People do not need to wait half-an-hour to swim after eating, doctor claims.
According to Dr Michael Boniface, from The Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, there is no evidence that allowing 30-to-60 minutes to digest food reduces people’s risk of drowning.
Speaking on the Mayo Minute podcast, he said: ‘The old feeling was that, after you eat, some of the blood may be diverted to your gut so that you can digest, diverting the bloodstream away from your arms and legs and you may get tired or fatigued, and be more likely to drown.
‘We know now that really there is no scientific basis for that recommendation.
‘You may end up with some stomach cramping or a muscle cramp, but this is not a dangerous activity to routinely enjoy.’
People do not need to wait half an hour after eating to swim, doctor claims (stock)
Where did the old wives’ tale come from?
There is no evidence to suggest exercising after eating gives people cramp, however, it may make them feel nauseous.
Cramp is more likely to occur due to overexertion rather than being food related, with some professional athletes even eating while swimming long distances.
Previous studies indicating a link between cramp and indigestion during swimming are typically carried out on athletes, rather than children splashing around on holiday.
Children with a stitch in a swimming pool are usually only at risk if they are in deep water and unable to stand. It is possible to float on your back with a stitch.
British seas raise people’s risk of illness by more than 70%
This comes after research released last February suggested swimming in British seas raises people’s risk of illness by more than 70 per cent.
Bathing or taking part in water sports raises swimmers’ risk of developing earache by 77 per cent, according to the first study of its kind.
Spending time in local coastal waters also increases people’s likelihood of developing gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, by 29 per cent, the research adds.
Previous research found British seawater can contain bacteria such as E.coli, which can lead to life-threatening diarrhoea, and enterococcus, which is associated with wound infections.
Study author Dr Anne Leonard, from the University of Exeter, said: ‘In high-income countries like the UK, there is a perception that there is little risk to health of spending time in the sea.
‘However, our paper shows that spending time in the sea does increase the probability of developing illnesses, such as ear ailments and problems involving the digestive system, such as stomach ache and diarrhoea.’
Although most people will recover from such illnesses, the researchers warn they can be serious in the elderly or very young.