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PubMed2006

Building-site camps and extended work hours: A two-week monitoring of self-reported physical exertion, fatigue, and daytime sleepiness.

Large-scale construction work often requires people to work longer daily hours and more than the ordinary five days in a row. In order to minimize transportation times and optimize the use of personnel, workers are sometimes asked to live in temporary building-site camps in the proximity of the work site. However, little is known about the biological and psychological effects of this experience. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to long work hours and extended workweeks while living in building-site camps in between work shifts was associated with a build-up of increased complaints of poor sleep, daytime sleepiness, physical exertion, and fatigue across a two-week work cycle. Two groups of construction workers were examined. The camp group of 13 participants (mean age: 42+/-11 S.D. yrs) lived in building-site camps and worked extended hours (between 07:00 and 18:00 h) and extended workweeks (six days in a row, one day off, five days in a row, nine days off). The home group of 16 participants (mean age 40+/-9 yrs) worked ordinary hours between 07:00 and 15:00 h and returned home after each workday. Self-ratings of daytime sleepiness (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale), physical exertion (Borg CR-10), and mood were obtained six or seven times daily during two workweeks. Fatigue ratings were obtained once daily in the evening, and ratings of sleep disturbances were obtained once daily in the morning with the Karolinska Sleep Diary. Data were evaluated in a repeated measures design. The results showed that both groups reported a similar level of daytime sleepiness, physical exertion, and mood across workdays and time points within a workday (all three-way interactions had p>0.898). Although the home group reported earlier wake-up times, the pattern of sleep disturbance ratings across the workdays did not differ between the groups. Both groups reported few sleep disturbances and good mood. However, the camp group reported higher physical exertion already at the start of work and showed a more gentle increase in ratings during the work shift and a smaller decline between the end of work and bedtime. The camp group also reported higher fatigue scores than the home group. However, none of the groups showed signs of increasing ratings in the progress of the two workweeks. For both groups, the ratings of daytime sleepiness formed a U-shaped pattern, with the highest scores at awakening and at bedtime. Yet, the camp group reported higher daytime sleepiness than the home group at lunch break and at the second break in the afternoon. In conclusion, there were no signs of fatigue build-up or accumulation of daytime sleepiness, physical exertion, or sleep disturbances in either group. Despite the fact that the camp group showed some signs of having trouble in recuperating in between work shifts, as indicated by the higher physical exertion ratings at the start of work, higher fatigue scores, and higher daytime sleepiness, the results constitute no real foundation for altering the camp group's current work schedule and living arrangements.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Work-related physical exertion and risk of preterm, low birthweight delivery.

Although many women work during pregnancy, the effect of maternal job experience on pregnancy outcome is controversial. We investigated whether work-related physical exertion increases a woman's risk of delivering a preterm, low birthweight infant. We studied 773 employed, pregnant women included in the National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market Experience, Youth Cohort (NLSY), a nationally representative sample of young adults. Data concerning work status, job title during pregnancy, and other factors affecting the outcome of pregnancy were obtained from the NLSY. Assessment of physical exertion was based on job title, using an established catalogue of occupational characteristics. Women in jobs characterised by high physical exertion experienced a higher rate of preterm, low birthweight delivery, defined as maternal report of delivery more than 3 weeks early and birthweight under 2,500 g (adjusted RR = 5.1, 95% CI = 1.5, 17.7). These findings support a policy of limiting work-related physical exertion during pregnancy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Effect of physical exertion on the biological monitoring of exposure of various solvents following exposure by inhalation in human volunteers: I. Toluene.

