Hunger After Diving?

[Meyer]

Not sure this is the right forum to post, but I figure it would here I would get a scientific explanation.

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel that one is starving just after a dive. Scuba is one of those sports that we are suppose to physically exert as little as possible to reduce oxygen consumption. I understand the dissolved nitrogen in the body make you feel tired. But what makes you feel hungry?

Meyer

 

[Charlie99]

What makes you feel hungry?

I don't have a scientific explanation, but my observation is that mild exercise and exposure to cold water stimulate my hunger. Thank God for Oreo cookies. :banana:

 

[Rick Inman]

Thank God for Oreo cookies. :banana:

Got milk?

 

[do it easy]

Not sure this is the right forum to post, but I figure it would here I would get a scientific explanation.

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel that one is starving just after a dive. Scuba is one of those sports that we are suppose to physically exert as little as possible to reduce oxygen consumption. I understand the dissolved nitrogen in the body make you feel tired. But what makes you feel hungry?

Meyer

I don't have a scientific reason for why people get hungry after the dives, but I get hungry and sleepy after diving. It could also be the post dive beer, but I'll leave that for another post.

My theory is that you are actually doing a lot more work just by being underwater. For example, on a typical dive, you might swim around and look under some rocks for half an hour. Keep in mind that water is much more dense than air, so every movement through the water is that much harder, i.e., more energy exerted. It's like trying to walk through jello. Compound that with the fact that water transfers heat much more efficiently than air.

Now you know why I don't have a Ph.D.

 

[Goose75]

I don't really get that hungry after a dive. I can eat, but that is usually because it has been a while since the last meal. After diving in cold water I tend to eat a lot of soup but that is for the warmth.

Other divers I know claim that diving burns lots of calories and they bring sweets and fruits to eat between dives. I've always been curious about the claim, long surface swims and hikes excluded as obvious calorie burners.

 

[Machiavelli]

Doesnt your heart have to work much harder even at minimal depth? While you arent moving as much your heart may well be working overtime.

 

[SubMariner]

Not sure this is the right forum to post, but I figure it would here I would get a scientific explanation.

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel that one is starving just after a dive. Scuba is one of those sports that we are suppose to physically exert as little as possible to reduce oxygen consumption. I understand the dissolved nitrogen in the body make you feel tired. But what makes you feel hungry?

Meyer

IMHO, regardless of the type of exposure protection you're wearing (or the water temp) you still burn calories to keep warm. Add in a bit of exercise and I think that's a recipe for needing food after diving. (Yes, deliberate pun here :lol2

 

[The Kraken]

My guess would be that the loss of body heat and resulting reduction of the body's core temperature triggers some mechanism that creates a desire to eat, thereby adding fuel to the body to make more fire.

Make that a couple of peanut butter and honey sandwiches for me, please !!!

 

[lamont]

hauling your gear up onto the boat or over the shore is also excersize. its not really a proper work-out, but it might trigger hunger.

doesn't anaerobic excersize scavenge up a lot of cheap glucose energy to run the muscles and could that leave you hungry?

 

[pennypue]

Make that a couple of peanut butter and honey sandwiches for me, please !!!

Oh that sounds sooooo good.
I need an official dive product for keeping my bread from getting squished.
Can I find that at LeisurePro or Scubatoys.com? Or should I improvised with something from Rubbermaid or Tupperware? :thinking: Oh the decisions......mmmm PB&H.....on whole wheat.......