Physical performance, age and sex—Assessing health risks in physically challenging activities: Part 2: Data on physical strength

Objective: As a basis for age and sex-related orientations of physical capacity, the physical performance requirements for different work tasks are presented for the purpose of occupational health and safety and the human-oriented work design. This is structured in three consecutive parts: Part 1: Introduction and methodology followed by data on the physique and load capacity of the skeletal system, Part 2: Data on physical strength and Part 3: Cardiopulmonary and energetic performance data and conclusions from all three parts. Material and methods: For the presentation of age and sex-related physical strength 9 sources of literature could be used. Information about the maximum isometric strength applied by the hand-arm system, where statements for professional performance are not directly consistent with those for strength endurance, predominate. Results and discussion: Maximum forces remain approximately constant over a longer life phase and continuously diminish after the age of 50 years, whereby this decrease accelerates after the age of 60 years. Isometric maximum forces are dependent on the individual constitution, as shown by the relationship to body height. The gender differences of the maximum forces in women are about 60% compared to men. The strength endurance tends to improve in relation to the maximum strength in elderly persons. In relation to the decreasing maximum strength, fatigue due to isometric and rhythmic contractions is relatively lower in older people. Dynamic strength endurance, which is more relevant for many occupational activities, decreases as early as the age of 40 years. A concise summary of all parts follows at the end of part 3 of this publication.