physiologist Arthur Steinhaus acted criticizing the ban after eating after eating. article In "Journal of Health, Physical Education and Rest." In it, he argued: “Although I watched hundreds of thousands of people, including the participants in the summer institutes of the Red Cross, floating both for sports and recreational purposes immediately after eating, I have never encountered a drowning or risk of drowning that would be associated with food intake. Usually drowned occurred due to carelessness or stupidity. ” Steinhaus said that there is no point in waiting for an hour after eating before swimming, unless, of course, eating was so dense that the stomach limits the movement of the diaphragm, that is, the respiratory process was difficult.

We agree with Steinhaus and modern physiologists. For example, Michael Bonifas from the Clinic May (USA) speaksthat there is no scientific evidence that the blood flow to the digestive organs can provoke such a significant outflow of blood from the limbs that seizures that threaten with drowning occur. At the same time, he admits that he was also forbidden to swim in childhood after eating. Unreasonable calls The ban and Mark Messik in the material prepared for Duke University Health System: “The body really redirects part of the blood for digestion, but not so much that the muscles of your hands and legs cannot function normally.”

In the recommendations WHO And Central Committee (American centers for the control and prevention of diseases) relatively safe behavior on the water, there is no mention of the necessary interval after eating. At the same time, both institutions to high risk factors include alcohol use before swimming.

The failure of the ban is confirmed by numerous experimental data. In 1962, American scientists Spent An experiment with the participation of 14 male volunteers. Before the swim for 100 yards (91 m), they ate flakes, toast, sugar, butter and drank skim milk, having received 472 kcal (for comparison, the same amount of energy will give 330 grams turkey fillet, 1 kg apples or almost whole Bigmak From McDonald’s). Scientists examined several temporary intervals: 30 minutes, an hour, an hour and a half, two hours, two and a half hours and three hours. Each participant conducted a swim after each of the intervals after eating ten times in order to ensure the maximum accuracy of the experiment. In total, each volunteer made 60 swims after eating, in total, 840 cases of swimming were analyzed as part of the experiment after eating. None of the participants reported nausea attacks, spasms in the stomach or convulsions. 

In 1965, scientists slightly Changed experimental conditions. 24 volunteers took part in it: 12 men and 12 women. Before the swim for 200 yards (182 m), they ate flakes, toast, sugar, butter and drank whole milk, receiving 510 kcal in total. After eating, they were invited to wait half an hour, an hour or two hours. Also, for comparison, they made the same swim on an empty stomach (three hours without eating). Another group of subjects (eight men and 12 women) offered a longer distance - 400 yards (365 m) after the same diet and after the same time intervals, as well as a control distance on an empty stomach. In no case, swimming provoked nausea, spasms in the stomach or cramps. 

In 1968, the experiment parameters again changed. Now 24 men took part in it, the diet and time intervals remained the same, but the floating distance was increased to 1 mile (1.6 km). In total, the experiment took into account the data of 768 swims (eight swims after each of the intervals and eight swims on an empty stomach for each participant). None of the participants again announced the unpleasant consequences of such swimming.

Monitoring, according to scientists, malaise, managed to provoke only in one experiment. It was attended by 12 volunteers who, before a swim for 200 yards, ate a significant portion of food - 673 g, which is already comparable to three bigmaks. According to the results of 192 swims (each volunteer overcame the distance after half an hour, an hour, two hours after eating and on an empty stomach), four cases of nausea and one vomiting case were recorded. However, neither spasms in the stomach, nor seizures, a dense lunch still did not provoke.

In 2011, the American Red Cross Summarized All available sailing data after eating in an article for the International Water Research and Training Journal. After analyzing all articles on keywords in 14 databases of scientific data (including PubMed, the Kokrainsky base of systematic reviews, Google Scholar and Uptodate), the authors of the meta -analysis came to the following conclusion: “Not a single major medical organization or security organization gives recommendations to refrain from swimming after eating. None of the sources studied had reports about cases of fatal or non -phalual drowning caused by eating before swimming. The current information indicates that the meal before swimming does not increase the risk of drowning, this can be considered a myth. ”

It is also worth noting that professional athletes are also Do not strive Swim on an empty stomach. Moreover, during the swim for long -term distances, they even take food directly during the competition.

It is important to remember that in all these studies it was only about food, and not about the use of alcoholic beverages with it. According to systematic data review The British Medical Journal, up to 70% of cases of all drowning are associated with alcohol consumption during relaxation by water. 

Thus, numerous experiments show that, contrary to the established opinion, swimming after eating is not at all dangerous and is not able to lead to death. In the worst case, a too tightly stuffed stomach before swimming can lead to a feeling of nausea, but will not pull you to the bottom.

Treatment

What do our verdicts mean?

Read on the topic:

1. Is it true that drinking during food is harmful to digestion?
2. Is it true that sunscreen destroy coral reefs?