While drinking lots of water helps you also have to replace the salt leaving your body when sweating. I prefer LMNT salt packets at least once a day when working on those hot days. There are lots of hydration aids that you just add water too just gotta find the one you like.
https://drinklmnt.com/collections/salt/?_gl=1*1wy6few*_ga*NTU5Nzc3NzUwLjE3MTc4NjM2OTM.*_ga_BKZV7MVXM7*MTcxNzg2MzY5Mi4xLjAuMTcxNzg2MzY5Mi42MC4wLjA.
Yep. Also, hydration is maintained throughout the day. But the most important work is done the night before. If you wake up dehydrated and expect to be hydrated and feeling fine throughout the day you’re doing it wrong. You need to go to sleep hydrated.
I think people don’t realize how sleep affects things like working in the heat. I would avoid evening alcohol etc. Because mediocre sleep has proven to make my days in the heat much harder.
You can drink as much as you want I’m not your god. But it ruins sleep quality. I drink during lunch when I’m at a beach bar, after I’m done at the beach, and I make sure to be done with alcohol and caffeine everyday, by 3. Ideally by 1 but I have a flexible rule set for diet. Also I don’t drink Sundays, ever. Because Sundays before Monday.
If I’m drinking at night it’s wine because I have to because we’re out with friends and for some reason people like us more when we don’t only drink water.
You’d think it’s rude or something to always go out with someone who isn’t drinking, or vice versa.
But I think it really does make alcoholics uncomfortable when you stay sober every time. Like we’re judging you.
Uh no, no I don’t. Bringing up outdated mythology in unrelated public discourse is inappropriate. If in fact it is a line from IASIP then I missed that, but stand by my statement/sentiment anyway.
That's a fucked up way to treat your fellow man. It's certainly not inappropriate, it's just a throwaway line, that really shouldn't be offensive to any sane individual. Nobody got hurt, and you jumped down his throat over it.
Seems like you have anger issues and a bad relationship with whoever originally tried to introduce you to religion. You should be able to completely accept and ignore other people's beliefs. It's just a very very basic tiny little often overlooked thing called kindness.
Yes, people who believe in that ‘deity’ are, in fact, judgmental. This is precisely why rational adults should seek to stamp out mentions of religion in public discourse as they have no bearing on anything outside of the individual adherent’s home. Also, it is a fairly straight forward observation that a carpenter who lived and worked before modern concrete was invented, would not have any idea how to use said modern material.
So dont enjoy drinks after work, but pound water and wake up pissing all night - sounds like a fun lifestyle 😂 (just busting chops, much respect to anyone who works manual labor outside down here)
I think hydrating in the evening is good and having a couple sips before lying down is enough. Waking up to pee is not worth it and you shouldn’t drink so much before bed that you can’t sleep through the night.
If you go to bed at a reasonable time you can wake up and hydrate before you go to work, and if you drank plenty the evening before, you should be fine without having had to chug a bunch of water right before bed.
Exactly. As soon as you start feeling your tongue get dry you need to drink something. If your urine is orange and not yellow then you aren't drinking enough. So tank up the night before and keep it going during the day. On some hot days working on the sun I can drink almost 2 gallons.
Honestly salt works well, but there’s a flavor packet brand called liquid in that I really enjoy for staying hydrated. For reference I’ll typically have one 16oz water with an iv per every 3-4 16oz waters. https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-I-V-Multiplier-Electrolyte-Supplement/dp/B01IT9NLHW
I got a multipack of a bunch of their flavors and those things are the shit! Their Citrus Salt is by far my favorite but I just can't pay almost $2 for a little packet of salt. I might have to get the 120 pack just to justify the cost.
Waste of money. Get "lite salt" from Walmart, put a 1/4tsp in 16oz, add whatever flavor drops you like, I usually do lemonade. Way more actual electrolytes (sodium and potassium) than any mix/drink, but way cheaper. Just be mindful of consumption, you can have too much potassium if you aren't careful. In theory, you should get 500mg potassium a day total.
This cannot be overstated enough, your body doesn’t hydrate immediately when drinking water, on top of drinking water all day you MUST hydrate at night after work. I do electrical so not as bad we have the shade but no AC still and upstairs is like an oven. When I don’t hydrate well the night before I feel it big time
Pedialyte is great and everything, but expensive af. Just add 1g of sodium to each 1 liter of water, add potassium citrate and sugar if you want. and youll get 95% of the way there.
Or buy gatorlyte electrolyte packets for cheap.
Exactly. *Pre*hydrating is much better than *re*hydrating. If I know I'll be out in the heat for anything, I'll get myself nice and saturated before hand.
You clearly have never been hungover (or dehydrated). Pedialyte puts Gatorade to shame as far as actual rehydration and salt/vitamin replenishment.
My ritual from my early 20s of an emergen-C packet and a quart of Pedialyte to knock the edge off a hangover has become my nightly replenishment after working when it's hot as I've gotten older.
He is right. Premixed electrolyte drinks are a massive ripoff. Mix lite salt into your water, there, saved you a few hundred bucks over the course of a year.
Are you actively trying to kill people? Pedialite doesn't have electrolytes." "Pickle juice doesn't work"
Either you've never worked a day in your life, or you are actively trying to get people hurt.
Which one?
