Women and Strenuous Work

Abstract

Eight females (mean age 19.6 years) worked on a treadmill for a work day consisting of eight partially counterbalanced 45-minute periods (one of light work, two of moderate work, three of heavy work, and two of very heavy work) followed by a 15-minute rest period. One hundred percent of the light work was completed, 95% of the moderate work, 97.5% of the heavy work, and 92.1% of the very heavy work. The mean output for the day was 277 kcal/h. The energy requirements for each level of work were well within the range established in the literature for each grade. The effect of task order on heart rate was not significant. Correlations between heart rate and energy expenditure were significant. The results of this research indicate that women can work under conditions requiring light to very heavy work.