Truck drivers are often seen with large thermos of coffee and carrying cases of soda pop. We even have our own names for coffee, a cup of 40 weight or a cup of joe. Truck stop wait staff almost always assume that a driver will order coffee and arrive at the table with coffee pot in hand. Caffeine and energy drinks fuel us as surely as diesel fuels our trucks, but is all of that really good for us. Perhaps wrongly, many of us do not drink too much water thinking that we will have to stop too often and think we need the caffeine to function.
The human body consists of about 80% of our bodies at birth and about 70% as adults. Human brains consist of 75% water as do muscles. Blood is made up of 90% water. 75% of humans are chronically dehydrated.
Dehydration can cause many illnesses and have many effects on the body. Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as 3%. It can cause hunger pains, and fatigue as well as increased risks of colon, bladder and breast cancers. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
We gain water from both food and drinks, though caffeine in a drink such as coffee or soda pop actually dehydrates us. It is recommended that humans consume about 91 ounces of water a day. Though that sounds like a lot of water, about 20% comes from the food we eat.
Here are some other interesting facts about hydration:
Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as 3% and One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water. If a human does not absorb enough water dehydration is the result.
A healthy person can drink about three gallons (48 cups) of water per day.
By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water amount.
The weight a person loses directly after intense physical activity is weight from water, not fat.
Drinking too much water too quickly can lead to water intoxication. Water intoxication occurs when water dilutes the sodium level in the bloodstream and causes an imbalance of water in the brain
Dehydration occurs most often in the morning and can cause cardio-vascular problems such as heart attack and stroke.
Though truckers other than flatbedders, cattle haulers and delivery drivers do not do a lot of physical activity through their work days, mental stress is affected adversely by a lack of water in our bodies. The drivers that do hard physical work lose a lot of water especially during the warm months, or if they wear protective clothing that can lead to heat stroke.
Having that caffeine drink to get you jump started might be a good thing when starting your shift, but do not forget to have your 8-10 glasses or bottles of water throughout the day too. It cannot hurt and sure could help you do your job better and perhaps even live your life longer. Yes, you may have to stop a time or two more a day, but isn’t it worth it if you feel better overall. Who knows, we might have discovered the cure for the so- called problem of driver fatigue…just have a big glass of water!
Note: Sandy posted this as a note she tagged me in. The following is the thread of comments, for it contains useful knowledge also. Please make more comments, we need to look out for each other.
The human body consists of about 80% of our bodies at birth and about 70% as adults. Human brains consist of 75% water as do muscles. Blood is made up of 90% water. 75% of humans are chronically dehydrated.
Dehydration can cause many illnesses and have many effects on the body. Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as 3%. It can cause hunger pains, and fatigue as well as increased risks of colon, bladder and breast cancers. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
We gain water from both food and drinks, though caffeine in a drink such as coffee or soda pop actually dehydrates us. It is recommended that humans consume about 91 ounces of water a day. Though that sounds like a lot of water, about 20% comes from the food we eat.
Here are some other interesting facts about hydration:
Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as 3% and One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water. If a human does not absorb enough water dehydration is the result.
A healthy person can drink about three gallons (48 cups) of water per day.
By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water amount.
The weight a person loses directly after intense physical activity is weight from water, not fat.
Drinking too much water too quickly can lead to water intoxication. Water intoxication occurs when water dilutes the sodium level in the bloodstream and causes an imbalance of water in the brain
Dehydration occurs most often in the morning and can cause cardio-vascular problems such as heart attack and stroke.
Though truckers other than flatbedders, cattle haulers and delivery drivers do not do a lot of physical activity through their work days, mental stress is affected adversely by a lack of water in our bodies. The drivers that do hard physical work lose a lot of water especially during the warm months, or if they wear protective clothing that can lead to heat stroke.
Having that caffeine drink to get you jump started might be a good thing when starting your shift, but do not forget to have your 8-10 glasses or bottles of water throughout the day too. It cannot hurt and sure could help you do your job better and perhaps even live your life longer. Yes, you may have to stop a time or two more a day, but isn’t it worth it if you feel better overall. Who knows, we might have discovered the cure for the so- called problem of driver fatigue…just have a big glass of water!
Note: Sandy posted this as a note she tagged me in. The following is the thread of comments, for it contains useful knowledge also. Please make more comments, we need to look out for each other.
- Heather Pontruff Nicely put sis! I just stocked up on Sobe LifeWater! A better pick up than caffeine IMHO is Naked JuiceYesterday at 9:32am · LikeUnlike
- Sandy Long any juice is good...V8 is one of the low carb juices too.Yesterday at 9:35am · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading...
- Sandy Long One way you can monitor your fluid intake is to watch your urine...if it is dark, you are dehydratedYesterday at 9:36am · LikeUnlike
- Heather Pontruff I know it's getting bad when I actually wake up thirsty. That to me is a scary feelingYesterday at 9:44am · LikeUnlike
- Lucien Bleau I wasn't aware of the dark being a sign of dehydration. tnx Sandy.Yesterday at 12:30pm · LikeUnlike
- Karen Lou Bartley Yes I read somewhere that if your thirsty you are already dehydrated... but Sandy thanks' for the dark urine didn't know that... Happy Mother's day to you both... God Bless...Yesterday at 12:36pm · UnlikeLike · 1 personLoading...
- Robert Morris Also, waking in the middle of the night thirsty can be a sign of diabetes especially if there is frequent urination also..Yesterday at 12:58pm · UnlikeLike · 1 personLoading...
- Karen Lou Bartley Wow am I lucky or what... Thank's for all the info...God Bless you...
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