Assessment of physical strain in younger and older subjects using heart rate and scalings of perceived exertion
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In: Ergonomics , Vol. 57, No. 7, 07.2014, p. 1052-1067.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessment of physical strain in younger and older subjects using heart rate and scalings of perceived exertion
AU - Kakarot, Nadine
AU - Müller, Friedrich
PY - 2014/7
Y1 - 2014/7
N2 - Physical strain is usually evaluated physiologically by using the heart rate (HR) or psychologically using scaled perceived exertion (PE). In order to explore the relationship between these approaches, we compared the series of both measurements taken simultaneously during work on a bicycle ergometer. A total of 29 participants aged between 27 and 41, 42 and 56, and 57 and 71 years took part in 28 minutes of cycling with systematically increased and decreased load as well as in 7 hours of continuous cycling with low to medium exertion, interrupted by brief peak loads at high to very high exertion levels. Results revealed that, while both measurements are suitable to capture physical strain, HR is not as specific as PE. The older participants further perceived comparable physical loads as more demanding as the younger participants. With an aging workforce, results have potential implications for the organisation of work places. Practitioner Summary: The organisation of work processes is a key issue in the prevention of strain and hence of interest to ergonomists. Our study suggests that workers can, independent of age, perform physical work all day as long as they work at subjectively equal, moderate intensities.
AB - Physical strain is usually evaluated physiologically by using the heart rate (HR) or psychologically using scaled perceived exertion (PE). In order to explore the relationship between these approaches, we compared the series of both measurements taken simultaneously during work on a bicycle ergometer. A total of 29 participants aged between 27 and 41, 42 and 56, and 57 and 71 years took part in 28 minutes of cycling with systematically increased and decreased load as well as in 7 hours of continuous cycling with low to medium exertion, interrupted by brief peak loads at high to very high exertion levels. Results revealed that, while both measurements are suitable to capture physical strain, HR is not as specific as PE. The older participants further perceived comparable physical loads as more demanding as the younger participants. With an aging workforce, results have potential implications for the organisation of work places. Practitioner Summary: The organisation of work processes is a key issue in the prevention of strain and hence of interest to ergonomists. Our study suggests that workers can, independent of age, perform physical work all day as long as they work at subjectively equal, moderate intensities.
KW - Business psychology
KW - Ageing
KW - health risks
KW - perception
KW - work organisation
KW - ageing
KW - health risks
KW - perception
KW - work organisation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84902549026&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00140139.2014.910613
DO - 10.1080/00140139.2014.910613
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 24761802
AN - SCOPUS:84902549026
VL - 57
SP - 1052
EP - 1067
JO - Ergonomics
JF - Ergonomics
SN - 0014-0139
IS - 7
ER -