Wait an hour after eating before you can swim or you can cramp and drown.

You need to wait an hour after eating before you can swim or you can cramp and drown.

Your parents probably told you this one when you were a child! It is based on the belief that after eating, the body draws its blood supply to the stomach to aid in digestion, thus diverting it away from the muscles, which may result in cramping and drowning if you attempt to swim. However, there is no clear evidence to back up this statement. While cramps may occur during swimming, this has nothing to do with the contents of your stomach. Our bodies have enough blood to ensure that each body part functions as it should, even after a meal.