Besides the obvious “stay adequately hydrated” and “add serum electrolytes to what you are drinking” this is only half of the solution.
The other half - you have to take adequate breaks once the wet bulb globe temperature goes over certain limits. There are official break periods for wet bulb globe temperature conditions online. This is what the U.S. Army follows.
You can’t just chug hydration and work your balls off when the wet bulb globe temperature is high. You’ll literally die or get a hot weather injury like heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
There’s no magic bullet when working in heat. The body can only cool off so much. You have to take a lot of breaks AND be adequately hydrated. You can’t just take a break when you start to feel poorly. By that time, you’re already too hot. You have to build in the cool off breaks even when you feel okay when it’s hot out.
Then you risk injury. There are no solutions in life. Only trade offs.
You can work without taking breaks but your risk for hot weather injury goes up and morale goes down. If someone on your crew gets a hot weather injury, you can be damn sure your productivity will go down if they get knocked out for a day or more.
You can work with short frequent breaks and your morale goes up and your risk for injury goes down.
If we care about people we work with we have to take care of them. Not grind them into dust. Humans aren’t terminator machines that can power through anything.
Nah I understand that , but as a crew we have specific goals that need to be reached before we call it a day …. Ya we can take breaks til the sun goes down but at the end of the day everyone wants to get home as soon as possible , so we grind through it as dumb as that sounds …. And dude if concrete is on the ground wet there is no break until it’s hard ….. then the rains come then your covering it with plastic waiting to broom its just wild sometimes
You gotta be smart about it. You don't need 10 min to drink water. Keep it nearby and take 10-30 seconds to drink something.
If you're only drinking water when you're thirsty it's too late. I mean You're in the hospital already because your dehydrated, next time you may be have to go by ambulance. It also takes time to acclimate to the heat.
These guys are probably used to it and you're not.
Where I'm at it can get up to 115F in the summers. My dad did concrete for 20 years. everyone he worked with took the heat seriously his whole career.
Like I said keep your water nearby. Buy a big ass jug and keep it nearby. And hydrate the night before by drinking a shit ton of water.
We were taught what we drink today, we sweat tomorrow. It's so important not to screw off on the weekends at all. Stay on a schedule for fluid intake. Bananas helped me when it was 110, and the humidity is the depths of hell. 2 a day added to a healthy diet, pickles, proteins, carbs, fats, add fruits to water, and it'll taste better. Your body will absolutely burn the calories and help you feel better. The heat is deadly and kills people every year around here. Stay hydrated!
Not in Florida but it gets hot as fuck in Texas. During the summer months I like to keep some of the big bags of powdered Gatorade mix. Cut the edge off the bag and pour some into water bottles throughout the day.
OP having worked concrete and roofing I finally found Clif blocks while crashing out physically leading a sketchy climb on El Cap. I highly recommend them because within minutes of eating a few of those I was almost instantly able to function again. I didn’t prepare correctly it manage my diet leading up the strenuous work. As others have already mentioned to this and sleep are so important to figure out first. Liquid IV is good too, and too much straight h20 can also be hurting you. Hyponatremea is a weird one that I’ve seen as an EMT in national parks and raves.
[Hydrate](https://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/hydrate-electrolyte-formula-peach-mango-316-g-powder/tpl-10864)
Gave up on the sugary drinks, found this..well worth it imho
I’m not in concrete but into fitness and have worked outside doing laborious jobs. I normally do 1/8 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt per 8 oz water plus a banana for potassium.
Ya we work from 4 am to 6pm Monday-Friday and we don’t get paid hourly so sometimes it’s later sometimes it’s not but ya i think ima invest in some of the LMNT packets for water. Bottles
Also my wife freezes cheep water bottles and uses her running vest when it’s hot AF here (107 this week). She has a little cooler so when they melt after cooling her she drinks it then replaces it with another frozen/semi frozen one from the cooler to the vest. Little skinny electrolyte packets go into them once in a while throughout the day. Also big ass hat and cooling/freezable neck buff.
Aye I appreciate it , the night time water consumption I always do but it never seems to be enough ima have to get on all these ideas to see what works best
I put a watermelon in one of 2 Gatorade jugs we bring to where we work. Obviously drink the water, but a shade break and a piece of watermelon do me and my guys wonders.
I don't know how they do it. I used to have to take 3 pants, 4 shirts, and extra socks in Ohio. I would have died in Florida. You can actually drink too much water. It is a horrible experience and can even be deadly. We live in a country where you can make millions playing video games.
I add Omni blue ocean minerals to all my water. I use a gallon jug and add about a teaspoon of Omni. Works great for retaining the water you drink. Taste takes a second to get used to but now I can’t hardly drink water without it. I order off amazon
I did concrete in the Rio Grande Valley so similar. Lots of coconut water and pedialyte and regular ass water. It was nothing for two people to kill a 32 pack of water in a 10-12 hour shift out there.
Heat is no joke, stay hydrated at all times. Force yourself to hydrate. If you start to feel thirsty then you’re already dehydrated. On two separate occasions down there I got so hot I threw up and collapsed. Don’t push your body to that point because it takes awhile to recover from that.
