# Should I eat before or after my morning swim?



## FascistLibertarian (28 Jan 2008)

Hey
I have started swimming and or treading water fairly often.
I generally wake up and go to the pool then come home and have breakfast.
Does this matter? ie would it be better to eat first then swim, or does it not matter, or am i doing it right?
I know its a kinda silly question, but thanks for taking the time to read and respond.


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## Donut (28 Jan 2008)

Just about every training manual that I've read states you should eat a relatively small high-carb meal/snack before a workout, and a larger high-protein meal within 30-45 minutes of finishing a workout.  Paracowboy has posted some excellent summaries of exercise nutrition principles on here over the years.  Try a search and you'll probably find more then you ever wanted to know about muscle synthesis and nutrition.


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## navymich (28 Jan 2008)

In case you're asking your question because of remembering your mother saying that you can't swim for XX minutes after eating, check out  this.


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## TN2IC (29 Jan 2008)

I usally eat 1 1/2 cups of Vector about half hour... 45 mins before I jump in the pool in the morning. And I have no problems at all.

I guess if you eat a lot, well then it may be a different story. 

Regards,
Schultz


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## omgLiam (29 Jan 2008)

Oatmeal and protein 30-45 mins before, protein after.


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## OkotoksRookie (4 Feb 2008)

Good question but unfortunately you'll find a lot of conflicting answers on the topic.
Eating a small meal (one large enough to provide energy but not too large to make you slugish) is said to enhance your preformance / endurance.
Preforming a cardio (swiming is 'generally' considered cardio) work out on an empty stomach is said to premote fat loss. 
Best advice I've ever received and I'll pass it on, "Know your own body". Try them both and find what works BEST FOR YOU.


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## ballz (5 Feb 2008)

OkotoksRookie said:
			
		

> Eating a small meal (one large enough to provide energy but not too large to make you slugish) is said to enhance your preformance / endurance.
> Preforming a cardio (swiming is 'generally' considered cardio) work out on an empty stomach is said to premote fat loss



The first part is right. Eating a small snack (not a meal) beforehand will enhance performance.
The second part is flat out wrong and would HINDER fat loss.

It really depends on why you are swimming though.

If you are swimming to promote fat loss, then don't eat after about 9 or 9 30 at night, and when you get up in the morning, you need a light snack to speed your metabolism back up. A couple oranges or a banana would do the trick. This will speed your metabolism up for the rest of the day, and is why it is so important for people trying to cut fat to eat breakfast in the morning. Afterwards, you may want another small snack because another key thing about cutting fat is eating 6-8 small snacks a day (also keeps the metabolism high) rather than 3-4 big ones. What you eat afterwards just needs to be low-calorie, although I'd suggest lean protein because protein is very filling and excess protein will not get turned into and stored as fat. its a dieter's best friend.

If you are not worried about fat loss, and want to enhance performance, then you should be eating whole wheat pastas, brown rice, etc (complex carbs) at night before you go to bed. these take a long time to digest and so they will be ready for use when you wake up in the morning. and then when you do wake up, it's still good to have fruit like oranges or bananas or something with natural sugars in it.


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## RTaylor (26 Mar 2008)

I always knew that the hour after eating / swim thing was crap.

But if you reallllyyy want to lose weight, just before you get into the water go buy some pirahnas, dump em in then cut yourself a bit. I bet you've never quite had a workout like that


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## B0nes (6 Apr 2008)

Eating and swimming with cramps is not a myth. It's basic biology, instead of using a .com site like the wifes tale I'll reference you to a .edu site which is simple enough to explain the reasons.

http://soundmedicine.iu.edu/segment.php4?seg=400

"As for the recommended length of time between eating and swimming, there are no published studies on the subject. However, rules of physiology come into play. After a meal, there is an increased flow of blood to the stomach and intestines to absorb nutrients. This means that there is relatively less blood available to deliver oxygen to exercising muscles. If you exercise immediately after eating, a competition for blood flow is set up between the digestive organs and muscles. Some people get cramps due to this because their body is unable to meet these competing demands. It is possible that severe cramping could reduce one's ability to swim to such an extent that the person could drown."


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## KMJAB (6 Apr 2008)

I applaud any effort to find better sources, but I fear that your .edu site may itself be relying on myth. It lacked any reference.

See

http://www.livescience.com/health/071220-medical-myths.html

For similar examples of doctors believing medical myths.. These examples were studied and carefully examined and published in a peer reviewed journal (British Medical Journal).

