Some of our employees ask us to buy electrolyte tablets which they take in the summer. Imagine doing construction work for 8 or more hours in 115 degrees--it takes a lot out of the body. I think some of the other ones drink Gatorade as well as a lot of water. We encourage them NOT to drink things like Monster and other highly caffeinated drinks.

I like the Jelly Belly Sports Beans - they have 80mg of sodium, 40mg of potassium, 25g of carbohydrates & 100 calories per pack, are 100 cals for a packet, some flavors contain 50mg caffeine, are easy to carry on a long run or after heavy exercise.

Muscle cramping is usually a sign of electrolyte imbalance.

Jay

These sound like just what I need in the afternoon. I am outside from 8 a.m. to around 4 p.m. everyday (and at the beach so most if it is in sun). I find water is still the best thing but I really don't like drinking water. I force myself to drink by giving myself permission to have other drinks in between. So for every 2 bottle of water I get one bottle of "other".

And yes, many of them do contain small amounts of caffeine. I find a small amount is beneficial.

I don't drink Gatorade (because I find all the flavours vile-tasting). There are now lo-cal versions of Monster and Rock Star, which I kinda like and DH finds vile tasting.

I also brew up ice tea (water, spice tea and stevia), bottle it in glass containers (recycling!), and drink one of those every day.

I monitor if I'm drinking enough by how much I'm peeing. It's a good guide to keeping hydrated, easy, and portable!

TGIF!!!

Dagmar

Dagmar, I actually love water but the last several long days in the summer sun I've been feeling the need for something additional, hence my forthcoming experiments with small amounts of Gatorade. In the summer our field work days can be 4-8+ hours in the Florida sun, amount of activity varying from light to intense. I certainly don't need it every hour like a marathoner, and have never felt so wiped by my gym workouts that I needed something more for those. Maybe I'm just not a "kid" anymore but I don't feel like I need to make my body suffer in the sun! And I agree, peeing is a good way to monitor hydration.

And if I hate the Gatorade, I'll just carry a jar of pickles with me. I had 2 when I got home last night and I felt better!

Allison, I can't even imagine working in the sun every single day at such an intense job like construction. There is one week of every month where we usually do 5 days in the field, all other weeks are about 3 days. The 5 day field weeks are the worst! And it's probably not as intense as construction.

My DH (the almost CMA - Chartered Management Accountant) started his working life in Toronto as a labourer for a renovation company. He would have to spend all day out in the sun digging, hauling stuff, climbing up and down ladders, etc.

Most people who do hard physical work like that take lots of small breaks. That's why you generally see a few people on a crew. One is digging, spreading tar, whatever, and the others are waiting for their turn. Usually one person works intensely for about 15 minutes and then takes a break.

I remember DH's explanation every time I see road crews out in the summer. I used to think they were lazy as a couple were working and the rest were standing around. They were actually resting.

I spent one summer helping my dad build a deck and lay in a brick driveway. My dad didn't believe in rest breaks but I had to take them. Shovelling gravel into a wheelbarrow and stacking and moving bricks is hard, hard work!

Dagmar