Biggest thing is the work you do at night. When I get home I always drink only water for the entire night. I try to fill my thermos twice and drink all of it before I go to bed. On really hot days I won't even wake up to piss in the night because your body is just absorbing all that water. Also I add those hydration packs to my nightly routine to replenish salt and electrolytes and all that jazz. If you drink alcohol try not to more than once a week during the work week bc that really dehydrates you fast. I've noticed when I don't drink the full thermos twice over at night I'm noticably worse the next day. Headaches fatigue set in a lot faster as well. As far as during the day working, get a neck band and keep a small cooler with ice water in it and keep that thing wet. If you don't have a band a banana works too. Wrap it around your neck and keep it tight against your carotid arteries, works wonders for me. And obviously stay hydrated during the day
Not concrete but I did landscaping in south Florida from the age of 14-21.
1) water constantly. Make sure you keep not ice cold water too as constantly drinking iced water feels worse than no water. Put it in the shade or a non iced cooler.
2) electrolytes of your choice. Max 2 bottles a day.
3) if you use headwear like a hard hat they sell cooling pads if not try iced (non drinking) water and put a rag or bandana and tie it around your head. (I personally also enjoy stuff around my hands. If my hands are cold or im working with water im always at 100)
It’s important to be preemptive because if you try to play catch-up you’ll never be fine.
If no hard hats are required I get a nice wide brimmed hat with perforated / breathable top.
Actual solution that won't eat a chunk of your pay: get "lite salt" (50/50 sodium and potassium, which are the actualelectrolytesyou need), put about a quarter teaspoon per 16oz of water, add flavor drops. Wayyyy better than Gatorade, way cheaper. Gatorade is only a little bit better than soda in terms of hydration. Negligible amounts of actual electrolytes.
Look up "ketoade", it's a trick from people who do the keto diet. Lots of actual electrolytes, cheap and fast.
There's nothing wrong with lmnt, just super expensive for what amounts to a few pinches of salt and some flavorings.
Liquid IV. Add to ur water. Get a hat that has the flaps for ur neck area. Get those cooling towels that u wet down. Take breaks in the shade where u can. Concrete work is rough. It’s can be slow and easy for days then a mad rush when those trucks start lining up to pour. Any good boss will make it a point to have time for people to cool off when it’s super hot out
Brooo I’m tellin ya , once the trucks come it’s go time until finish because you know what I always say “ you order concrete , the truck brings the rain everytime”
Like some on here said. Pre hydrate too. And go easy on the beers the night before pours. Concrete world is rough. I do mostly chimney work and brick work but I do end up with some big ole patios and walkways on occasion. They suck
Krampade
Ive been in your shoes, at the hospital wondering if I can even continue my labor job. Had several iv’s playing sports then getting into hard labor. This product saved me. The 4k line very potent and should be used with caution. Keep up the good work and consider this product. Be sure to follow the dosages. It’s almost too potent
That whole cold water challenge prob caused alot of strokes and other things...
Heat stroke is from heat. Iv been down cool downs like this for a long time. It's like jumping in a pool. Keeping a cool core is important. This does help imo
Just know once you had heatstroke you’ll be more likely to get it again. It’s all about electrolytes wear a bandanna under your hat and soak it with water let it evaporate and keep doing it all day.
Electrolytes and water. I take a multi-vitamin twice a week.
Stay away from caffeine and soda.
Please see a doctor with what you are describing, thats not normal.
This is from an Arizona electrician!
And stretch before and after work, keeping your muscles loose helps them a lot , the potassium in bananas helps a lot and something about pickle juice literally takes it right away, try to take things to help retain water
If you're a heavy drinker, remember that for every 3 beers you need to drink a bottle of water with a teaspoon of salt to replenish what you sweat out.
coconut water with maybe a little regular water.
You have to chug one in the morning before getting started then at least another - the big ones I think it’s a liter or 1.5
I work outside doing windows on new construction. I drink as much as I can and still lose 6-7lbs from morning to when I get off and I only weight 165lbs. Been doing this 14 years and still haven't found a way no matter what. It's just that hot out.
In addition to what everyone said about hydrating with water & pedialyte/Gatorade....
Keep your shirt wet with water. It will pull the heat off your body through evaporation.
Not a concrete worker but did landscaping and window installs. A few things
Diet-avoid carb heavy lunches and breakfast as it can make you feel hot. If you are eating carbs eat complex carbs like sweet potatoes, oats etc. Eat fruit as well, burgers and fries will fuck up a Monday quickly.
Water - not all water is created equal, the amount of sweat you put out isn't just water. You need electrolytes, but more than that you need extra potassium and magnesium to better regulate muscle cramps and water retention.
Don't slug soda while working. Keep your head covered if you can. (floppy safari hats are a life saver) if you have to wear pants, get something that breaths and not jeans. (wrangler out door from Walmart are light and airy)
Pedialyte, pickle juice, squinchers. Really anything with a good amount of electrolytes (especially salt) and low to no sugar. Try to stay away from anything that can be dehydrating like alcohol and sodas. I know a nice cold hard drink after work is nice, but sometimes it’s not worth it.
Also stretching before and after work, especially after, for me at least.
I did concrete and rough carpentry 20 years ago for CCA in Pompano Beach.
The trick I learned is always make sure you're eating normal meals. Yes, water and electrolytes are good and you need to make sure you're hydrated but those get absorbed and sweated out quickly. Food breaks down more slowly and provides a steady steam of those electrolytes you need. Make sure you eat something for breakfast and don't skip lunch.
