Kids Ask Dr. Lisa:
Is It OK to Swim After Eating
Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, July 15 and September 2, 2007
Show 416
Michaela Powell:
When I was a little kid my mom told me that eating before swimming was a totally bad idea. We want to know whether that's true or not.
Dr. Lisa Thornton:
The issue isn't the food, it's your digestion. To digest your food you need blood to go to your gut. And to exercise you need blood to go to your muscles. So the blood has to kind of choose where to go and when it does that, you can cramp up. So the best thing to do is eat your meal after you exercise. And don't forget, never swim alone!