Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026
12:59
Improving Strength, Power, Muscle Aerobic Capacity, and Glucose Tolerance through Short-term Progressive Strength Training Among Elderly People
Published on: July 5, 2017
Physical work capacity in older adults: implications for the aging worker
Glen P Kenny1, Jane E Yardley, Lucie Martineau
1Center for Human and Environmental Physiology Research, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. gkenny@uottawa.ca
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|June 11, 2008
Summary
Aging workers experience declining physical capacity, increasing injury risk. Regular physical activity and worksite interventions can mitigate these declines, improving functional capacity and work longevity.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Occupational Health
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- The global workforce is aging, with increasing occupational demands not aligning with age-related declines in physical capacity.
- Understanding the physiological adaptations to aging is crucial for maintaining worker health and productivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review physiological adaptations to aging.
- To examine the impact of aging on work performance.
- To assess the benefits of physical fitness in enhancing functional work capacity for older adults.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of scientific databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus) and web resources.
- Inclusion of articles examining age-related physiological changes and decrements in physical work capacity.
- Focus on healthy aging adults and their physical work capacity.
Main Results:
- Average 20% decline in physical work capacity between ages 40-60 due to reduced aerobic and musculoskeletal function.
- Age-related declines increase risk of work-related injuries and illness.
- Habitual physical activity significantly influences individual variability in physical work capacity.
Conclusions:
- Regular physical activity can prevent or delay age-associated functional declines and reduce work-related injury risk.
- Worksite health interventions promoting physical activity can improve older worker health.
- Maintaining physical fitness allows older workers to extend their careers effectively.
Related Concept Videos
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...