EATING BEFORE A SWIM WON’T CAUSE CRAMP

NEVER swim on a full stomach. Doing so might cause cramps and you will most probably drown in agony. So goes the well-known and frankly terrifying warning.

However, this ‘fact’ is not true. You are no more likely to suffer cramp while swimming if you have just eaten a heavy meal. Like many other myths, this one is underpinned by reasonable logic and half-truths.

If you’ve dined well, then your gut is going to be busy. Digestion needs energy.

This is supplied by the blood, which must be diverted away from limbs and extremities and recruited for digestion.

If you attempt any vigorous form of exercise, your limbs can’t cope and you get cramps. However, this last bit doesn’t ring true — if you break into a front crawl, the blood flow will increase to your arms and legs whether you’re mid way through digesting a meal or not.

If anything, it’s a good idea to eat a small, carbohydrate-rich snack not long before a swim, to ensure you have plenty of energy on which to draw.