Physical exertion (work load) has been recognized as one of several factors that can influence the kinetics of xenobiotics within the human body. This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of physical exertion on two exposure indicators of toluene (TOL) in human volunteers exposed under controlled conditions in an inhalation chamber. A group of four volunteers (one woman, three men) were exposed to TOL (50 ppm) according to the following scenarios involving several periods during which volunteers were asked to perform either aerobic (AERO), muscular (MUSC), or both (AERO/MUSC) types of physical exercise (exercise bicycle, treadmills, pulleys). The target intensities (W) for each exercising period of 30 min--interspaced with 15 min at rest--were the following: REST, 50 W AERO (time-weighted average intensity [TWAI]: 46 watts); 50 W AERO/MUSC (TWAI: 38 watts) and 100 W AERO (TWAI: 71 watts) for 7 hours and 50 W MUSC for 3 hours (TWAI: 29 watts). Alveolar air and urine samples were collected at different time intervals before, during, and after exposure for the measurement of unchanged TOL in expired air (TOL-A) and urinary o-cresol (o-CR). Overall, the results showed that TOL-A measured during and after all scenarios involving physical activities were higher (approximately 1.4-2.0 fold) compared with exposures at rest. All scenarios involving physical exertion also resulted in increased end-of-exposure urinary o-CR (mean +/- SD): 0.9 +/- 0.1 mg/L (REST) vs. 2.0 +/- 0.1 mg/L (TWAI 46 watts). However, exposure at a TWAI of 71 watts did not further increase o-CR excretion (1.7 +/- 0.2 mg/L). This study confirms the significant effect of work load on TOL kinetics and showed that o-CR excretion increased proportionally with work load expressed as TWAI or with the estimated mean pulmonary ventilation during the period of exposure. This study also shows that exposure to TOL (50 ppm) involving a work load of around 50 W (light intensity) or lower is likely to produce urinary o-CR values that clearly exceed the current biological exposure index value for TOL.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Triggers of subarachnoid hemorrhage: role of physical exertion, smoking, and alcohol in the Australasian Cooperative Research on Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Study (ACROSS).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Unaccustomed strenuous physical exertion can trigger myocardial infarction, but little is known about the mechanisms precipitating subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS: We identified all cases of first-ever SAH among the combined populations (2.8 million) of 4 urban centers in Australia and New Zealand. Information on the type, time, and intensity of exposures in the 26 hours before the onset of SAH was ascertained by structured interviews. We used the case-crossover technique to assess the risk of SAH associated with transient exposures of moderate to extreme physical exertion, heavy cigarette smoking, and binge alcohol consumption. RESULTS: We registered 432 first-ever cases of SAH (62% women; mean age, 56.5 years). A definite time of onset of SAH was established for 393 patients (91%), and information on the levels of physical activity in the preceding 26 hours was obtained in 338 (78%). Of these patients, 19% engaged in moderate to extreme exertion (>or=5 metabolic equivalents) in the 2 hours before SAH, which was associated with a tripling in the risk of SAH (odds ratio [OR], 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6 to 4.6). There was no evidence of any association between heavy cigarette smoking or binge drinking and risk of SAH in the subsequent 2 hours (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.4 to 3.7; and OR, 0.41; 95% CI, - infinity to 5.3). Habitual exercise did not appear to alter the risk of SAH associated with moderate to extreme exertion. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate to extreme physical exertion tripled the risk of SAH, but there was no association between transient heavy smoking or binge drinking and risk of SAH. These data suggest that heavy physical activity may trigger SAH.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Cardiac risk of coronary patients after reintegration into occupations with heavy physical exertion.

