Physical demands in working life and individual physical capacity

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of the excess of metabolic level (metabolic demands in work exceeding one-third of the individual's aerobic capacity) of working men and women today and to describe the population whose metabolic level is exceeded. A second aim was to explore how externally assessed metabolic demands match with the physical function and capacity of working men and women in jobs with the lowest and the highest demands. The aerobic power of each individual (94 men and 94 women) was estimated from heart rate and workload in sub-maximal tests from dynamic legwork on a cycle ergometer. Physical activity was assessed using a task-oriented interview technique. Physical function was measured by tests of muscle endurance in arms, abdomen and legs, handgrip pressure, balance and coordination. The calculation of individual metabolic demands during a "typical working day" showed that 27% of the men and 22% of the women exceeded their metabolic level. The results indicate that the physical fitness is low or somewhat low for two-thirds of the 94 men and for more than one-half of the 94 women. Women in the group with the highest job demands had significantly lower muscle endurance in the abdomen and legs and worse coordination than women in the group with the lowest job demands. Metabolic demands in working life today remain high. This is reflected in a mismatch between individual physical capacity and the physical demands of work for 25% of the population.

Does aerobic exercise improve or impair cardiorespiratory fitness and health among cleaners? A cluster randomized controlled trial

“…An imbalance between physical work demands and cardiorespiratory fitness can be targeted either by reducing physical work demands or enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness (3,9) or the combination thereof. To our knowledge, a reduction of the relative aerobic workload by aerobic exercise has not yet been shown to be successful among blue-collar workers.…”

“…A high relative aerobic workload accelerates progression of arteriosclerosis (5,6), and increases the risk of myocardial infarction (7). Therefore, a balanced relationship between occupational physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness of the worker is recommended for reducing overall risk of work-related cardiovascular overstrains (8,9). Specifically, the International Labour Organization has recommended that the average aerobic workload should not exceed 30% during an 8-hour working day (10,11).…”

Excessive physical demands in modern worklife and characteristics of work and living conditions of persons at risk

“…The women in the with group also reported more sleeping problems and had been on sick leave for musculoskeletal disorders to a higher extent than those in the without group. In addition more men in the with group than in the without group reported eczema and rated their general health status as worse, but they reported better psychological well-being (29).…”

“…The ratio between the externally assessed [interviews, [33][34][35]] physical activities of each person and his or her aerobic capacity showed that 25 (27%) of the men and 21 (22%) of the women were required to do work that exceeded their individual aerobic capacity (29).…”

“…An earlier study investigated the prevalence of excess metabolic level (metabolic work demands exceeding one-third of a person's aerobic capacity) among working men and women today and explored how externally assessed metabolic demands match physical function and capacity in jobs with the lowest and the highest demands (29). In summary, the calculation of individual metabolic demands during a "typical workday" showed that 27% of the men and 22% of the women worked at an excess metabolic level.…”