Pulse rate-rectal temperature relationships during prolonged work

Abstract

Forty-six industrial workers performed a total of 653 1-h work bouts over a wide range of work rates )142-273 W/m2) and environmental temperatures (11-35 degrees C corrected effective temperature) in the summer and winter seasons. Simultaneous measurements of heart rates and rectal temperatures were made at the end of each work period, and the relationship between heart rate and rectal temperature was computed with standard multiple linear regression techniques. The overall regression equation is: heart rate (beats/min) = 29.3 (beats/min. degrees C) x rectal temperature (degrees C) - 988.6 (beats/min). The relationship is significantly altered by work rate and job- and season-acquired acclimatization of the subjects. These data suggest that the average heart rates of industrial workers during prolonged work can be predicted from rectal temperatures with a reasonable degree of confidence if the degree of acclimatization and work rates are known. For a rectal temperature of 38.0 degrees C the expected heart rate during prolonged work ranges from 109 beats/min in acclimatized men working at low rates to 143 for unacclimatized men working at heavy rates.