My family and I love the water, but it isn’t always possible for us to get to a lake or the beach. Last year, a friend of ours gifted us a brand new hot tub. At first, we had no clue what to do with it, and we quickly started searching online for info. The best website we could find was tubhq.com, which helped us with a variety of hot tub related information. But there was one question always on our minds: can we eat or drink when in a hot tub (or pool)?
The Myths and Old Wive’s Tales
We have all heard our mothers, grandmothers, and many other people claim that it is bad to get in the water after a meal. Everyone has a different explanation for it, from your intestines getting twisted; to muscle fatigue. Some very obscure reasons are given, and there are sometimes very shady explanations that claim to be based on actual science. But no old wive’s tale emerges without reason, and there may be a few sound arguments against eating while in the hot tub.
The Real Problem With Food and Hot Tubbing
Many people who want to back up their claims that you should wait an hour before taking a dip in the water will tell you that blood flow from your stomach will be redirected to your muscles when you are in water. That means that you will not be able to properly digest the food, leading to indigestion and other gastrointestinal issues. However, this is only a problem if you’re having a large meal, and then going for a marathon swim. Lounging in a hot tub with a snack won’t be difficult for your body to handle (for most people).
The main problem with introducing food to your hot tub is that it is unsanitary. Food will introduce bacteria, and the warm water will encourage it to multiply. Prolonged soaking in unsanitary water will likely cause a few infections, such as a urinary tract infection.
What about Drinking?
Well, if you can’t eat in a hot tub, you’re probably wondering about having a nice glass of wine to unwind as you relax in the hot water. The general recommendation is to avoid sugary drinks in the hot tub, because that sugar can easily fuel a yeast infection. Alcoholic beverages aren’t as troublesome, but they pose another risk: drowning. So, make sure you aren’t drinking more than a glass or two, because once you’re drunk, you risk drowning even if the water is shallow and you are an avid swimmer. For that reason, hard liquor is generally a bad idea when hot tubbing, as those beverages can make you drunk faster.
Having fun in a hot tub is mostly about relaxation, and isn’t about mixing food and drink with your water activities. This will help you keep your hog nice and clean as well. There is no reason to ignore old wive’s tales about getting into the water before.