What you learned in school
Health and physical education classes taught that swimming within an hour of eating would cause severe stomach cramps that could lead to drowning. Students learned this as a critical safety rule and were required to wait at least an hour after meals before entering the water. Teachers emphasized that food digestion would divert blood flow from muscles, causing dangerous cramping. This was presented as a well-established medical fact that could be life-threatening if ignored.
What we know now
Health and physical education classes taught that swimming within an hour of eating would cause severe stomach cramps that could lead to drowning. Students learned to wait at least an hour after meals before swimming. There is no scientific evidence that eating before swimming causes dangerous cramps or increases drowning risk. While vigorous exercise immediately after a large meal might cause mild discomfort, it doesn't create life-threatening conditions. This myth may have originated from general advice about intense exercise after eating, but was exaggerated for swimming. Competitive swimmers often eat during long training sessions without problems.