[Work difficulty and the physical work capacity of female afforestation workers in forestry]

The severity of labour in manual soil-preparation and planting has been studied and the physical capacity for work of the female workers--determined, who performed those basic afforestation activities in the national forestry. The severity of labour has been characterized by the values of oxygen consumption, energy-expenditure and pulse rate during work. The physical capacity for work has been determined by physical loading on the Lanoy bicycle ergometer , with submaximum degrees of loading. The maximum working capacity was calculated by the values of the pulse rate with submaximum degrees of loading according to Astrand method. The physical loading during manual soil-preparation is high (6.6 kcal/min, 27.6 kJ resp.), and that of planting--moderate. The maximum aerobic capacity of the afforestation female workers examined, was characterized by maximum oxygen consumption 2.04 dm3/min, 29.6 cm3/kg/min resp., and maximum pulse rate--177 beats/min. Energy losses during work surpassed, to a considerable degree, 30 per cent of the maximum aerobic capacity of the female afforestation workers. On the base of the results obtained, measures are proposed for the reduction of the severity of labour and for improvement of the organization of the work during the afforestation activities in national forestry.