Gerald W. Gardner

Iron-deficiency anaemia and its effect on worker productivity and activity patterns.

The effects of iron-deficiency anaemia on workers productivity were studied in a tea plantation in Sri Lanka. The quantity of tea picked per day was studied before and after iron supplementation or placebo treatment. After one months treatment significantly more tea was picked when the haemoglobin (Hb) concentration was increased by iron supplementation than when it was not. The degree of improvement was greater in more-anaemic subjects (those with concentrations of 6.0-9.0 g Hb/dl). The level of physical activity of anaemic subjects in their everyday environment was also recorded for four or 24 hours continuously both before and after treatment. After three weeks these levels was significantly greater in the iron-treated than matched placebo-treated subjects. The economic implications of increased work productively with iron treatment are evident, particularly in developing countries. These results also provide strong evidence for the clinical impression that people with iron-deficiency anaemia suffer from tiredness and weakness.

Physiological responses of men working in fire fighting equipment in the heat

On three separate occasions, 11 well conditioned fire fighters were tested on a treadmill at 40 km h−1 on a 10% grade for 15 min. The first two tests were conducted in the laboratory and the third ...

Work capacity, heart rate and blood lactate responses to iron treatment.

Summary. Changes in haemoglobin (Hb), work performance, heart rate and postexercise blood lactate were studied in iron deficient, anaemic subjects for 16 d following total dosage infusion of iron dextran, i.v. (30–50 ml). Six adult men and 14 women were subjects with initial Hb levels of 6.6±0.6 g/dl (mean±SEM) for the iron treatment group (n=10) and 8.0±0.7 for the placebo group (saline infusion, n=10). Serum iron levels were 0.51±0.15 and 0.67±0.12 mg/l for the two groups, respectively. Haemoglobin and maximal work time increased significantly within 4 d after iron treatment and continued to increase up to 16 d. No changes were found in the placebo subjects. Heart rates at a given exercise intensity were lower in the iron treatment group than in control subjects who had the same Hb levels but had not been treated with iron. Post‐exercise venous blood lactate was similar on succeeding days after iron treatement even though the subjects reached higher work loads.

Effect of Exercise on Serum Enzyme Levels in Untrained Males

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing the intensity of exercise on serum enzyme levels in untrained males. Subjects exercised on a treadmill at one of four inclines for 15 minutes, and serum enzyme determinations were made before and after exercise. Results showed a greater increase in mean serum enzyme levels after strenuous exercise than after either mild or moderate exercise. Variations in serum enzyme concentrations between subjects, as well as differences in the relative increases of enzymes, were shown to exist.