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Don't Wait, Hydrate — Dehydration Safety in the Workplace
Welcome back to Feature Friday! Now that summer is here, we feel it's our responsibility at MacMor to stress the importance of staying cool and hydrated! This article is a continuation of our Heat Stress Relief series where we will be taking an in-depth look at dehydration, its risks, and why drinking water is not always enough to fully mitigate its impact. If you haven't read our previous blogs related to heat stress, we recommend reading How to Combat Heat Stress and The Latest Technology for Preventing Heat Stress.
What is Dehydration?
About 55-60 per cent of the human body is comprised of water. All our organs, systems, and cells rely on ample water for optimal functioning.
Dehydration is one of the leading causes of heat stress, and it occurs when fluids and nutrients are lost at a faster rate than they are replenished. Typically, as our body temperature rises, whether because of the climate or physical activity, our body cools itself down by sweating. On average, construction workers and labourers sweat about four to five litres during a 10-hour shift. Add the fact that over 60 per cent of workers start their shifts already dehydrated, and you can understand how dehydration quickly becomes a safety concern in the workplace.
Some of the warning signs indicating that you may be dehydrated include irritability, drowsiness, irrational thinking, skin inelasticity, increased pulse rate, sunken eyes, fatigue, and/or darker urine.
![Chart showing increased risks the more dehydrated you become](https://cdn01.macmor.com/content/blog/dehydration-safety-ff/Dehydration-Graph.png)
The assessment of dehydration is based on your weight. To gauge how dehydrated you are, you simply take one per cent of your weight in kilograms and convert that number into liters. The above chart is based on a male weighing 80kg (approximately 175 lbs).
Monitor Your Hydration
Managing your hydration is not as simple as just drinking water whenever you feel thirsty. As we stated beforehand, when we sweat, we not only lose water, but also essential salts and minerals known as electrolytes.
Electrolytes play several key roles for bodily functions including water retention, so it’s equally important to replenish them as you hydrate. Drinking only water can cause ‘Involuntary Dehydration’ in extreme cases, where even though you’re taking in water, you’re not retaining it.
There are plenty of ways you can monitor and maintain your rate of hydration in the workplace. The easiest method is to check your urine colour.
![Dehydration Chart for the colour of your urine](https://cdn01.macmor.com/content/blog/dehydration-safety-ff/Urine-Colour-Graph.png)
Another method is called Program Drinking, where you drink small amounts of fluid frequently, independent of perceived thirst. We recommend drinking about 250 mL of water every 15 minutes, and after every third cup, replacing the next with an electrolyte drink instead.
And finally, something you’re already equipped to do since you’re reading this blog, is to just be aware of the signs of dehydration that we listed earlier. All of these are warning signs your body is sending you! And oftentimes, these warnings show up faster than your thirst response, so it’s important that you hydrate yourself in a proactive manner as opposed to reactive.
THORZT™ — Your Hydration Solution
THORZT™ is an electrolyte-replenishing supplement that we believe can effectively help you stay hydrated. Developed by former Olympians, the thought process was that if they could make a formula that could meet their demanding training regiments, it could just as well benefit workers on a job site.
Most sports drinks are considered isotonic solutions, which means there’s an equal concentration of solutes between the drink and your blood. This allows a free transport of nutrients across the cell wall.
On the other hand, THORZT™ is a hypotonic solution, meaning the drink’s solutes are relatively diluted compared to our cells. And if you remember from science class, osmosis forces water to go from the solution into the cells, rapidly rehydrating them.
![Chart showing different types of solutions depending on concentration of solutes](https://cdn01.macmor.com/content/blog/dehydration-safety-ff/DilutionSolutions.png)
While the THORZT™ formula contains electrolytes similar to other popular products on the market (sodium, potassium, magnesium), it also contains L-Glutamine and essential Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) to help with muscle recovery, low GI carbohydrates for sustained energy release, and a good dose of B and C vitamins to boost your immune system. It is also sugar and caffeine free!
Contact Us
THORZT™ hydration drink mixes are now available online as well as all MacMor locations. Contact your local branch or email us at insidesales@macmor.com to discover why THORZT™ is the ideal hydration formula for your team.