Work Design Interventions for Heat Resilience

Work Design Interventions for Heat Resilience

The goal of this project is to compare different ways to schedule a workday to see if older workers should follow a specific work protocol to reduce strain on the heart and muscles.

Participants will come to the lab a total of six times. During four of the visits participants will complete a box carrying task, simulating unloading a delivery truck. This will take place in a hot and humid room to simulate being outdoors during the summer.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy individuals
• 18-29 years old and 40-65 years old
• Completes at least 120 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week for at least the past 4 weeks
• Resistance trained or have recently held a job involving box carrying or a similar task

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, neural, or renal disease
• Hypertensive (systolic blood pressure > 139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > 89 mmHg) or tachycardic (resting heart rate > 100 bpm) during the screening visit
• Current nicotine use or previous use within the past 6 months
• Current of previous musculoskeletal injury limiting physical activity
• A positive pregnancy test at any point during the study
• Currently breastfeeding
• Study physician discretion based on any other medical condition or medication