VOOM® Worx

Your environment, how warm is it? In the office or vehicles with air conditioning moisture evaporation can increase, leading to faster dehydration than normal, and yet the cool conditions disguises this.

Work uniform or protective ware - the added protection can dramatically increase the challenge of maintaining the core temperature within a healthy range.

Work processes – manufacture process and the physical nature of some jobs plays a key role in your hydration demands.

Stress - exacting delivery of the daily workloads - on time, can raise the heart rate, which in turn requires more fluid to be hydrated to a healthy level.

Drinking enough water and hydrating with electrolyte formulas during the day will help us perform better mentally as it can combat tiredness and fatigue. This all leads to a more productive day at work and feeling better and healthier overall.

The European Food Safety Authority recommends that men drink a minimum of 2.5 litres of water per day and women drink a minimum 2.0 litres and whilst this water can come from both food and drinks, they suggest that 70–80% of a daily water intake should come directly from drinks with the remaining 20–30% from foods. Hot drinks will help to meet a daily drinking target however, water is one of the healthiest ways to hydrate as it has no calories or sugar.

The advantages of water with electrolytes are in the speed of delivery of hydration to the cells of body and brain and the extra functional benefits to the body and brain. This is especially pertinent where physical work takes place over much of the day or in warmer conditions.

Workplaces are required to ensure that employees have adequate access to safe drinking water and ideally a ‘Hydration Station’ should include a range of hot and cold drinks as well as drinking water. The 1992 Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations (Regulation 22) states that employers should meet certain requirements which include:

Providing an adequate supply of clean drinking water.

Making sure that this is readily accessible at suitable places and clearly marked by an appropriate sign. Ensuring that staff drink enough water throughout the day is key. Staying hydrated can help to improve work productivity, enabling better performance, both mentally and physically.

Most of us spend upwards of 8 hours a day at work and are often so focussed on tasks, meetings, deadlines and deliveries, that we forget to drink enough to stay adequately hydrated. A hydrated individual will be happier, healthier, more motivated, and more productive, so it’s in the interest of both employees and employers alike, to find a hydration strategy that works, or WORX!

Research shows that key brain functions affecting as focus, memory and visual motor tracking are impaired when we are even 2% dehydrated. As we reach 4% dehydration, our reaction times slow noticeably, which can be dangerous in certain environments, such as warehouses with heavy machinery.

Just a feeling of being thirsty, indicates you’re dehydrated by at least 500ml’s.

Exercise, hot working conditions and illnesses can all affect someone’s hydration levels. Some symptoms of dehydration can include:

• Feeling thirsty
• Feeling lightheaded
• Dry mouth
• Dry eyes
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Dark coloured urine
• Urinating less than 4 times a day

The European Food Safety Authority recommends water intake depends on the individual and the environment they are working, but as a baseline, men should aim to drink a minimum of 2.5 litre per day and women should aim to drink a minimum of 2 litres per day.

Temperature and humidity are key factors. Working for relatively long periods in a hot environment increases water loss, due to increased sweating and respiration.

Exactly how fast someone will lose water is very dependent on the individual, but those doing manual jobs wearing heavy protective clothing can lose over 2 litres of fluid per hour!

Tell-tale signs that you are dehydrated are starting to suffer the effects of dehydration, e.g. struggling to focus, a mild headache, a dry mouth, or when your urine starts to become darker or more yellow in colour.

Drinks containing electrolytes will hydrate you quicker than water alone. VOOM WORX contains full spectrum electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and chloride) in the ratio we lose in sweat, to maximise hydration.

• Keep a bottle on your desk or workstation and set targets on how much to drink during the day
• Take hydration breaks
• Ask a colleague to be your hydration buddy and remind each other to drink or bring an extra cup of VOOM WORX back from the water cooler
• Limit or avoid dehydrating drinks, commonly known as diuretics, such as coffee
• Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink
• Drink more after exercise or in warmer conditions
• Choose the right snacks. Certain fruits and vegetables have a high water or electrolyte content. Foods such as apples, pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, melon, cucumbers and celery all have a very high-water content and make very hydrating snacks. Whereas bananas, raisins, avocados, spinach, sweet potato, coconut, beans and lentils are all high in electrolytes.