Body Armour director Toni McQuinn outlines how today’s heavy-industry workers should be supported in their health and recovery as the ‘industrial athletes’ they are.
A professional sports athlete is often compared to a computer chip. Optimised, highly sensitive and calibrated to perform at the peak of what is humanly possible under extreme circumstances.
It makes sense, then, that these athletes take their health seriously and ensure every aspect of their nutrition, hydration and recovery is carefully analysed and optimised to achieve peak performance. Modern science drives the composition of their solutions, looking at what goes into athletes’ bodies to help them run faster, jump higher or lift heavier, while ensuring long-term health is not at risk.
In contrast, workers in heavy industries, such as those in the mining and resources sector, are regularly exposed to physically demanding and/or high-risk tasks that demand sustained focus, quick decision-making and physical endurance. Even a slight decrease in these capabilities can mean the difference between a safe work environment and a potential safety incident. They too are regularly asked to perform under tough conditions across extended periods.
It stands to reason, therefore, that industrial workers should be treated with the same level of attention to ensure their health is in tip-top condition and their safety risk profile reduced at every possible opportunity.
While ‘industrial athletes’ are often provided recovery solutions such as hydration products, the quality of their composition can often be sub-par, with the long-term effects rarely scrutinised. What’s more, training on the fundamentals regarding recovery and the links between nutrition and performance are often under-applied.
Body Armour is an industrial hydration, nutrition and sleep-support company dedicated to raising awareness and improving the health and wellbeing of Australia’s heavy-industry workers.
The company’s Hydration+ range is formulated with five key electrolytes, a vitamin complex and nootropics, served in several formats, including healthy cordials, icy poles, carbonated cans and powders designed for mine workers to grab and go in the form that suits them best.
Body Armour’s Sleep blend is made up of nine active ingredients, including natural sedatives, is mixed into water and taken before bed, aiming to support industrial athletes contending with the physical and mental demands of long shifts and irregular schedules.
The Body Armour team ensures its research is peer-reviewed, working with trusted third-party partners in the pharmaceutical, food and sports industries to stay on the cutting-edge of nutrition and recovery investigative analysis.
Safe to Work sat down with Body Armour director Toni McQuinn to explore the question: why aren’t we investing the same level of resources into the hydration, nutrition and recovery of industrial athletes as we do for sports athletes?
“I’ve always found it surprising that workforce education on nutrition, and its direct impact on performance, isn’t a core pillar of site safety strategies,” McQuinn said.
“A drop in cognitive function, energy levels, or reaction time doesn’t just reduce productivity; it increases an individual’s safety risk.
“Beyond safety concerns, the evidence is clear: effective recovery and optimal nutrition lead to enhanced performance and productivity.
“Given these direct benefits, organisations should view this as a critical strategy under their productivity and safety pillars, a very small investment in the workforce that ultimately drives better outcomes for both individuals and the business.”
What do mining companies and their industrial athletes need to know when it comes to optimal performance?
McQuinn emphasised the importance of understanding the body’s recovery processes and how they can be supported to ensure modern industrial athletes are given the best shot at long-term success.
He broke down key biological steps of the recovery process:
Dehydration and rehydration
Sweat depletes water and electrolytes, disrupting hydration and cellular function. Water consumption balanced with essential salts enables the body’s rehydration.
Glycogen replenishment
Physical activity depletes glycogen stores, which are replenished after exercise using absorbed carbohydrates.
Muscle repair
Heavy physical activity causes microtears in muscles, repaired through protein synthesis using amino acids.
Reduction of inflammation and oxidative stress
Physical exertion generates free radicals, causing oxidative stress and inflammation that can be reduced through the consumption of antioxidants like vitamin C.
Immune function
Effective recovery protocols can mitigate the immune system suppression caused by prolonged physical stress, making the body less susceptible to illnesses and infections.
Sleep
Sleep is time for restoration and repair, when the body increases muscle protein synthesis, restores energy stores, and regulates hormones that control stress and inflammation.
