L12.2 Work & occupational physiology

Question 1

How are physical jobs usually selected?

Answer 1

• Selection for job based on physical employment standards, selected using:
  
  • Predictive tests (runs, beep tests…)
  • Simulation tests (long march followed by sprints)

Question 2

Job task analysis: Aerobic standards

Answer 2

• ↑speed → ↑ external load (↑ 0.5km/h → ↑10kg external load)
• ↑incline gradient → ↑↑work load
  
  • Decline → not that great of ↓ work load
• Heat → Dehydration (↑ carrying weight of water) & in force

Question 3

Job task analysis: Str standards

Answer 3

• Psychophysical: whether test is within ‘acceptable” limit
  
  • Risk of injury x3 if >75% acceptable
• Physiological: % max of aerobic capacity
• Biomechanical: stretch/force on spine
• Limit determined using general population, but not always possible to lower task weight to recommended lvls
  
  • Able to alter psychophysical limit → seemingly increase str

Question 4

Heat & Cold related illnesses

Answer 4

• Heat related illness: Dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke
  
  • Defence: Heat acclimatisation: ↑sweat, ↑BV, attenuate core temp
• Cold related illness: Hypothermia, peripheral cold injuries (Frostbites), ↓reflexes, force & dexterity
  
  • Defence:
    
    • Clothing
    • cold-induced vasodilation (↑BF to periphery → ↓frostbite chances)
    • Cold acclimatisation → allows better performance in the cold, blunts shivering and ↓loss of core temperature, but DOES NOT ↓ chance of hypothermia