Should You Wait to Swim After Eating?

Swimming and Eating.

One of the most common myths about swimming is that you shouldn’t do it after eating – the amount of time varies, but most people usually say a half an hour to an hour. Is this myth true, and if it is, what exactly will be the consequence of swimming once you’ve downed a meal? In this article, we’re going to examine this myth more closely and determine once and for all whether it’s okay to swim after eating or not.

The Hungry Swimmer

Someone who swims a lot will notice something peculiar: they’re hungry a lot, too. That’s not rocket science: burning up all of those calories in the swimming pool means that your body will be craving a lot of energy. When you have a calorie deficit, you’ll feel it in your stomach. So what are the options you have if you’re starving but know you’ll only have the next hour to use the swimming pool?

Many swimmers will simply eat. Other swimmers prefer to eat something before a long swim in order to give them energy – they don’t want their blood sugar dropping low or to feel too much fatigue. This is also seen in distance runners, who will often act like human garbage disposals and eat whatever is available – even while running.

What’s going on here? Do swimmers have some sort of special digestive ability?

Exercising After Eating

Any time you exercise after eating, you won’t necessarily feel that great, especially if you down a lot of food like a full meal. Our bodies need to use blood in our digestive system in order to break down foods, and when we exercise, we also need blood. This often means a workout that doesn’t feel all that great.

Will it kill you? Probably not. Just like any other time, don’t push yourself too hard. You may find yourself more vulnerable to a side stitch, but that won’t necessarily happen. If you eat something as simple as a power bar, you may find that it has very little effect on how you feel – whether you were full or totally hungry to begin with.

When you eat smart, you’ll notice that your body has a lot less trouble digesting the food you’ve eaten. Fruit and vegetables, in particular, won’t leave you feeling bloated or unable to exercise at all. In fact, you may enjoy the extra energy. If you always feel sluggish, ask yourself whether it’s because you eat and swim – or if it’s because of what you eat before you swim.

Photo Credits: jayhem

Originally posted 2009-08-12 03:41:47.

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