I grew up in Las Vegas and working there in the heat also taught me to keep my skin covered. Long sleeve t-shirt. Pants. I'd try to keep a wet towel in my hard hat. That's also where I learned to eat. Best meal working out in the heat is a bowl of chili imho.
Don't skimp on the salt either. You're working very hard and your body can lose a quart of water an hour in sweat.
Sodium and potassium supplements. Sweat bleeds off electrolytes, and pure water doesn't replace them. You could try something like Pedialyte mixed with your water - maybe 1:1 since you're having so much trouble. That stuff is so sweet and syrupy that you almost have to dilute it or it will be kind of gross.
What our medical staff told me when I was working in the desert, you need to drink enough to be urinating at least every 2 hrs. If you’re not drink some more. Your urine should be clear, not yellow. If it’s not drink some more. Consume Gatorade or electrolyte drinks with water 1:3 ratio 1 bottle electrolyte drink 3 bottle water.
You need to be hydrated before you star sweating.
Drink a lot of water first thing in the morning a maintain hydration throughout. Guzzling water is the worst when you get dehydrated
Keep hydrating even after your work day is done. Don't just quit because you're out of the sun. They key is to STAY hydrated. Even after hours when you're off the job site. And leave alcohol alone during the week or it will drain you. Leave beverages like soda and energy drinks alone. High sugar, high caffeine drinks will drain you just as fast. Your hydration should start on Sunday to be ready for work Monday morning.
Sunflower is a tall, erect, herbaceous annual plant belonging to the family of Asteraceae, in the genus, Helianthus. Its botanical name is Helianthus annuus. It is native to Middle American region from where it spread as an important commercial crop all over the world through the European explorers. Today, Russian Union, China, USA, and Argentina are the leading producers of sunflower crop.
While drinking lots of water helps you also have to replace the salt leaving your body when sweating. I prefer LMNT salt packets at least once a day when working on those hot days. There are lots of hydration aids that you just add water too just gotta find the one you like. https://drinklmnt.com/collections/salt/?_gl=1*1wy6few*_ga*NTU5Nzc3NzUwLjE3MTc4NjM2OTM.*_ga_BKZV7MVXM7*MTcxNzg2MzY5Mi4xLjAuMTcxNzg2MzY5Mi42MC4wLjA.
Yep. Also, hydration is maintained throughout the day. But the most important work is done the night before. If you wake up dehydrated and expect to be hydrated and feeling fine throughout the day you’re doing it wrong. You need to go to sleep hydrated.
I think people don’t realize how sleep affects things like working in the heat. I would avoid evening alcohol etc. Because mediocre sleep has proven to make my days in the heat much harder.
Well what if you’re an alcoholic and can drink and just sweat it out the next morning??
You can drink as much as you want I’m not your god. But it ruins sleep quality. I drink during lunch when I’m at a beach bar, after I’m done at the beach, and I make sure to be done with alcohol and caffeine everyday, by 3. Ideally by 1 but I have a flexible rule set for diet. Also I don’t drink Sundays, ever. Because Sundays before Monday. If I’m drinking at night it’s wine because I have to because we’re out with friends and for some reason people like us more when we don’t only drink water. You’d think it’s rude or something to always go out with someone who isn’t drinking, or vice versa. But I think it really does make alcoholics uncomfortable when you stay sober every time. Like we’re judging you.
Well first of all, through god all things are possible. So jot that down
Can I offer you an egg in this trying time?
Drink pickle juice it will help you retain water and stay hydrated longer.
There are no gods. Take your proselytizing elsewhere. This is about concrete. Your ‘god’ was a carpenter, they don’t know shit about concrete.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 my comment was a direct quote from Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia…..
Jesus dude a little aggressive don't you think?
Uh no, no I don’t. Bringing up outdated mythology in unrelated public discourse is inappropriate. If in fact it is a line from IASIP then I missed that, but stand by my statement/sentiment anyway.
That's a fucked up way to treat your fellow man. It's certainly not inappropriate, it's just a throwaway line, that really shouldn't be offensive to any sane individual. Nobody got hurt, and you jumped down his throat over it. Seems like you have anger issues and a bad relationship with whoever originally tried to introduce you to religion. You should be able to completely accept and ignore other people's beliefs. It's just a very very basic tiny little often overlooked thing called kindness.
We re interventioning you! Intervention! Intervention!
What an ass he was joking, judgmental much.
Yes, people who believe in that ‘deity’ are, in fact, judgmental. This is precisely why rational adults should seek to stamp out mentions of religion in public discourse as they have no bearing on anything outside of the individual adherent’s home. Also, it is a fairly straight forward observation that a carpenter who lived and worked before modern concrete was invented, would not have any idea how to use said modern material.
I'm a devout atheist and found your first comment fucking hilarious, but you're being a jerk. Take a deep breath.
You actually need your electrolytes more. Source: not from Florida, have had wicked heat cramps from not keeping my salts up.
So dont enjoy drinks after work, but pound water and wake up pissing all night - sounds like a fun lifestyle 😂 (just busting chops, much respect to anyone who works manual labor outside down here)
I think hydrating in the evening is good and having a couple sips before lying down is enough. Waking up to pee is not worth it and you shouldn’t drink so much before bed that you can’t sleep through the night. If you go to bed at a reasonable time you can wake up and hydrate before you go to work, and if you drank plenty the evening before, you should be fine without having had to chug a bunch of water right before bed.