Fact, I swim, all the time. I attend tournaments. I know hundreds of fellow swimmers. Therefore, I reference direct, widespread experience. This myth is false. Eating does not cause cramps. In fact, I make it a deliberate point to eat shortly before I swim and have always insisted on teammates and those I coach doing the same (sample size of approx 1000 eat/swim instances). However, some other people prefer to have as much as two hours before swimming without food of any form because they claim to feel overly full and lethargic to achieve top performance.

HOWEVER,

Poor nutrition, poor hydration, poor training, poor preparation and/or overexertion can all lead to cramps while swimming. It depends on the intensity and many other factors. A very heavy stomach (huge meal, not talking a normal lunch) can also make you feel sick or tired. I definitely try to avoid the huge plate of spaghetti an hour before swim practice. . (great for afterward though). The worst I have ever experienced was a little bit of the dinner coming back up for a visit, but no cramps. 

In my experience as a coach and athlete, cramps while swimming are generally a sign of insufficient oxygenated blood supply. This can be caused by overexertion(surpassing max VO2), dehydration (reduced blood pressure/supply), they may be triggered, or caused by injury such as overworking muscles (working to point of failure, then continuing) or trauma (overextension, physical contact). I have seen many cramps of these forms. IF there is ANY link between eating and cramps, I suspect it can only be because after having a large meal, your body's upper limit for exertion may be reduced, similar to playing sports when tired, or the day after a big workout. Thus the activity that you normally could sustain becomes overexertion, potentially leading to cramps. Keep in mind, this means the mechanics would not be, 

food = cramps, (not true)

but that 

food => lower peak performance => person unknowingly exceeds sustainable performance => cramps

Therefore, I would suggest that it is not swimming after eating that leads to cramps, but swimming too hard for your fitness level and physical condition. Eating large amounts of food however, may reduce your peak performance for a period. Keep in mind, if I eat large enough amounts of food, I can get a sore stomach cramp just sitting down. If someone were to stuff themselves to a Monty pythonesque level, and then swim, they would undoubtedly have a problem. Or if their physical conditioning and technique was such that under the best of circumstances they approached maximmum physical exertion just to stay afloat, and they ate a medium size meal immediately prior to swimming they may have a problem. But the problem is not eating then swimming per se.

BUT

the food you have won't do you any good energy-wise for a min of about 30 minutes. It is a good idea to eat 30-60 min prior to swimming, but only so that the energy has started to get into the blood (Carbs, not fat, fat will take a little longer).


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## B0nes (6 Apr 2008)

The problem with your statement is your calling cramps due to food a medical myth. Yet you have said indirectly that eating can be a cause of cramping. Whether or not its direct or indirect there’s a path and food is in it. 

When I run after eating a regular meal while exerting myself to beat my best time I won't cramp but I will feel something. Now when I haven’t ate much that day and eat a large meal and go running I will cramp. Though if I hadn't eaten that meal before hand and ran it while hungry there would be no cramp.

As for your swimming experience I also have that and eating before swimming still is never a good idea. Eating a bowl of cereal, a small snack is not usually a problem. Eating dinner with the family and going out for a race on the other hand is another matter.

My reference did not cite any references although the link you provided did not link me to a swimming after eating section and once again it was a .com site which in university, college and any other official report I have been made to write would never be accepted since it is not a reliable source.

I have never seen someone sustain a cramp due to over exertion. On the other hand I have seen broken tendons, muscle fatigue/failure and other various injuries depending on the situation. 

The link I provided you did not say that, eating a small meal will defiantly make you cramp, nor did it say everyone that does swim after eating will cramp. It said that the individual would respond differently. Therefore to say that no you cannot cramp is a false statement and potently (possibly) a fatal one. The reference noted that “is possible that severe cramping could reduce one's ability to swim”. In other words you cannot say you know that, persons haemoglobins is to par with a normal person ect. Further more the reference states “Some people get cramps due to this their body is unable to meet these competing demands”, once again individual, different responses. Lung capacity, gas exchange, medical issues, are all a part of this.

Eating a light snack of carbs or sugars should be no problem. Then again I know what my body can handle.
Lastly, though I have not found the supporting article in your link it also seemed to lack a reference. Although if you really want me to find a reference of an article I can do that but then again you may want a reference on the reference until we finally find the orginal report. Use a .edu, .org, .gov, .ca site and the reference of the article isn't actually needed.