The job related reintegration of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is a central part of cardiac rehabilitation. However, specific occupational demands like jobs with heavy physical exertion (> 6 METs) could increase the cardiovascular risk because the relative risk for acute myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiac death is temporarily elevated after vigorous exertion ("hazard period"). Thus, in 2001 any male patient with proven CAD who performed a job with heavy exertion until the occurrence of an index event (MI/ACS, any interventional or surgical revascularization measure) received a questionnaire after an average of 20 months. Complete data were available in 108 from 119 included patients (90.8%), aged 51.8+/-7.8 years. Ejection fraction was 61.5+/-13.1% and the functional capacity at the time of hospital discharge averaged 130.1+/-31.2 W. 75% of the patients had a previous MI and 59.3% underwent bypass surgery. During follow-up the previous job with heavy exertion was performed over a cumulated time of 74 years. The aim of the study was to compare the observed and the expected incidence of MI and cardiac death with and without job performance. The expected ("basal") risk for MI and cardiac death without heavy physical exertion was determined from pooled study results and assumed to be 5.2% per year. The combined risk due to performing an occupation with strenuous exertion can be calculated from time periods with and without working hours and amounts to 11.9%. There could be expected 0.119 . 74=8.8 cardiac events related to the job. In contrast, 5 MIs (4 NSTEMI, 1 STEMI) were observed (6.8%). The relative risk for an expected event compared to the basal risk without heavy exertion was 2.3 (95% CI: 0.7-7.4). The relative risk for the observed cardiac events amounts to 1.3 (95% CI: 0.4-4.8). The lower observed risk is probably due to the high grade of physical fitness in this patient group. In spite of several limitations, our study showed no convincing evidence for increasing the cardiac risk of patients with CAD performing occupations with heavy physical exertion. Because of the importance of this prognostic finding, a representative and prospective study is strongly required.

Coronary Artery Disease↗
PubMed1994

Physical exertion as a risk factor for spontaneous abortion.

This study examined the association of physical exertion and spontaneous abortion in a case-control study of 607 women whose pregnancies ended in spontaneous abortion and 1,287 women who delivered livebirths in Santa Clara County, CA, in 1986 and 1987. We interviewed women about the number of hours they spent doing heavy housework and caring for young children. We also interviewed women employed during their pregnancies (71% in each group) about their work schedule; the number of hours they worked, stood, commuted, and stooped or bent; and the number of times per day they lifted weights of > 15 pounds. Standing > 8 hours per day at work was the only variable associated with increased risk [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.6; 95% confidence limits (CL) = 1.1, 2.3]. This association was present only for women with a history of spontaneous abortion (adjusted OR = 2.8; 95% CL = 1.4, 5.9). Among women with this history, the OR for a second trimester abortion was 4.9 (95% CL = 1.9, 12.2). Cleaning house for > 7 hours per week or caring for young children for > 50 hours per week was associated with decreased risk (adjusted OR = 0.6, 95% CL = 0.5, 0.9; adjusted OR = 0.8, 95% CL = 0.6, 1.0, respectively). Again, these associations were specific to women with a history of spontaneous abortion (adjusted OR = 0.4, 95% CL = 0.2, 0.7; adjusted OR = 0.5, 95% CL = 0.3, 0.8). These results indicate that the specific type of physical exertion, the amount of exertion, and the context of the exertion may be important.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1978

[Electrocardiography in women with angina pectoris during physical exertion].

Comparative study was conducted of ECG changes during an attack of angina pectoris induced by physical exertion on a bicycle ergometer in 74 females and 100 males suffering from angina pectoris. It is shown that with a similar clinically determined severity of angina pectoris, tolerance to physical exertion is significantly lower in females than in males. Essential differences were also revealed in the ECG changes during an anginose attack. The data obtained are evidence that the approach to the appraisal of the results of load tests in ischemic disease of the heart in females should evidently differ from that in males.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Joint hyperlaxity and musculoligamentous lesions: study of a population of homogeneous age, sex and physical exertion.

A total of 675 male soldiers of the same age (17 years) and on the same physical exertion regimen were studied in order to determine the incidence of joint laxity and its potential relationship to the appearance of musculoligamentous lesions. They were investigated during their 2-month military training period, which involved the same heavy physical exertion for all the individuals. The degree of joint laxity was determined on the basis of five criteria involving the hand, elbow, knee and spine. The overall population was divided into three groups according to the number of criteria met, namely: (1) normal or non-lax individuals, with none or only one criterion (67% of the studied population); (2) lax individuals, with two or three criteria (25.5%); and (3) hyperlax individuals, with four or five criteria (7.5%). The occurrence of musculoligamentous lesions during the 2-month study, particularly those involving the ankle and knee, was significantly more frequent in hyperlax and lax individuals than it was in their counterparts with normal joint mobility. These results confirm that joint hyperlaxity predisposes individuals to musculoligamentous lesions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Secretion of lysozyme by blood neutrophils during physical exertion].