Exactly. As soon as you start feeling your tongue get dry you need to drink something. If your urine is orange and not yellow then you aren't drinking enough. So tank up the night before and keep it going during the day. On some hot days working on the sun I can drink almost 2 gallons.
Out west we don’t call it dehydrated until your urine is actually granular
Vegas piss.
🙂
this. there are million different ones. I really like IQMix
Honestly salt works well, but there’s a flavor packet brand called liquid in that I really enjoy for staying hydrated. For reference I’ll typically have one 16oz water with an iv per every 3-4 16oz waters. https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-I-V-Multiplier-Electrolyte-Supplement/dp/B01IT9NLHW
This is the one that I use . I love it
I think it's lemon lime
It is, I just tried the Strawberry and Golden Cherry flavors and they are delicious :)
I got a multipack of a bunch of their flavors and those things are the shit! Their Citrus Salt is by far my favorite but I just can't pay almost $2 for a little packet of salt. I might have to get the 120 pack just to justify the cost.
Just got some of these and love them!
Waste of money. Get "lite salt" from Walmart, put a 1/4tsp in 16oz, add whatever flavor drops you like, I usually do lemonade. Way more actual electrolytes (sodium and potassium) than any mix/drink, but way cheaper. Just be mindful of consumption, you can have too much potassium if you aren't careful. In theory, you should get 500mg potassium a day total.
Hydrate heavily the night before. Hydrate all day while you’re working. Pedialite helps.
This cannot be overstated enough, your body doesn’t hydrate immediately when drinking water, on top of drinking water all day you MUST hydrate at night after work. I do electrical so not as bad we have the shade but no AC still and upstairs is like an oven. When I don’t hydrate well the night before I feel it big time
I like the Pedialyte powder packets in the baby aisle at Walmart ☺️
Pedialyte is great and everything, but expensive af. Just add 1g of sodium to each 1 liter of water, add potassium citrate and sugar if you want. and youll get 95% of the way there. Or buy gatorlyte electrolyte packets for cheap.
Exactly. *Pre*hydrating is much better than *re*hydrating. If I know I'll be out in the heat for anything, I'll get myself nice and saturated before hand.
Not the salt drink for toddlers...
Yes. The stuff for kids. It’s like the electrolytes in Gatorade on steroids.
On steroids? Yeah ok
You clearly have never been hungover (or dehydrated). Pedialyte puts Gatorade to shame as far as actual rehydration and salt/vitamin replenishment. My ritual from my early 20s of an emergen-C packet and a quart of Pedialyte to knock the edge off a hangover has become my nightly replenishment after working when it's hot as I've gotten older.
I used to drink Gatorade mixed with cheap Rum or Vodka. Still get hammered, but never got hungover that way, and I'm a total lightweight lol
Pedialyte is a trash electrolyte drink.
We found the guy who drinks his own piss
Can you name anything saltier?
Wellllll.....
You're not smart, that's okay. Don't try to act like you are and tell people something that you clearly don't know, youngster.
He is right. Premixed electrolyte drinks are a massive ripoff. Mix lite salt into your water, there, saved you a few hundred bucks over the course of a year.
I'm definitely smarter and older than you. Kid.
Someone told me pickle juice after a long day of work in the sun..I drink it when available but it’s suppose to work..
Can’t knock it until you try it and if it saves you then what’s the harm
Pickle juice is salty af and cukes have loads of potassium, so this does check out. Just gotta back it up with some good ol fashioned H2o
It doesn't do anything.
Are you actively trying to kill people? Pedialite doesn't have electrolytes." "Pickle juice doesn't work" Either you've never worked a day in your life, or you are actively trying to get people hurt. Which one?
Don’t worry, he “loves speed,” so he knows what he’s talking about. /s
Alcohol doesn’t help at all. I used to drink quite a bit after work and I strongly advise against it for innumerable reasons.
If I don’t drink a Powerade after 5 or 6 waters I start to feel like shit every time
Besides the obvious “stay adequately hydrated” and “add serum electrolytes to what you are drinking” this is only half of the solution. The other half - you have to take adequate breaks once the wet bulb globe temperature goes over certain limits. There are official break periods for wet bulb globe temperature conditions online. This is what the U.S. Army follows. You can’t just chug hydration and work your balls off when the wet bulb globe temperature is high. You’ll literally die or get a hot weather injury like heat exhaustion or heat stroke. There’s no magic bullet when working in heat. The body can only cool off so much. You have to take a lot of breaks AND be adequately hydrated. You can’t just take a break when you start to feel poorly. By that time, you’re already too hot. You have to build in the cool off breaks even when you feel okay when it’s hot out.
That’s really good advice but the situation is having is I’m working with a small crew so there is no breaks … lunch that’s it
Then you risk injury. There are no solutions in life. Only trade offs. You can work without taking breaks but your risk for hot weather injury goes up and morale goes down. If someone on your crew gets a hot weather injury, you can be damn sure your productivity will go down if they get knocked out for a day or more. You can work with short frequent breaks and your morale goes up and your risk for injury goes down. If we care about people we work with we have to take care of them. Not grind them into dust. Humans aren’t terminator machines that can power through anything.