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## armyvern (6 Apr 2008)

B0nes said:
			
		

> Eating and swimming with cramps is not a myth. It's basic biology, instead of using a .com site like the wife's tale I'll reference you to a .edu site which is simple enough to explain the reasons.
> 
> http://soundmedicine.iu.edu/segment.php4?seg=400
> 
> "As for the recommended length of time between eating and swimming, there are no published studies on the subject. However, rules of physiology come into play. After a meal, there is an increased flow of blood to the stomach and intestines to absorb nutrients. This means that there is relatively less blood available to deliver oxygen to exercising muscles. If you exercise immediately after eating, a competition for blood flow is set up between the digestive organs and muscles. Some people get cramps due to this because their body is unable to meet these competing demands. It is possible that severe cramping could reduce ones ability to swim to such an extent that the person could drown."



As an avid swimmer, and one who eats voluminously prior to entering the pool for my training lengths or lifeguarding, I can tell you that the above has nothing to do with the fact that one is swimming. Period. 

The exact same situation regarding eating prior to performing exercise is applicable to running, cycling, or any other variety of rigorous physical activity. In all of those there will be an increased flow of blood to the stomach and intestines in an attempt to absorb nutrients.

The simple fact of the matter is that blood flow affects each person differently. If one is prone to experience cramping while running (etc) right after consuming a small meal in the morning, then one can expect the same cramping to occur if one were to go swimming right after a meal in the morning.

If however, one is not prone to cramping during a run (etc) after a morning meal, then one is not susceptible to cramping while swimming either.

It's all about your body and how your body reacts to vigorous activity after a morning meal. The type of activity is irrelevant, it is an individual thing.

KNOW YOUR BODY -- that's what's important (and it's been said in this thread before) ... old wives tales be damned.


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## KMJAB (7 Apr 2008)

Partly becasue I am waiting for drywall compound to dry, (slightly more exciting than paint) and partly because there is a point to it,



I provided no link to a study of cramping/swimming/eating because I have yet to ever see one. If someone can direct me to a reported study, I would find it fascinating. 

There is however, a study (that I referenced) pointing out the stubborn behaviour of myths, even among doctors. 

As to cramping due to exertion, I do it all the time when running past my max sustainable speed. With work, I have been pushing my threshold back, but it is quite reliable in terms of speed and time.  I have also had swimmers that cramped up when I pushed them hard (really hard, brutally hard, borderline ethics hard).

I have never seen or heard of a case of someone cramping after a meal. I accept that everyone does respond differently, for a myriad of reasons, and I remind you of my disclaimer that gluttony + swimming can be unpleasant, but gluttony does not equal eating. The purpose behind my post, and my feelings on the subject, come from frustration with people who say, I can't eat that, I'm about to go swimming (usually in a tournament). In fact, the not eating food before swimming will kill your performance more so than eating if your energy reserves are running low (ie a day long event).

The secondary article (linked to in the one you linked to) also made the point that drowning is not really a foreseeable risk. It has the old 'for safety's sake' warning. Drownings do occur for many reasons, but unless someone can point me to a single recorded case of a drowning due to eating a couple burgers prior to swimming, I will continue to ignore this *as if* it were a myth. 

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2005/06/30/swim-eat050630.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/health/28real.html

If people really want something to worry about for their kids in a swimming pool, check the drains in the bottom. Drains with excess suction force have killed and disembowelled children. 170 incidents, and 27 children killed. That is an example of a real danger. When we focus too much on mythical ones, we lose track of what is important. 

http://www.jems.com/news_and_articles/columns/Heightman/Pool_Drain_Eviscerates_6-Year-Old_Girl.html


Note 1: better to eat a banana and a bagel prior to swimming instead of two burgers - long term health
Note 2: In a lifeguarded swimming pool, I conservatively state that it is impossible to "die" of eat/drown, in open water, there are many other far more important things to worry about. 
Note 3: Water Safety is important. But as a concession, I will advise against engorging oneself immediately prior to swimming alone or with inexperienced swimmer/partners in open water at night with sharks. (got a little carried away there with the qualifiers  )


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## Lumber (7 Apr 2008)

KMJAB said:
			
		

> Note 3: Water Safety is important. But as a concession, I will advise against engorging oneself immediately prior to swimming alone or with inexperienced swimmer/partners in open water at night with _*sharks*_.



Won't this promote weight loss, though?  ;D


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