Debunking Myths & Sharing Insights from an RN (August)

Myth #1: You Shouldn’t Swim After Eating

For decades, parents and camp counselors have warned kids not to swim for at least 30 minutes after eating, claiming it could lead to severe cramps and even drowning. This belief likely came from a time when people thought that because digestion diverts some blood flow to the stomach, the arms and legs wouldn’t get enough oxygen, making swimming unsafe. But here’s the good news: research hasn’t found credible evidence to support this.

When you eat, your body sends more blood to your digestive system, but your muscles still receive plenty to function normally in the water. At most, swimming right after a large meal might make you feel a little sluggish or cause a mild stomach cramp, which is uncomfortable, but not dangerous for most healthy people. According to Harvard Medical School, the risk of drowning due to eating before swimming is more myth than reality. The American Red Cross also confirms that swimming after eating poses no real danger.

The real risks around swimming have far more to do with fatigue, dehydration, or unsafe water conditions than the timing of your lunch. In fact, the CDC reports that most drowning incidents are linked to lack of supervision, alcohol use, or inability to swim—not digestion.

From a nurse’s perspective, the best advice is to know your body. If you’ve just eaten a heavy burger and fries, you may want to give yourself a few minutes before doing intense laps. But if you feel fine, there’s no medical reason to sit on the sidelines just because you finished your sandwich. Focus instead on water safety basics: swim with a buddy, stay in supervised areas, and take breaks when you need them.

Myth #2: Sweating Detoxes Your Body

You’ve probably heard this one at the gym, during a hot yoga class, or even while chatting at the pool: “Sweating gets rid of toxins.” While it sounds convincing, sweating isn’t the detox shortcut it’s often made out to be. Sweating is your body’s natural cooling mechanism, designed to prevent overheating—not its waste removal system. The droplets rolling down your forehead are made up mostly of water and electrolytes like sodium and potassium, plus very tiny amounts of urea or other waste products.

The real detox powerhouses are your liver and kidneys. These organs work around the clock to filter and remove unwanted substances from your blood. Sweating plays only a minor role in that process. As the Cleveland Clinic notes, your sweat glands aren’t built for detoxing. The Mayo Clinic echoes that: your organs do the heavy lifting, not your sweat.

This doesn’t mean sweating has no health value—it can be a sign of cardiovascular exertion, and exercise that makes you sweat is great for heart health, mood, and endurance. But the benefits come from the movement, not from “flushing out” bad stuff. A review in Sports Medicine concluded that claims around sweat-based detox are largely unsupported by scientific evidence.

In the summer heat, this myth can actually be dangerous if people think more sweating equals better health. Overheating and dehydration can sneak up quickly. The CDC warns that high temps combined with exertion can increase the risk of heat-related illness, especially when people don’t rest or hydrate enough.

As an RN, my advice is to enjoy activities that make you sweat, but also respect your limits: stay hydrated, replace lost electrolytes when needed, and take breaks in the shade or indoors to let your body cool down. Your health isn’t measured by how much you sweat; it’s measured by how well you care for your body in the process.