Physical capacity, occupational physical demands, and relative physical strain of older employees in construction and healthcare.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To assess age-related differences in physical capacity, occupational physical demands, and relative physical strain at a group level, and the balance between capacity and demands at an individual level, for construction and healthcare workers.

Methods

Shoulder strength, back strength, and aerobic capacity were assessed among construction (n = 62) and healthcare workers (n = 64). During a full working day, accelerometers estimated upper-arm elevation, trunk flexion, and occupational physical activity as indicators of occupational physical demands. Simultaneously, normalised surface electromyography (%sEMG_max) of the upper trapezius and erector spinae muscles, and normalised electrocardiography (percentage heart rate reserve (%HRR)) estimated relative physic

SUBMITTER: Merkus SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6420471 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature