👷 Nutrition fundamentals for construction workers

What you’ll learn

1. Your Job Is an Athletic EventReframe construction nutrition as fueling athletic-level work and quantify the energy cost.Manual labor is a physical demand closer to athletics than desk work, so restriction-focused diet advice misfits. General construction is ~4 METs and heavy work ~8 METs, burning roughly 350-450 calories per hour - an energy bill that must be fueled, not cut.
2. The Three Fuels: MacronutrientsDistinguish the three macronutrients by their distinct jobs.Carbohydrate is the primary fast fuel, protein is the repair crew rebuilding worked tissue, and fat is dense slow energy aiding vitamin absorption. A working body needs enough of each at the right time rather than cutting any of them.
3. Carbohydrates: The Fuel That Runs OutExplain glycogen fueling, the morning crash, and simple vs complex carbs.Carbohydrate is stored as glycogen, a small reserve depleted within hours of hard work and overnight. Skipping breakfast leaves the tank low and causes an early fade. Complex carbs release energy steadily; simple sugars spike then crash.
4. Protein: Repairing the MachineExplain protein's repair role and quantify daily needs for active people.Labor tears muscle that protein rebuilds via amino acids. The 0.8 g/kg RDA suits sedentary people; the ISSN recommends ~1.4-2.0 g/kg per day for physically active people (about 112-160 g for an 80 kg worker), best spread across meals and paired with carbs.
5. Hydration: The First Thing to FailExplain how quickly dehydration impairs work and give a hydration schedule.A fluid loss of just ~2% of body mass measurably impairs strength, endurance, and concentration - a safety risk on site. Because thirst lags loss, OSHA advises about 8 oz of water every 15-20 minutes in the heat (~1 quart per hour), drinking on a schedule.
6. Heat, Salt, and Knowing the Warning SignsExplain electrolyte loss and distinguish heat exhaustion from heat stroke.Sweat removes sodium; on long hot shifts, water alone can dilute sodium dangerously, so OSHA advises electrolyte fluids for 2+ hours in the heat. Heat exhaustion (heavy sweating, dizziness) is a warning; heat stroke (confusion, often hot/dry skin) is a 911 emergency.
7. Fueling the WorkdayAssemble the fuels into a practical workday timeline and warn against convenience food.Fuel the day in stages - carb-and-protein breakfast, small mid-shift top-ups, a full lunch, and post-work protein-plus-carbs - to avoid long fuel gaps and the sugar-heavy vending-machine crash. Packing food beats hungry improvised choices.
8. The Long Game: Recovery and a Lasting CareerExtend nutrition into recovery, sleep, bone/joint health, and a sustainable career.Lasting in the trades depends on recovery. Sleep drives muscle repair and safe reaction times; calcium and vitamin D and a reasonable body weight protect bones and joints; heavy alcohol disrupts sleep and hydration. Every lesson answers one demand of hard physical work.

Questions this course answers

Grounded in trusted sources

• Compendium of Physical Activities - MET values / construction calorie cost: https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/construction/
• ISSN Position Stand: protein and exercise (0.8 RDA; 1.4-2.0 g/kg for active people): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5477153/
• OSHA Water. Rest. Shade. (drink ~1 cup every 15-20 min; electrolytes; heat-illness signs): https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/water-rest-shade
• ~2% dehydration impairs performance (GSSI): https://www.gssiweb.org/sports-science-exchange/article/does-dehydration-really-impair-endurance-performance-recent-methodological-advances-helping-to-clarify-an-old-question

Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.

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