Digesting before bathing: myth or reality?
If you have eaten a heavy meal, it is recommended to wait a couple of hours before bathing.
BarcelonaIndigestion. Three words that return to beaches and pools every summer as warnings: "Don't go in yet" or "Wait a while." These expressions become almost a mantra, but they seem to disappear when the heat ends. The image is clear: a full stomach and, suddenly, a jump into the water that paralyzes the body. But how true is this?
Experts from the Clinical Institute of Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (ICMDM) at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona point out that "what is commonly known as indigestion is a phenomenon known as hydrocution or thermodifferential shock." It is caused by a sudden change in body temperature upon coming into contact with water. This is aggravated if you have eaten, since the body directs more blood to the digestive system.
It doesn't only occur after eating: it can also happen when you enter cold water after exercising or sunbathing for hours. The consequences can range from heat, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, and even loss of consciousness, which increases the risk of drowning.
To avoid any shock, it is important to acclimatize the body to the water temperature, entering slowly and taking care not to submerge the head abruptly. Furthermore, if you have eaten a heavy meal, it is recommended to wait a couple of hours before swimming. Furthermore, high-intensity exercise should not be performed just before entering the water. But the most important thing, several experts from Hospital Clínic point out, is to stay constantly hydrated to reduce "the risk of suffering hydrocution."