The relationship between food and activities carried out immediately after meals, such as swimming, bathing or exercising, is a frequently debated topic. During the digestion process, the body redirects a greater amount of blood to the stomach and intestines, ensuring the breakdown and absorption of food. However, activities that require physical effort or intense thermal regulation, such as swimming in cold water or performing vigorous exercise, can interfere with this process, causing discomfort such as nausea, bloating and even general malaise.
Therefore, understanding the factors involved, such as the type of activity, the intensity of effort and the amount of food eaten, is essential to avoid complications and ensure well-being, according to nutritionist Sara Bortoluz.
“It is up to each person to be aware of how much they ate, whether they overindulged or not, and what they will do immediately after eating. A warm shower, for example, right after a meal, does not cause any harm, since the body will be able to reconcile its functions during digestion, such as keeping warm, irrigating blood through all the muscles and digesting the food. that was consumed. Now, if we enter the pool or the sea and swim at a high intensity, our body will not only need to regulate its body temperature, but also send blood so that the other muscles are able to perform their functions”, explains the nutritionist.
According to , intense physical exertion after eating can cause an increase in heart rate, making it difficult for adequate blood distribution. “The increase in heart rate, due to exertion, prevents the blood from being used for just one function – digestion. Furthermore, the greater the amount of food ingested, the greater the amount of blood needed to carry out digestion. As a result, the food stays longer in the stomach and intestine, making the digestive process more difficult, the person may feel sick, nausea, cold sweat and abdominal distension.”
The question about whether or not we should take a shower during digestion is common, but gastroenterologist Guilherme Macedo, in an interview with , clarifies that the answer depends on different circumstances. According to the expert, “what tends to affect the body more seriously, causing cardiovascular disorders such as arrhythmias or even cardiac arrest, is related to a thermal reaction”, that is, the risk arises when there is a thermal shock between the body temperature and the water, as happens when entering the sea right after a meal.
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