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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05401396

Swimming Immediately After Having a Meal

Many believe that it is unsafe to swim immediately after having a meal and that it is preferable to wait at least 30 minutes. The fear is that swimming can cause stomach cramps and muscle cramps with discomfort and potentially drowning.

With this randomized controlled trial, the aim was to investigate whether there was any hold in this belief and what could potentially happen by swimming with the stomach full immediately after a meal.

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Key information

Conditions

Sadness

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Center for Perioperative Optimisation, Department of Surgery, Herlev og Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen

Herlev, 2730, Denmark

About this study

All volunteers will be adults. Participants will receive both oral and written information about the trial prior to giving consent for participation.

Participants will act as their own control over two days. On the first day, participants will be randomized to either swim immediately after they have eaten their usual lunch or 30 minutes after the last bite. They will do the opposite on the second day. The randomization will be done by throwing a dice.

Prior to swimming, participants will fill out the following:

  • Visual analogue scale (VAS) about their well-being
  • Questionnaire about their mood state

After swimming, participants will fill out the following:

  • Visual analogue scale (VAS) about their well-being
  • Questionnaire about their mood state
  • Adverse events

Prior to swimming and afterwards, the participants' blood pressure, pulse, and blood oxygen levels will be measured.

Sample size: Convenience sample.

Withdrawal and dropout criteria: All participants will be informed that they can withdraw their consent at any point during the trial without having to explain any reasons.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • ≥18 years
  • Healthy volunteers
  • Otherwise, no restriction since each participant acts as their own control

Exclusion criteria

  • Smoking one hour prior to swimming
  • Participants who cannot swim

Treatment and study plan

Swimming immediately after eating

Other

After having the last bite of lunch, the participants will swim in the pool with a specific distance.

Primary outcomes

  1. Occurrence of mortality

    Time frame: During swimming

    Any adverse events leading to death

Secondary outcomes

  1. Swimming time

    Time frame: During swimming

    Measured by seconds

  2. Discomfort

    Time frame: During the actual swimming and immediately after swimming is completed

    Self-reported assessment of discomfort on a visual analogue scale. Minimum: 0. To Maximum: 100mm. Ranging from no discomfort to the worse imaginable discomfort.

  3. Mood changes

    Time frame: Baseline and immediately after swimming

    Measured by the Profile of mood states. A five-point scale indicating the level of affection. Minimum: 1. To Maximum: 5.

  4. Number of patients with any adverse events

    Time frame: During and immediately after swimming is completed

    Any adverse events other than already mentioned outcomes

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Herlev Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Swimming Immediately After Having a Meal: a Randomized Controlled Study

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Jun 2, 2022
Registry last updated
Oct 26, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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