Novel approach to estimate endurance limits in intermittent tasks

Abstract

AbstractEndurance limit is essential for intermittent physical operations, as physical task designs with inappropriate endurance estimation could potentially lead to work‐related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Here, we propose a general approach to estimate the endurance limits of the duration and workload in intermittent operations, namely the endurance time (ET) and maximum acceptable exertion (MAE). This general endurance limit approach was developed based on physiology‐based muscle fatigue and recovery models, considering task parameters and individual fatigue attributes. This approach was preliminarily validated by (1) conducting experimental studies to check the feasibility of predicting individual and group ETs in simplified isometric intermittent operations, and (2) demonstrating its utility in interpreting existing empirical MAE models and their experimental results. The findings suggest that the proposed model offers a promising approach to estimate the endurance limits in intermittent physical operations, and could help future studies aimed at modeling the relationship between endurance limits and intermittent task characteristics.