Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 29, 2025
08:24
Sit-to-stand-and-walk from 120% Knee Height: A Novel Approach to Assess Dynamic Postural Control Independent of Lead-limb
Published on: August 30, 2016
10.6K
Physiological changes during prolonged standing and walking considering age, gender and standing work experience
Rudolf Wall1, Gabriela Garcia2,3, Thomas Läubli1,2
1Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research, University Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany.
Ergonomics
|February 4, 2020
Summary
Walking effectively prevents lower leg swelling and muscle fatigue associated with prolonged occupational standing. Intermittent walking breaks are recommended to mitigate health risks from static standing postures.
Area of Science:
- Occupational health
- Ergonomics
- Physiology
Background:
- Prolonged occupational standing is linked to musculoskeletal and venous disorders.
- Understanding the physiological differences between standing and walking is crucial for workplace health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare lower leg edema and muscle fatigue development during prolonged standing versus walking.
- To investigate the influence of age, gender, and standing work habituation on these outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Sixty participants underwent 4.5-hour standing or walking protocols with seated breaks.
- Lower leg swelling (LLS) was measured using water plethysmography/bioelectrical impedance (WP/BI).
- Muscle fatigue and gastrocnemius activity were assessed via muscle twitch force (MTF) and surface electromyography (SEMG).
Main Results:
- Standing induced LLS and muscle fatigue, whereas walking did not.
- Continuous low-level medial gastrocnemius activity was not observed during standing.
- Age, gender, and standing habituation did not significantly influence the results.
Conclusions:
- Walking is an effective preventive measure against detrimental effects of quasi-static occupational standing.
- Intermittent walking can mitigate health risks associated with prolonged standing.
- Fatigue may originate from muscles other than the medial gastrocnemius during prolonged standing.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
147
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...
147
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
3.1K
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...
3.1K
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
156
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...
156
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
175
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...
175
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
175
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...
175
01:26Aging
522
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
522