- 1. Exercising after eating causes congestion
- 2. Bathing in cold water after a hot meal causes congestion
- 3. Light walks help digestion
- 4. Food congestion can kill.
- 5. Exercise should only be practiced after 2h of the meal
- 6. Any effort can cause food congestion
- 7. History of poor digestion increases the risk of congestion.
- What to do to stop congestion
Food congestion is the discomfort in the body that appears when some effort or physical activity is practiced after having eaten a meal. This problem is best known when, for example, a person has lunch and then goes to the pool or the sea, as the effort to swim disrupts digestion and causes discomfort from congestion, but it can also occur when practicing intense exercise., like running or working out.
Understand better how congestion happens:
1. Exercising after eating causes congestion
Truth. Especially if exercise comes after a big meal, such as lunch or dinner, as physical activity causes most of the blood flow to go to the muscles instead of remaining in the intestine, making digestion very slow.
In addition, as most of the blood is being directed to the muscles or intestine, the brain ends up being harmed, and then malaise appears with symptoms of weakness, dizziness, pallor and vomiting.
2. Bathing in cold water after a hot meal causes congestion
Myth. Cold water is not the cause of congestion, but physical effort after a meal. In addition, in a normal bath, the effort to be made is very small, not enough to cause discomfort. The same goes for pool baths where the individual is just quiet in the water, without swimming and without playing, in the case of children.
3. Light walks help digestion
Truth. Going out for a short 10-20 minute walk, in slow steps, helps to improve digestion because it activates metabolism and reduces the feeling of abdominal bloating.
4. Food congestion can kill.
Myth. Food congestion causes only great discomfort, and in rare cases fainting can also occur. Deaths linked to food congestion usually occur in water, but they occur by drowning, not by digestive problems. When feeling unwell, the individual becomes weak and dizzy, and may even faint, which can lead to death if it happens in the water. However, on dry land, the discomfort would pass shortly after a few minutes of rest, without risk of death.
5. Exercise should only be practiced after 2h of the meal
Truth. After a large meal, such as lunch, physical activity should only be practiced after at least 2 hours, which is the time needed to finish digestion. If the individual cannot wait 2 hours before exercising, the ideal is to have light meals, with salads, fruits, white meats and white cheeses, avoiding especially fats and fried foods.
6. Any effort can cause food congestion
Myth. Only high intensity exercises, such as swimming, running, playing football or working out, usually cause severe indigestion, with symptoms of malaise, nausea and vomiting. Light exercises such as short walks or stretches do not cause discomfort, as they do not require a lot of effort from the muscles and allow the intestine to finish digestion normally.
7. History of poor digestion increases the risk of congestion.
Truth. People who normally already experience some symptoms of poor digestion, such as heartburn, excessive gas and a feeling of full stomach, are more likely to have congestion, as naturally their intestines are already working at a slower pace. The same goes for cases of intestinal problems, such as Crohn's disease, gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome. See the symptoms that indicate poor digestion.
What to do to stop congestion
The treatment of food congestion is done only with rest and ingestion of small amounts of water to hydrate. Thus, it is necessary to immediately stop the physical effort, sit or lie down and wait for the illness to pass. Resting causes the blood flow to be concentrated in the intestine again, and digestion starts again, causing the symptoms to pass within 1 hour.
In cases of severe malaise, with frequent vomiting, changes in blood pressure and fainting, the ideal is to take the individual to the emergency room for medical attention.