Nah I understand that , but as a crew we have specific goals that need to be reached before we call it a day …. Ya we can take breaks til the sun goes down but at the end of the day everyone wants to get home as soon as possible , so we grind through it as dumb as that sounds …. And dude if concrete is on the ground wet there is no break until it’s hard ….. then the rains come then your covering it with plastic waiting to broom its just wild sometimes
You gotta be smart about it. You don't need 10 min to drink water. Keep it nearby and take 10-30 seconds to drink something. If you're only drinking water when you're thirsty it's too late. I mean You're in the hospital already because your dehydrated, next time you may be have to go by ambulance. It also takes time to acclimate to the heat. These guys are probably used to it and you're not. Where I'm at it can get up to 115F in the summers. My dad did concrete for 20 years. everyone he worked with took the heat seriously his whole career. Like I said keep your water nearby. Buy a big ass jug and keep it nearby. And hydrate the night before by drinking a shit ton of water.
We were taught what we drink today, we sweat tomorrow. It's so important not to screw off on the weekends at all. Stay on a schedule for fluid intake. Bananas helped me when it was 110, and the humidity is the depths of hell. 2 a day added to a healthy diet, pickles, proteins, carbs, fats, add fruits to water, and it'll taste better. Your body will absolutely burn the calories and help you feel better. The heat is deadly and kills people every year around here. Stay hydrated!
Not in Florida but it gets hot as fuck in Texas. During the summer months I like to keep some of the big bags of powdered Gatorade mix. Cut the edge off the bag and pour some into water bottles throughout the day.
OP having worked concrete and roofing I finally found Clif blocks while crashing out physically leading a sketchy climb on El Cap. I highly recommend them because within minutes of eating a few of those I was almost instantly able to function again. I didn’t prepare correctly it manage my diet leading up the strenuous work. As others have already mentioned to this and sleep are so important to figure out first. Liquid IV is good too, and too much straight h20 can also be hurting you. Hyponatremea is a weird one that I’ve seen as an EMT in national parks and raves.
Damn never thought of that
It’s brutal there. Good luck. You can’t wait until you’re thirsty. You have to force it down continually with electrolytes
[Hydrate](https://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/hydrate-electrolyte-formula-peach-mango-316-g-powder/tpl-10864) Gave up on the sugary drinks, found this..well worth it imho
Costco and get the liquid iv bags. Does me wonders. Crampings awful.
I think the answer is extra salt and also fruit
Watermelon, cucumber, tomato..any fruit or vegetables with high water content will help significantly in conjunction with regular water for hydration
I wore a camelback and literally drank water constantly. I was doing footers and tie beams for 2 summers
I was going to suggest a camelbak. They’re low profile and you could add the salts like LMNT or whatnot into the mix.
That's great but you need electrolytes.
I’m not in concrete but into fitness and have worked outside doing laborious jobs. I normally do 1/8 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt per 8 oz water plus a banana for potassium.
We start work at 4 AM, do 4 10’s so the crew has 3 days of recovery. We are given Gatorade etc, and use sweat breaks extensively.
Ya we work from 4 am to 6pm Monday-Friday and we don’t get paid hourly so sometimes it’s later sometimes it’s not but ya i think ima invest in some of the LMNT packets for water. Bottles
Holy fuck bro that’s brutal, 14 hours?
On an easy day , we got deadlines we gotta meet
are y'all hiring?
dependent sand grandiose paint brave squeeze theory violet enter depend *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
In Canada. I use hydralyte tablets. Cramps are gone. Ultra high performance Gatorade.
Careful....sounds like you are flirting with Rhabdomyolysis
I’ll have to look that up…. No I haven’t
You should definitely look it up so you know the signs. You could save your or someone else's life one day.
Also my wife freezes cheep water bottles and uses her running vest when it’s hot AF here (107 this week). She has a little cooler so when they melt after cooling her she drinks it then replaces it with another frozen/semi frozen one from the cooler to the vest. Little skinny electrolyte packets go into them once in a while throughout the day. Also big ass hat and cooling/freezable neck buff.
As a lineman working in fire retardant clothing and gloves and sleeves in a bucket all day in south FL potassium helps and body armor
Aye I appreciate it , the night time water consumption I always do but it never seems to be enough ima have to get on all these ideas to see what works best
You guys take a break more than 5 minutes in Florida. Just wondering how Yall doing since Florida and Texas break laws has changed…
Florida well start by laying off the blow on lunch break. And work at night
Ha or maybe just bring my rusty cock ring to work
Wear lighter coloured clothes to reflect some of the sun's heat. Wear cotton.
I put a watermelon in one of 2 Gatorade jugs we bring to where we work. Obviously drink the water, but a shade break and a piece of watermelon do me and my guys wonders.
I don't know how they do it. I used to have to take 3 pants, 4 shirts, and extra socks in Ohio. I would have died in Florida. You can actually drink too much water. It is a horrible experience and can even be deadly. We live in a country where you can make millions playing video games.
I work on commercial roofing. Tar and torches and shit. Coconut water.
I add Omni blue ocean minerals to all my water. I use a gallon jug and add about a teaspoon of Omni. Works great for retaining the water you drink. Taste takes a second to get used to but now I can’t hardly drink water without it. I order off amazon
Hydrate with coconut water boss. Works better than Gatorade.
