Abstract

The relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption (VO2) makes it possible to estimate the energy expenditure or the work metabolism corresponding to a given heart rate measured during work, and the cardiorespiratory capacity (VO2max) of the worker. The step test of Meyer and Flenghi is one of the most practical and least expensive methods that can be administered in the workplace to subjects whose cardiorespiratory health is not known. The researchers compared the estimated VO2max thus produced to the cardiorespiratory capacity measured by a maximum test on a treadmill. They also wanted to determine whether wearing normal work clothes during the test affects the Meyer and Flenghi test. As it turns out, the step test estimates rather precisely the cardiorespiratory capacity of subjects wearing light clothing, but underestimates it for older workers wearing normal work clothes. Clothing insulation had no impact on the result for younger subjects. The researchers also produced an equation linking VO2 and heart rate for subjects wearing normal clothing, which can be used to estimate the energy expenditure for a work activity carried out by men.