Please Drink More (water that is)

[Hughesie]

But But, my red bull has water in it

People we work in an industry where caffeine is just part of the corporate culture, but although it gives you a short high it does resolve all your problems eventually you will run out of energy and thats when things turn bad. Balance your "energy drinks" with water because they just don't give you enough of the stuff you require to keep going and working at your peak.

[DaveySimps]

My recomendation is against REGULAR usage of energy drinks like Monster or Red Bull. Directly related to this thread: the carbonation and caffine int ehm help to dehydrate you. And, there is so much sugan in those things, that your crash from your sugar high is worse than not having the inital high to begin with. Although I certainly will not debate that fact that, there are certain days when you really just need the boost to get going. I have a guy on my crew who drinks a couple of monsters a day, and I have seen it do bad things to him every now and again. He can be quite grumpy when he comes down from the sugar (but all in all is a great employee). Just my $0.02.

~Dave

[ruinexplorer]

Also, back from my Anatomy and Physiology class, your body uses more water when you are loaded with sugar. All in all, I don't know if you actually get the benefit of any of the liquid in the highly sugared drinks because of that. I personally can't stand diet drinks, and since most people want the caffeine and the sugar, I doubt that they are of as much concern. To top it off, caffeine has a half life in your system of 8-12 hours. So if you are chugging it to keep awake during your shows, most likely you won't be getting a good night's sleep so you will need it again the next day. Just something to think about.


Davin

[cdub260]

My venue is an amphitheatre. We have 7 water coolers scattered throughout the facility, and I always keep a water bottle where I can get to it easily. Typically, I refill that water bottle, 4 or 5 times a day, especially as we get into the warmer part of the year. I also wear a funny looking, wide brimmed hat, with a flap covering my neck, sunglasses, and sunscreen. The company provides the sunscreen. Even with all of this, I still get dehydrated and sunburned. Some days, between, the sun, the heat, and the physical exertion, I'm literally shaking at the end of the day from shear exhaustion. Fortunately, this is a very rare occurrence. It actually hasn't happened since I started wearing the funny looking hat.

Still, it would take a lot for me to trade what I do for an air conditioned "real" job.

[quarterfront]

Originally Posted by Eboy87

I was invited to spend the day with the audio department at the Muny today. Some of you on here know what that is, for the rest, it's an outdoor theater (a big outdoor theater) here in St. Louis

I moonlight during the summer on wardrobe crew out at Starlight, which is the Muny's sister in KC. Last summer in late July we did Wizard of Oz and I was the Scarecrow's personal dresser. Aside from hanging up his costume to dry post show, my primary responsibility was meeting him offstage with a liter of water and a cool wet towel to drape over his neck every time he exited.
Starlight is "indoor" now, not the audience but just the stage house, and thus, is air conditioned. Back when it was pure outdoor it was really hard on actors. As it is, it's no picnic for them.

[TWSmith]

Originally Posted by Eboy87

Guys and girls, if you're outdoors working in the heat, drink water. If you feel a headache coming on, you're dehydrated and it's a bit too late to start worrying about that. Even if you don't feel thirsty, drink water. I went through 3 Nalgenes of water and 2 bottles of Gatorade. Your health comes first.

I've found that coconut water works better than Gatorade/Powerade/whatever-ade. It's been quoted as being so hydrating that it (young coconut water) was used in WWII as a plasma replacement when supplies ran low. It has more electrolytes and potassium than anything I've consumed. Plus, there's no high-fructose corn syrup or sugar, which actually dehydrates you! I usually have at least four or five of them during a 10-hour marathon outdoor gig. More here: Darren Rovell's Gatorade blog: Latest Isotonic Drink: Coconut Juice

Avoid the canned variety, as it is too acidic (higher for packaging purposes). Try to find Zico's brand or those that come in a carton-like container (think Myoplex's or Muscle Milk's protein-shake containers). Your closest Whole Foods or Trader Joe's (or similar hybrid health food / grocery store) should carry it.

Non-commercialized, it's been available in Brooklyn for years, courtesy of our high Caribbean immigrant population. Vendors sell it on the street fresh (meaning, they crack the young coconut in front of you and pour it, or they shave a young coconut and tap a straw-sized hole in the top for you to carry and drink directly). Independent distributors have been bottling and selling it via local vegetable markets.

[coolbeam]

After all, it worked for Gilligan, and the rest... ... ...isle!