Effects of Fatigue on Balance Recovery From Unexpected Trips

The objective was to examine how physical fatigue and mental fatigue affected balance recovery from unexpected trips.

Trips are the leading cause for occupational falls that are a multifactorial problem. Recognizing risk factors is the first step in accident control. Fatigue is one of the most common task-related risk factors for occupational falls. Fatigue typically can be divided into physical fatigue and mental fatigue, both of which are common in occupational settings.

One hundred eight young volunteers participated in the experiment. They were evenly divided into three groups: no fatigue group, physical fatigue group, and mental fatigue group. Each participant performed four walking trials on a linear walkway at their self-selected normal speed. The first three trials were normal walking trials. A trip was induced to participants in the fourth walking trial using a metal pole. Balance recovery from unexpected trips was characterized by trunk flexion and first recovery step measures.

Recovery step length was smaller and maximum trunk flexion became larger in the mental fatigue group compared with those in the no fatigue group. Physical fatigue did not significantly affect trunk flexion and first recovery step measures.

Mental fatigue increased the likelihood of loss of balance. Thus, mental fatigue could be a risk factor for trips and falls. To prevent trip-related falls, interventions should be adopted to prevent prolonged exposures to cognitively demanding activities in occupational settings.