Cardiac frequency throughout a working shift in coal miners

Despite the ever-increasing mechanization of industrial activities, coal mining still remains a physically demanding occupation as it is not always possible to extensively mechanize the extraction process. To estimate the physical effort necessary to sustain coal mining activities in a poorly-mechanized mine, cardiac frequency (fc) was measured throughout the working shift with a Sport-Tester PE3000 (Polar Electro OY, Finland) in a representative sample of 73 Asturian miners engaged in a full spectrum of underground work. The mean +/- SD of the overall fc values measured in miners working at the coal face (Group 1, 33 subjects, mean age 32.7 years, age range 21-48 years) was 106.5 +/- 18.2 beats.min-1. In other miners (Group 2, 40 subjects, mean age 34.6 years, age range 23-48 years) corresponding figures were 103.1 +/- 17.7 beats.min-1 (p < 0.05). Subjects' average working shift fc (beats.min-1) was not related to age, measured (treadmill) VO2 max nor VO2 max.kg body weight-1, while average working-shift fc (%fc max) was weakly related to age (r = 0.396, p < 0.05), VO2 max (r = -0.295, p < 0.05) and VO2 max.kg body weight-1 (r = -0.352, p < 0.05). Working-shift peak fc (beats.min-1) was negatively related to age (r = -0.334, p < 0.05). Our study has provided the distribution of the overall fc values likely to be found in subjects working in these poorly-mechanized mines. However, average working-shift fc differs considerably from subject to subject and is largely unpredictable.