The warm weather is coming, prepare to be Hydrated.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HYDRATION

Most of us think of dehydration as a summer problem. The days are longer and warmer, you’re sweating more. To compensate, you hydrate yourself with THORZT and a balanced diet. What many people don’t realise, however, is that it’s just as easy to become dehydrated in the winter. THORZT is the hydration solution for the weekday worker and the weekend warrior so it doesn’t matter if you are on a construction site, the footy field, about to ski down a mountain or sitting in an office with the air conditioner on, CDA Eastland has a THORZT product for you.

THE NEED FOR FLUIDS

Almost every bodily process requires water to function. The human body can survive for a far longer period without food than it can without water.

The body cannot produce water by itself, so any fluid lost must be replaced. The amount required depends on body size, metabolism, climatic conditions, the food we eat and activity levels.

Fluid deficiencies will eventually lead to Dehydration, Heat Stress and Fatigue (DHF).

WHAT IS MILD DEHYDRATION?

50 to 60% of workers report to work in a mildly dehydrated state (1-4% of body fluid)
Workers can sweat anywhere from 500ml to 2.5L per hour
For every 1% increase in dehydration, the heart rate increases by 4 beats per minute

HOW DO WE LOSE FLUID?

The body may lose fluids in a variety of ways:

Breathing
Urinating
Sweating
Vomiting
Diarrhea

The rate at which fluid is lost may be increased by intensified physical exercise, and hot or humid weather conditions.

THE HUMAN BODY IS 60-70% WATER

Heart: 79%
Brain: 75%
Blood: 83%
Skin: 64%
Lungs: 80%
Kidneys: 83%

WHAT IS DEHYDRATION?

Dehydration adversely affects work productivity, safety and morale.1 Loss of fluids can affect cognitive abilities, reduce performance and slow reaction times.2,3,4 This can lead to reduced output and careless work practices which may contribute to serious accidents in the workplace.

At just 1% dehydration, productivity reduces by about 12%.1,2 At 2% dehydration, heart rate increases by 8 beats per minute (bpm) which increases perception of effort and reduces body performance by up to 30%.1,5

At 3% dehydration, heart rate increases by 12bpm and performance is reduced by 25-50%. Reaction time is also slowed to levels similar to that of having a 0.08 Blood Alcohol Content (0.03 above the legal driving limit).1,6

At 0.08 BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) drivers are five times more likely to be in a car accident.7 Similarly, the more dehydrated workers become, the more a Loss Time Incident (LTI) is likely to occur.

Dehydration occurs when fluids and nutrients are lost from the body at a faster rate than they are replaced. This results in an imbalance of the essential components of an efficiently working body.

Blood consists of 80-90% water and is responsible for the efficient transportation of vital nutrients around the body. Any imbalance reduces the efficiency of our bodies.

STAGES OF DEHYDRATION

Symptoms of dehydration are difficult to determine in the early stages, but can include dryness of the mouth and thirst, dry warm skin, dizziness, or cramping in the arms and legs.

As dehydration increases, signs may include:

Skin inelasticity
Facial flushing
Increased pulse rate
Darker urine
Sunken eyes
Irritability Drowsiness
Irrational thinking
Passing less urine than normal

FLUID REPLACEMENT

Drinking water replaces lost fluids but not essential salts, minerals, carbohydrates and amino acids needed to maintain optimum performance and productivity.

Sweat contains water, and essential salts known as electrolytes. In a thermally stressful environment like a mine site where workers can sweat anywhere from 1L-2.5L per hour,6,8,9 a specially formulated mixture of electrolyte salts is required to replace fluid losses and re-establish the correct fluid-electrolyte balance.1,10

Electrolyte drinks increase water retention by 25%-40% compared with drinking water, assisting workers to avoid dehydration.11

The addition of other ingredients such as Amino Acids will help the body to maintain stamina during prolonged physical activity.

Stay tuned for further information next week,

References:

Kenefick RW, PhD. Hydration at the Worksite. American College of Nutrition Vol.26 No.5, 597S-603S
Wasterlund DS, Chaseling J, Burstrom L: The effect of fluid consumption on the forest workers’ performance strategy. Appl Ergon 35:29-36, 2004
Ganio, MS & Armstrong, LE.Mild Dehydration impairs cognitive performance and mood of men. British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 106 / Issue 10 / November 2011, pp 1535-1543
Armstrong LE, Ganio, MS. Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women. American Journal of Nutrition, Jan 1, 2012. jn.111.142000
Bean, Anita (2006). The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition. A & C Black Publishers Ltd. pp. 81–83.
Brake, R & Bates GP. Fluid Losses and Hydration Status of Industrial Workers under Thermal Stress Working Extended Shifts. QLD Mining Industry Safety & Health Conf. August 2001
Drinkwise Australia: http://www.drinkwise.org.au/you-alcohol/alcohol-facts/drink-driving/
Sawka M N. Hydration Effects of thermoregulation and performance in the heat. In: Lau W M, ed. Proceedings of the International Conference on Physiological and Cognitive Performance in Extreme Environments, Defence Scientific and Technology Organisation, Australian Department of Defense, Canberra. 2000:21-23
Bishop PA, Pieroni RE, Smith JF, Constable SH: Limitations to heavy work at 21 degrees Cº of personnel wearing the US Military chemical defense ensemble. Aviat Space Environ Med 62:216-220, 1991
Sawka, M & Montain SJ: Fluid and Electrolyte Supplementation for Exercise Heat Stress. In: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000;72(suppl):564S-72S
Seifert J, Harmon J, DeClercq P. Protein added to a sports drink improved fluid retention. Int J Sports Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006, 16, 16, 420-429.
http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/water-soluble-vitamins-b-complex-and-vitamin-c-9-312/