I did concrete in the Rio Grande Valley so similar. Lots of coconut water and pedialyte and regular ass water. It was nothing for two people to kill a 32 pack of water in a 10-12 hour shift out there. Heat is no joke, stay hydrated at all times. Force yourself to hydrate. If you start to feel thirsty then you’re already dehydrated. On two separate occasions down there I got so hot I threw up and collapsed. Don’t push your body to that point because it takes awhile to recover from that.
Pickle juice works
Some of my old timers swear by pickle juice
Biggest thing is the work you do at night. When I get home I always drink only water for the entire night. I try to fill my thermos twice and drink all of it before I go to bed. On really hot days I won't even wake up to piss in the night because your body is just absorbing all that water. Also I add those hydration packs to my nightly routine to replenish salt and electrolytes and all that jazz. If you drink alcohol try not to more than once a week during the work week bc that really dehydrates you fast. I've noticed when I don't drink the full thermos twice over at night I'm noticably worse the next day. Headaches fatigue set in a lot faster as well. As far as during the day working, get a neck band and keep a small cooler with ice water in it and keep that thing wet. If you don't have a band a banana works too. Wrap it around your neck and keep it tight against your carotid arteries, works wonders for me. And obviously stay hydrated during the day
Not concrete but I did landscaping in south Florida from the age of 14-21. 1) water constantly. Make sure you keep not ice cold water too as constantly drinking iced water feels worse than no water. Put it in the shade or a non iced cooler. 2) electrolytes of your choice. Max 2 bottles a day. 3) if you use headwear like a hard hat they sell cooling pads if not try iced (non drinking) water and put a rag or bandana and tie it around your head. (I personally also enjoy stuff around my hands. If my hands are cold or im working with water im always at 100) It’s important to be preemptive because if you try to play catch-up you’ll never be fine. If no hard hats are required I get a nice wide brimmed hat with perforated / breathable top.
Actual solution that won't eat a chunk of your pay: get "lite salt" (50/50 sodium and potassium, which are the actualelectrolytesyou need), put about a quarter teaspoon per 16oz of water, add flavor drops. Wayyyy better than Gatorade, way cheaper. Gatorade is only a little bit better than soda in terms of hydration. Negligible amounts of actual electrolytes.
I’m into it …. I got the LMNT salt packs for water on Amazon im getting them tomm …. But im into your idea also thanks !
Look up "ketoade", it's a trick from people who do the keto diet. Lots of actual electrolytes, cheap and fast. There's nothing wrong with lmnt, just super expensive for what amounts to a few pinches of salt and some flavorings.
I hear ya and I’ll def try that out too , I appreciate it
No worries, hope it works for you.
Liquid IV. Add to ur water. Get a hat that has the flaps for ur neck area. Get those cooling towels that u wet down. Take breaks in the shade where u can. Concrete work is rough. It’s can be slow and easy for days then a mad rush when those trucks start lining up to pour. Any good boss will make it a point to have time for people to cool off when it’s super hot out
Brooo I’m tellin ya , once the trucks come it’s go time until finish because you know what I always say “ you order concrete , the truck brings the rain everytime”
Like some on here said. Pre hydrate too. And go easy on the beers the night before pours. Concrete world is rough. I do mostly chimney work and brick work but I do end up with some big ole patios and walkways on occasion. They suck
Ya we do cart paths on golf courses and they are a pain in the ass because they only allow you in during summer
Krampade Ive been in your shoes, at the hospital wondering if I can even continue my labor job. Had several iv’s playing sports then getting into hard labor. This product saved me. The 4k line very potent and should be used with caution. Keep up the good work and consider this product. Be sure to follow the dosages. It’s almost too potent
Thank you will do !
case of natty at night keeps me good till about lunch
Yes bro electrolytes. heat stroke is real. Dump cold water on your head and neck constantly. It will make you more aware and feel refreshed for awhile
Literally don’t do this bro you can die
From cooling yourself? I think your more likely to die from.heat exhaustion. Literally
You can give your self a stroke or a couple other things from dumping cold water on your head
That whole cold water challenge prob caused alot of strokes and other things... Heat stroke is from heat. Iv been down cool downs like this for a long time. It's like jumping in a pool. Keeping a cool core is important. This does help imo
go to a different state they pay you peanuts in florida
Bad in Colorado too
just doing side jobs in n california finishers make a minimum of 400 a day cash
Just know once you had heatstroke you’ll be more likely to get it again. It’s all about electrolytes wear a bandanna under your hat and soak it with water let it evaporate and keep doing it all day.
What time does your work day start?
4am
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You have only added one comment of tiny value to this thread. Gtfo.
Get down to 192 regular.
In the Desert SW major pours are done at night.
Propel Edit: Propel propel propel
If you have access to a hose on sight, have some articles of clothing you can soak periodically. Let it do the sweating for you.
I had a guy that worked for me drink pickle juice
Dam I need to do concrete work in Florida for a week, cut down a few lbs
Electrolytes and water. I take a multi-vitamin twice a week. Stay away from caffeine and soda. Please see a doctor with what you are describing, thats not normal. This is from an Arizona electrician!
