Stress and strain during work among women performing different work tasks.

This study measured the association between the severity of work in occupations performed most frequently by women, workload (as relative aerobic strain and heart rate during work) and the reaction to work measured on the basis of changes after work in the subjective fatigue rating and working ability. The results indicate that there is no rational selection to individual work posts from the point of view severity of work and the level of physical working capacity. Nevertheless, it has been found that the heart rate during work was dependent on the severity of work and not the level of physical working capacity. A decrease of working ability after work was more frequent than an increased level of fatigue, but the work performed, the level of physical working capacity and the relative aerobic strain did not produce any significant differences in these parameters. Thus, the data presented above does not confirm the suggestion that people with a higher level of physical working capacity can engage a higher percentage of VO2max during working time. On the other hand, changes in the reaction to work, especially working ability changes, were significantly statistically dependent on the heart rate during work. Working ability was unquestionably worse when the heart rate during work exceeded 100 beats/min, 50% maximal heart rate or 30% heart rate reserve.