Advice for working in the heat

[Double L]

I'm looking for advice for working out in the heat since I'm gonna be outside alot at work. I plan on drinking lots of Gatorade and I also take multivitamins. I hear that taking IB Profen before going outside keeps headaches away or something! Is that correct? I also plan on wearing a hat, I got a black hat but I'm gonna see if Ee-Jay have any hats I could wear while being out in the heat. I appreciate the help!

[Uturn2001]

Wear light colored clothing. The darker the clothing the more heat it will retain.

Drink plenty of fluids. Water is actually the best. Avoid sugary drinks as this will tend to actually dehydrate you faster. Also be careful drinking very cold drinks. Can cause headaches, make you sick, send your body into shock, etc if you are very warm.

Take frequent breaks in a cool spot out of the sun, but do not go into a air conditioned room. You could send yourself into shock. At the very least you will only feel hotter when you go back outside.

[Double L]

I'm probably gonna be going in and out of the driver's lounge/dispatch office alot and it's air conditioned. I like my drinks to be cool or luke warm, sometimes I'll drink it hot as long as it's wet it doesn't have to be cold for me to drink it. Also I do know for a fact going from an air conditioned building back to outside will make you very very tired!

[JeffTheTerrible]

Regarding the hydration issue, Uturn got it right.. just drink water. Gatorade, soda, and all that other crap does more harm than good.
When you go to take a leak, this may be somewhat unpleasant to do, but take note of the color of your urine. If it's dark, you're not well-hydrated.
Also, avoid overly hydrating yourself, because it'll flush electrolytes out of your system.

[Double L]

All I been drinking was water for the past couple months with occasional soda, red bull, and gatorade here and there. I always thought Gatorade was actually good for you!

[Kranky]

All I been drinking was water for the past couple months with occasional soda, red bull, and gatorade here and there. I always thought Gatorade was actually good for you!

Gatorade, soda, etc. has mass quantities of calories - you'll weigh a ton if you rely on those for hydration.

All that sugar isn't good for you either.

[Double L]

Weight isn't an issue for me, I can eat and drink all the stuff I want and not gain a pound, I lose the weight more than I do gain. I'm sure in a few years it'll catch up to me. I have noticed that when I drink Gatorade I'm always drinking more and more of it as compared to water, where I take a drink and I'm good for awhile and yeah all that sugar isn't good, I'm trying to cut out sugar as I'm trying to avoid becoming a diabetic. Actually I'm trying my best to start eating healthier.

[Uturn2001]

Sometimes going into an air conditioned building is unavoidable. If you are feeling really hot, let yourself rest and cool off for a few minutes first to help minimize or avoid problems.

[WarHorse]

Long sleeves actually helps - keeps the sun off. Somewhere I have an Aussie hat with a big floppy brim and vented crown. I wore that in Iraq to good effect.

Take a few swallows of water every fifteen minutes or so. It becomes a habit. It is actually difficult to drink too much water unless you try to drink a gallon all at once. Your body will work to maintain its electrolyte balance on its own.

When I was in massage school I switched from coffee to water and began to feel more alert, if you can believe it. My body finally revolted against all the caffeine. Wherever I am I keep a couple 1-liter water bottles around and sip from them all day, refilling at rest areas and truck stops. I'm too cheap to keep buying fresh bottles.

Gatorade, in my opinion, is for athletes who burn through their electrolytes as opposed to the rest of us who keep making more at a steady pace. Not to say I never drink the stuff, but not often.

The only other thing I can think of is to moderate your work pace to prevent over-heating. I tried to cook myself once and learned the lesson.

[Double L]

I have noticed that since I been drinking water drinks like soda, red bull, and coffee even gatorade makes me tired for some reason! If I need a pick me up I normally drink a 5 hour energy but I don't do it often at all! I only had that 5 hour energy twice!

[Trukrswyfe]

huh? :? I believed all those gatorade commercials that showed the HOT sweaty athletes that did better if they drank Gatorade, developed by the Florida Gators Oh well I like the commercials anyway.

They have these neck ties, that can be saturated in cold water, placed about the neck, Miracles for keeping one cool. We freeze them to start with. brrrrr..... but in 100 degree heat very nice. Buy the cheap ones or make them yourself.

[Mr. Ford95]

For the first 2 weeks your going to hate the heat but after that your body becomes used to it and it ain't so bad. I drink Gatorade all the time in the summer and it works great. Just don't drink it if your not planning on sweating, it causes you to do #1 a whole lot more frequent.

[Mtc_Is_Hell]

It can't be that bad, with it 90 out today and being under the sun full time along with shoveling asphalt which is 300 plus degrees. I do just fine, drink about 48 oz of water in a 11 hour shift.

[Mackman]

the best advice for working in the heat is not to work :wink:

[Double L]

Mackman, I need the money so working isn't an option, now if I hit the lottery I'd have it made.

But seriously though I plan on taking a 1 liter bottle of water with me. It won't take me long to get use to the heat, maybe a couple hours if that!

[Mackman]

i was being a smartazz double l. I know you have to work just like the rest of us.

[Double L]

I already knew you was being a smartazz Mackman, I just didn't want to point it out and look like captain obvious.

[Roadhog]

Well...I knew that you knew he knew.
He knew that, but you knew that.
I know... :?


If you can't say this 3x fast...
then get out of the heat!!!

"One smart fellow, he felt smart.
Two smart fellows, they felt smart.
Three smart fellows, they all felt smart." :P

[movinit]

If you start feeling tired after being out in the heat that is one of the first signs of dehydration. Drink more water and keep drinking it. It can take up to a gallon of water an hour to keep you fully hydrated. I used to live in Arizona and I worked in the 118+ degree temp doing ashpalt work and as a kid I was taught desert survival in case I was ever in a situation where I needed to know it.

Also wear a 100% cotton t-shirt preferably long sleeve under your shirt, when you sweat it becomes wet and then works like an somewhat like an evaporative cooler. If you ever have noticed the landscape workers they are usually covered from head to toe, the last thing you want to do is take clothes off for you will dry up like a raisin.

Learn the signs of heat stroke and DO NOT IGNORE them!

[BanditsCousin]

Definitely stay out of the a/c until you get home. Likewise, avoid cool drinks. What this does is "shock" your body likeputting ice water in a hot radiator. Nacar drivers drik their fluids warm for this reason.

Gatorade isn't so bad for you, but it shouldn't be a majority of your fluids. When I used to race bmx I'd usually start a big bottle, then 1/2 way down, dilute it with water. If you can keep 50/50 of water or better of water in your sports drink you'll be ok.