The effect of physical exercise on the lysozyme release from the blood neutrophils was investigated. The lysozyme RIA was adopted to evaluate its concentration. The RIA main parameters developed on the basis of specific antiserum and 125I-lysozyme, were noted. Physical exercise increased the lysozyme concentration in plasma and decreased it in neutrophils. During 2-hr resting, the partial normalizing of the values occurred. The data obtained suggest the above effect of physical exercise on the neutrophil secretory function to be a mechanism of suppression of the functional neutrophil activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The physical exertion factor in compensable work injuries. A hidden flaw in previous research.

Studies of the industrially injured worker invariably suggest that compensation reinforces pain and prolongs disability. These claims may be spurious. Researchers have historically failed to take into account the fact that return to work is partly contingent on the amount of physical labor involved in the job, and that compensation and noncompensation groups differ on this variable in important ways. Patients on compensation are more likely involved in heavy physical exertion on their jobs. In this study, 1,191 workers with low-back pain who were injured on the job were compared with 389 workers who were injured away from work on variables of disability time and pain intensity. To disentangle the effects of physical exertion, four levels ranging from none to heavy were examined. The results suggest that injury on the job operates both independent of level of physical exertion, as well as in interaction with it, to extend the period of disability. Injury on the job is associated with prolonged disability time, irrespective of the type of job performed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Energy expenditure, physical exertion and time allocation among Huli-speaking people in the Papua New Guinea Highlands.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to (1) elucidate the energetic adaptations of Huli people by comparing the three sub-populations in relation to their diversified natural and socioeconomic environment, based on energy expenditure and time allocation data; and (2) assess the applicability of a new index of physical exertion levels of activities (physical exertion index: PEI). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Married males and females (n = 43) were selected, including 14 from a hilly village, 13 from a flat swampy village and 16 migrants to a town. Continuous heart rate (HR) monitoring, in conjunction with minute-by-minute observation of activities, was undertaken. Total energy expenditure was assessed by flex-HR method and physical activity level (PAL) was calculated as multiples of basal metabolic rate. Observed activities were divided into 15 categories and the PEI was calculated for each: PEI = (mean HR of a categorized activity)/(flex HR) x 100. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in PAL among the three sub-populations: 1.77, 1.92 and 1.81 for men and 1.78, 1.98 and 1.66 for women in hilly and flat villages, and a town, respectively. The comparison of the two village groups revealed that hilly terrain did not affect substantially the physical intensity of agricultural activities. On the other hand, the town migrants were engaged in sedentary paid jobs and these were less energy consuming than agricultural work. However, the different energy costs between paid jobs and agricultural work were offset by longer work time in the town group than in the two village groups (251 vs 50 or 70 min in males; 258 vs 152 or 138 min in females), resulting in similar PAL in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite contrasting natural and social environments, no significant difference was found in daily physical activity level among the three sub-populations (two villages and a town) of Huli-speaking people in Papua New Guinea Highlands.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[Effect of physical exertion on intraocular pressure in healthy persons with similar degrees of physical fitness].

35 young, healthy men were divided at random into two groups. Each of them made physical effort of different intensity and different quantity of the work performed. It was found that intraocular pressure was decreased in both groups but its drop was bigger in the group whose work was more strenouos. From the difference of performance of intraocular pressure in both the controlled groups we can conclude the degree of reduction of intraocular pressure and length of its duration may depend on quantity of the work performed. The pulse and blood pressure seem not to affect the intraocular pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

A prospective study of work-related physical exertion and spontaneous abortion.

