Should you go swimming
an hour after eating?
There are many myths around health, weight, and eating that are sometimes called into question of ARE THEY TRUE? One myth that always goes around during the summertime is waiting up to an hour after eating to get back into the water. We will look into three different sources to get the answer.
How the body reacts after eating
After every bite that you take the enzymes in saliva and the stomach immediately start digesting the food. When the food gets to your stomach only about half of the amount you consumed is held there for two hours. Then there is another two hours in the small intestines. Finally, the food spends 14 hours in the large intestines.
Proving the myth false
The myth has been questionable by scientist since 1961. "Exercising after eating a big meal may make people feel uncomfortable, but it won't cause life-threatening cramps." In the 1992 issue of The Berkeley Wellness Letter, they published that couches recommend their swimmers to eat a high-carbohydrate meals before swimming.
Works Cited
Burros, Marian. "EATING WELL; Some Wives' Tales Withstand Scrutiny." New York Times 23 Feb. 1994. Science in Context. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
Szabo, Liz. "Some myths come right from the doctor's mouth." USA Today 26 May 2009: 04D. Science in Context. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
Harvard Health Commentaries. Nov 20, 2006 pNA.
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