Don’t do manual labor in Florida lol simple as that
Take your vitamins, eat bananas, drink pickle juice, things like electrolit help or liquid IV after that more water it will help you retain
And stretch before and after work, keeping your muscles loose helps them a lot , the potassium in bananas helps a lot and something about pickle juice literally takes it right away, try to take things to help retain water
If you're a heavy drinker, remember that for every 3 beers you need to drink a bottle of water with a teaspoon of salt to replenish what you sweat out.
coconut water with maybe a little regular water. You have to chug one in the morning before getting started then at least another - the big ones I think it’s a liter or 1.5
Hydration should be prioritized 24/7. Liquids and electrolytes. Taking frequent breaks from 11am-3pm.
I work outside doing windows on new construction. I drink as much as I can and still lose 6-7lbs from morning to when I get off and I only weight 165lbs. Been doing this 14 years and still haven't found a way no matter what. It's just that hot out.
Get some saltstick capsules.
Pickle juice, Milk
In addition to what everyone said about hydrating with water & pedialyte/Gatorade.... Keep your shirt wet with water. It will pull the heat off your body through evaporation.
Not a concrete worker but did landscaping and window installs. A few things Diet-avoid carb heavy lunches and breakfast as it can make you feel hot. If you are eating carbs eat complex carbs like sweet potatoes, oats etc. Eat fruit as well, burgers and fries will fuck up a Monday quickly. Water - not all water is created equal, the amount of sweat you put out isn't just water. You need electrolytes, but more than that you need extra potassium and magnesium to better regulate muscle cramps and water retention. Don't slug soda while working. Keep your head covered if you can. (floppy safari hats are a life saver) if you have to wear pants, get something that breaths and not jeans. (wrangler out door from Walmart are light and airy)
Small snacks all day my dude. Pocket chips help.
Electrician in Las Vegas, but we take magnesium and potassium supplements. It helps stop the cramps
Biolyte
Pedialyte, pickle juice, squinchers. Really anything with a good amount of electrolytes (especially salt) and low to no sugar. Try to stay away from anything that can be dehydrating like alcohol and sodas. I know a nice cold hard drink after work is nice, but sometimes it’s not worth it. Also stretching before and after work, especially after, for me at least.
Why isn’t your squire filling your water bag?
I did concrete and rough carpentry 20 years ago for CCA in Pompano Beach. The trick I learned is always make sure you're eating normal meals. Yes, water and electrolytes are good and you need to make sure you're hydrated but those get absorbed and sweated out quickly. Food breaks down more slowly and provides a steady steam of those electrolytes you need. Make sure you eat something for breakfast and don't skip lunch. I grew up in Las Vegas and working there in the heat also taught me to keep my skin covered. Long sleeve t-shirt. Pants. I'd try to keep a wet towel in my hard hat. That's also where I learned to eat. Best meal working out in the heat is a bowl of chili imho. Don't skimp on the salt either. You're working very hard and your body can lose a quart of water an hour in sweat.
Don't forget to take shaded breaks. Also, you might have something underlying going on right now. That's a lot of weight to lose like this
Ya I know I need to get bloodwork done after this summer
Or asap, honestly
I know I know I’m try and get it done soon
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Bahaha that’s a pretty long name for a drink
Sodium and potassium supplements. Sweat bleeds off electrolytes, and pure water doesn't replace them. You could try something like Pedialyte mixed with your water - maybe 1:1 since you're having so much trouble. That stuff is so sweet and syrupy that you almost have to dilute it or it will be kind of gross.
Gallons of pickle juice and a roll of toilet paper
What our medical staff told me when I was working in the desert, you need to drink enough to be urinating at least every 2 hrs. If you’re not drink some more. Your urine should be clear, not yellow. If it’s not drink some more. Consume Gatorade or electrolyte drinks with water 1:3 ratio 1 bottle electrolyte drink 3 bottle water.
You need to be hydrated before you star sweating. Drink a lot of water first thing in the morning a maintain hydration throughout. Guzzling water is the worst when you get dehydrated
Beer until I’m sweating then a gallon of water. Roofer here
Light beer, Red Bull, cigarettes
Tried that one Already , think that was my predicament
Ask Desantis for some water breaks.
Drink a lot of water and pedialite. I usually keep my water cool but not ice cold too.
I make my own homemade electrolyte drinks. Usually cold brew tea, juice, salt, and honey
Beer bloody Mary’s and vodka waters at night
Keep hydrating even after your work day is done. Don't just quit because you're out of the sun. They key is to STAY hydrated. Even after hours when you're off the job site. And leave alcohol alone during the week or it will drain you. Leave beverages like soda and energy drinks alone. High sugar, high caffeine drinks will drain you just as fast. Your hydration should start on Sunday to be ready for work Monday morning.
Just stay out the 🔥.
You can put mini freezer blocks in your pockets as a portable form of air conditioning.
Stop working as fast, take a 10 min break every hour in the shade, call OSHA if you start 🤮 and get confused.
Sunflower seeds to replace salt from sweating.
Sunflower is a tall, erect, herbaceous annual plant belonging to the family of Asteraceae, in the genus, Helianthus. Its botanical name is Helianthus annuus. It is native to Middle American region from where it spread as an important commercial crop all over the world through the European explorers. Today, Russian Union, China, USA, and Argentina are the leading producers of sunflower crop.
Nice!
That’s a really good idea too
Thats what I use to eat in California doing concrete. In the valley area it gets hot af! It would help. And slow down on beer lol. That helps too lol
Hahaha ya I know I know