We examined the relation of physical exertion to spontaneous abortion in a prospective study of 5,144 pregnant women. In a first trimester interview, we obtained data on employment and physical activity at work and at home, as well as other potential risk factors for spontaneous abortion. We measured exertion as follows: time spent working, standing and bending at work, hours between breaks, and hours spent doing housework or yardwork; shift worked; number of times lifted weights and more than 15 pounds at work or at home; number of children under age 5 years cared for at home. None of the exertion measures was appreciably associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion overall. In addition, physical activity at work and at home combined was not related to increased risk. For women with a history of two or more spontaneous abortions, standing at work more than 7 hours per day was associated with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 4.3 [95% confidence limits (CL) = 1.6, 11.7], whereas standing at work for 7 hours or less was associated with an adjusted OR of 1.7 (95% CL = 1.1, 2.6). Women without such a history who stood more than 7 hours at work had an adjusted OR near unity.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1993

Physical exertion and immediate mental performance of sixth-grade children.

The intent of this investigation was to examine the potential influence of varying durations of physical exertion at different times of the day on immediate mathematical performance by 120 sixth-grade boys and girls. Subjects were assigned to two control and two treatment groups (Solomon Four-group Design), with treated subjects administered physical exertion (paced walking at controlled moderate intensity) for durations of 20, 30, and 40 min. at three different times of the school day [8:30 a.m., 11:50 a.m. (before lunch), 2:20 p.m.] over 3 weeks. After each exertion session, subjects were immediately administered a 90-sec. mathematical computation test. Analysis indicated no significant differences in mathematical performance at any duration in the morning, but scores were significantly higher at 11:50 a.m. and 2:20 p.m. at 30- and 40-min. durations in comparison to the 20-min. duration. There were no differences by gender of subject.

Arousal↗
PubMed1976

Cochlear and vestibular dysfunction resulting from physical exertion or environmental pressure changes.

Inner ear damage due to physical exertion or environmental pressure changes has been described only recently. According to Goodhill there are two possible mechanisms of injury: the explosive and the implosive. The former is triggered by increased C.S.F. pressure transmitted to the perilymph space; the latter by increased pressure in the middle ear transmitted to the perilymph space through the two windows. Sudden hearing loss or dizziness, or both, are the main symptoms. The diagnosis will be established by the history, the audiogram, and the electronystagmogram (ENG). The treatment is still controversial. As the formation of a fistula is a real possibility, an exploratory tympanotomy is suggestive on suspected cases. Due to the variety of symptoms every case has to be assessed individually. A detailed history is of utmost importance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Physical exertion at work and the risk of preterm delivery and small-for-gestational-age birth.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether exposure to standing, lifting, night work, or long work hours during 3 periods of pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of preterm or small-for-gestational-age birth. METHODS: The Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition study is a prospective cohort with a nested case-control component that was conducted through clinic and hospital settings in Central North Carolina. A total of 1,908 women pregnant with a singleton gestation were recruited during prenatal visits from January 1995 through April 2000 and provided information during telephone and face-to-face interviews about physical exertion for the 2 longest-held jobs during pregnancy. RESULTS: No significant elevations in preterm delivery were observed among women who lifted repeatedly or stood at least 30 hours per week, with no changes in risk estimates over the course of pregnancy. A 50% elevation in the risk of preterm delivery (relative risk 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.0-2.0; first trimester) was observed among women who reported working at night (10:00 PM to 7:00 AM), whereas a 40% reduction in risk was observed among women working at least 46 hours per week (relative risk 0.6, 95% confidence interval 0.4-0.9; first trimester), regardless of period of exposure. No elevations in small-for-gestational-age birth were observed among women exposed to any of the 4 types of occupational exertion. CONCLUSION: Physically demanding work does not seem to be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, whereas working at night during pregnancy may increase the risk of preterm delivery. Studies to examine the effect of shift work on uterine activity would help to clarify the possibility of a causal effect on preterm birth.

Adult↗