For workers sweating through a shift outdoors or in a hot plant, the most surprising hydration advice is that plain water is not the drink that keeps the body hydrated longest. A University of St. Andrews study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tested 13 common beverages and found that milk and an oral rehydration solution held fluid in the body far better than water, producing roughly 25 percent less urine. The reason is sodium and a little sugar, which slow how quickly fluid leaves the stomach.
Water is still important, though. For short jobs, cool water is plenty, and the first rule is to drink before thirst hits. According to OSHA, workers in the heat should sip about one cup every 15 to 20 minutes, up to 32 ounces an hour during hard, sweaty work. The water should be cool, near 50 to 60 degrees, and kept close enough to reach easily.
The longer the work runs, the more electrolytes matter. OSHA advises adding electrolyte drinks for jobs lasting more than two hours, because heavy sweating strips out sodium and potassium. Losing too much can bring on muscle cramps or worse.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