Each of these processes relies heavily on nutrition and effective recovery protocols to operate at maximum capacity. While there is a broad spectrum of nutrients essential for bodily function, McQuinn argues that their application must be tailored to the environment, conditions and tasks an individual faces.
McQuinn outlined some of the key nutrients industrial athletes need to understand:
Electrolytes
Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium help maintain hydration, nerve function and muscle contraction. They are crucial in preventing cramps, fatigue and dehydration, particularly in high-sweat environments.
“Unlike basic hydration solutions that focus on sodium and potassium, our focus is to deliver an optimised blend of electrolytes,” McQuinn said. “This replenishes what is lost through sweat and ensures sustained hydration without relying on sugary additives.”
B-vitamins
B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12) are essential for energy metabolism, helping convert food into usable energy. They also support brain function and combat fatigue.
Body Armour products include the full B-vitamins complex in clinically effective doses that are developed with heavy-industry workers in mind to enhance energy levels and cognitive clarity throughout long shifts.
Amino acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, crucial for muscle recovery, repair and endurance.
Amino acids like L-Glutamine are present in Body Armour recovery products to aid in muscle repair and reduce downtime between shifts.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants combat oxidative stress caused by physical exertion and environmental factors, reducing inflammation, improving recovery and enhancing immune defence.
Natural antioxidants are included in Body Armour products to protect workers from wear and tear while promoting long-term health.
Magnesium and calcium
Magnesium supports over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It plays a pivotal role in energy production, muscle contraction and relaxation, and sleep quality. It is a mineral that helps to combat cramping.
Body Armour’s range provides magnesium and calcium in bioavailable forms, addressing deficiencies in industrial athletes and improving muscle recovery and relaxation after intense physical activity.
Complex carbohydrates
Low-GI (glycaemic index) carbohydrates provide a steady release of energy, preventing spikes and crashes often associated with high-sugar snacks or drinks.
Body Armour products avoid high sugar content and focus on clean, sustained energy sources to keep workers energised and focused throughout long shifts.
Nootropics
A ‘nootropic’ is the term given to any substance that has been proven to improve cognitive function, including memory, focus, mental clarity, and overall brain performance. They are typically plant-derived.
“By incorporating the right nootropics into daily routine, industrial athletes can enhance their cognitive function, reduce mental fatigue, and stay focused and alert throughout long and challenging shifts.”
Artificial colours
McQuinn said artificial colours have typically been used by the food industry to make liquids and solids look more appealing to the eye. But recent studies have shown they pose significant long-term health risks when consumed in the quantities typical for industrial athletes.
“We raise this as a concern in our hydration solutions due to the volume a typical heavy industry operator consumes daily, weekly and yearly,” McQuinn said. “Compounding effects can be devastating and irreversible.”
Sweeteners
Thaumatin is a natural, plant-derived sweetener extracted from the katemfe fruit, native to West Africa.
Unlike synthetic sweeteners like sucralose, thaumatin has a negligible effect on blood sugar levels, making it a better choice for those consuming regular volumes of hydration drinks, managing their glucose intake, or who follow low-carb diets.
Body Armour uses thaumatin over other sweeteners in its hydration products as part of its commitment to providing natural, high-quality products that prioritise health and performance.
“It’s also non-cariogenic, meaning it won’t contribute to tooth decay,” McQuinn said.
An informed decision
The science of recovery can seem complicated, but McQuinn believes it doesn’t have to be. Body Armour’s focus is to formulate solutions to take the guesswork out of supporting optimal recovery and overall health.
Body Armour is determined to empower industrial athletes and employers with the tools and knowledge to make decisions that will lead to better health outcomes, higher rates of wellbeing, and increased productivity and performance.
“One of our core pillars is harnessing clinically advanced research and modern science to guide our product development and the educational content we provide,” McQuinn said. “Our experienced team of chemists and naturopaths bring deep expertise to everything we do, ensuring our offerings are grounded in cutting-edge knowledge.
“Today’s industrial workers should be treated like the high-performing athletes they are and given adequate tools to recover so they can continue performing at optimal levels.”
This feature also appears in the March–April issue of Safe to Work.