Work performance of Chinese cycle haulers: controlled field experiments in normal work conditions

Forty-five male Chinese cycle haulers performed a controlled field experiment under mild winter conditions. The objective was to gain insight into factors that affect work performance. Each man hauled the same 481-kg load around a Beijing street course of 14.18 km. The experiment was a measured sample of the same work they do routinely, on the same roads, using similar human powered hauling cycles (modified only enough to carry observers and instruments). The course was completed at a mean speed of 10.4 kph and mean time of 84.2 min. While there was considerable variation in individual pace and in pace change during work, the haulers performed at relatively high output in reference to their capacities. Mean heart rate was 156.8 +/- 16.1 bpm, 83.9% of maximum. The men had average body build and were average in size for the general Chinese population (X stature = 169.7 cm) although they showed relatively high aerobic capacity (determined in laboratory tests). Performance levels during experiments appear to match habitual work patterns, and self-pacing emerged as a major behavioral finding of this research. Speed, a primary index of job performance, showed significant correlation to heart rate, VO2max, variation in windchill, self-reported health and other variables, with a multiple regression coefficient of 0.811. Similar patterns were seen for heart rate relative to speed, except that physical size, education, and other behavioral variables were also predictors.