Nutrition

As we age, the way that we metabolise food, drinks and medications changes.¹ These factors increase the risk of injury and can contribute to several health conditions including; 

• Obesity and metabolic strains. 
• Sleep apnoea. 
• Cardiovascular disorders. 
• Fatigue and sleep loss. 
• Low physical energy and mental alertness. 
• Headaches. 
• Respiratory disease risk factors. 
• Cardiovascular disease risk factors.  
• Musculoskeletal disorders.^2,3  

A range of factors can influence the eating habits of heavy vehicle operators, including; 

• irregular mealtimes.² 
• eating while driving.² 
• high caffeine intake.² 
• limited access to healthy food options.⁴  

A study of heavy vehicle operators in Queensland found;

The human body breaks down the food we consume as fuel for our daily activities.⁶Glucose (blood sugar) is a vital energy source for our body to function well.⁶

Our body’s metabolism of glucose and digestion can be impacted by:

• Carbohydrates.
• Micro-nutrients.
• Fibre.
• Timing of meals.⁷

Some snacks and meals may offer high energy value but low nutritional value⁷, so do not provide the sustained energy that our body needs to stay alert.

What can you do for your workforce?

To educate on some of the ways to increase nutrition while on the road, consider sharing this Good Nutrition for Better Performance Toolkit (link) with your workforce or look at our Nutrition training(link).

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References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Are Your Medicines Increasing Your Risk of a Fall or a Car Crash?
2. Hill, M., Sendall, M. & McCosker, L. Truckies and health promotion: A ‘hard-to-reach’ group without a ‘proper’ workplace. Aust. N. Z. J. Health Saf. Environ. 31, (2015).
3. National Transport Commission. Safe people and practices. Issues paper. (2019).
4. Sendall, M. et al. Workplace interventions to improve truck drivers’ health knowledge, behaviours and self-reported outcomes. Road Transp. Res. 25, 31–43 (2016).
5. National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), Australia, & Department of Health and Ageing. Eat for health: Australian dietary guidelines ; providing the scientific evidence for healthier Australian diets. (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2013).
6. Whitney, E. N., Rolfes, S. R., Crowe, T. & Walsh, A. Understanding nutrition. (2019).
7. Martins, A. J., Martini, L. A. & Moreno, C. R. C. Prudent diet is associated with low sleepiness among short-haul truck drivers. Nutrition 63–64, 61–68 (2019).
8. Reichelt, A., Westbrook, R. & Morris, M. Impact of Diet on Learning, Memory and Cognition. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 11, (2017).
9. Sendall, M. C., McCosker, L. K., Ahmed, R. & Crane, P. Truckies’ Nutrition and Physical Activity: A Cross-sectional Survey in Queensland, Australia. Int. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 10, 145–150 (2019).