Recovery of rescuers from a 24-h shift and its association with aerobic fitness

• Authors: Katariina Lyytikäinen , Leena Toivonen , Esa Hynynen , Harri Lindholm , Heikki Kyröläinen

Abstracts

EN

Objectives Rescuers work in 24-h shifts and the demanding nature of the occupation requires adequate recovery between work shifts. The purpose of this study has been to find out what kind of changes in autonomic control may be seen during work shift and its recovery period in the case of rescuers. An additional interest has been to see if aerobic fitness is associated with recovery from work shifts. Material and Methods Fourteen male rescuers (aged 34±9 years old) volunteered to participate in the study. Heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded for 96 h to study stress and recovery, from the beginning of a 24-h work shift to the beginning of the next shift. Aerobic fitness assessment included maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) estimation with a submaximal bicycle ergometer test. Salivary cortisol samples were collected 0 min, 15 min, and 30 min after awakening on the 3 resting days. Results Some HRV parameters showed enhanced autonomic control after the work shift. Stress percentage decreased from the working day to the 2nd rest day (p < 0.05). However, maximal oxygen uptake was not associated with enhanced parasympathetic cardiac control (p > 0.05). Cortisol awakening response was attenuated right after the work shift. Conclusions The HRV findings show that recovery after a long work shift takes several days. Thus, rescuers should pay attention to sufficient recovery before the next work shift, and an integrated model of perceived and physiological measurements could be beneficial to assess cardiovascular strain among rescuers with long work shifts. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(3):433–444

Keywords

EN

recovery; stress; heart rate variability; firefighters; aerobic fitness; cortisol awakening response

• Publisher: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. dra Jerzego Nofera w Łodzi
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
• Year: 2017
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 433-444

Dates

published

2017

Contributors

author

Katariina Lyytikäinen

• University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland (Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, Department of Biology of Physical Activity)

author

Leena Toivonen

• Occupational Health Care Aalto, Jyväskylä, Finland

author

Esa Hynynen

• Research Institute for Olympic Sports, Jyväskylä, Finland

author

Harri Lindholm

• Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland

author

Heikki Kyröläinen

• University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland (Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, Department of Biology of Physical Activity)

Identifiers

DOI

10.13075/ijomeh.1896.00720

Biblioteka Nauki

2161881