Swimming After Eating May Not Actually Be Dangerous
According to WCNC Charlotte, swimming after eating may not actually be as dangerous as you think it is.
You might have heard before that eating right before you get into the pool can put you at risk of drowning, but is this true? According to American Red Cross, it’s not!
This idea says that you shouldn’t swim after eating because your body would need to direct blood to your digestive system and muscles at the same time. Due to this, you run the risk of drowning because of severe cramps or your limbs not getting enough oxygen.
However, American Red Cross has concluded that “eating before swimming is not a contributing risk for drowning and can be dismissed as a myth.”
A food science and food folklore professor at the University of California Davis, Bwalya Lungu, Ph.D., explained this in a simple way. He says that the body and brain know how to properly balance sending whatever you need, where ever you need it. This includes blood for both muscle activity and digestion.
If you do end up getting a cramp while swimming, it is most likely caused by dehydration, overuse of a muscle, or muscle strain according to Mayo Clinic. There are some medical conditions that can cause cramps because of inadequate blood supply to the legs. However, the people who get these cramps get them because the arteries in their legs are too narrow, not due to the body pumping inadequate amounts of blood toward the legs.
12 of the Best Beaches to Visit in South Carolina Before Summer Ends
