Summer myths: Is going into the pool after eating bad?

The ideal hot days to enjoy the pool arrived, and with them the typical warning from the adults in the house for the little ones: "Wait an hour to get into the water, we just finished having lunch." The idea that swimming after eating is bad is well established in everyday life, but is it real?

The myth of not getting into the pool after eating is based on the fact that it can cause stomach aches and cramps, and this could cause the person to drown when they cannot swim. For this reason, oral tradition indicates that you have to wait at least a while to digest and be able to swim calmly.

There is partly true and partly false in this popular belief. Although there is no scientific evidence linking swimming to stomach cramps, it is true that vigorous exercise directs blood flow from the digestive tract to the skin and muscles of the arms and legs, and if food has not yet been fully digested, it can cause nausea, depending on how much was eaten. This can mean a number of problems.

If a person goes swimming too soon after eating, there's a small chance they'll have abdominal cramps or an upset stomach because the food hasn't had time to settle, according to the Baylor College of Medicine website.

Here's the fake part: while swimming on a full stomach can cause discomfort, it's not as easily life-threatening. This was stated by Isabel Valdez, an expert at Baylor College of Medicine, an associate physician and instructor in family and community medicine.

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According to the Scientific Committee of the Red Cross, "currently available information suggests that eating before swimming is not a drowning hazard and can be dismissed as a myth."

In addition, other summer myths include the belief to heal wounds with salty sea water and not to use sunscreen when it's cloudy or not to use sunscreen when it's cloudy.

Vomiting in the pool

Even so, it is true that swimming with a full belly can lead to vomiting and other discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, you have to be vigilant, especially if it is a child. If a boy has just eaten and begins to vomit while swimming, at a point in the pool where he does not have footing, it can result in drowning.

The Argentine Association of Pediatrics suggests waiting a while after a large meal. "Never enter the water in the post-ingestion period of food in significant quantities and even less alcohol or drugs," it indicates in a document on how to address drowning in children.

"Swimming after a light meal or snack is fine, but if you (or your kids) feel heavy after a big meal, it's best to take a break before swimming, as it's not comfortable having the full stomach and physical activity," agrees Jay L. Hoecker, M.D., for the Mayo Clinic.