The work–recovery cycle of kidney strain and inflammation in sugarcane workers following repeat heat exposure at work and at home
(2025) In European Journal of Applied Physiology 125(3). p.639-652- Abstract
Purpose: To examine heat exposure at work and home and the work–recovery cycle and temporal variation of kidney strain, muscle injury and inflammation biomarkers in sugarcane workers. Methods: 20 male sugarcane workers (age: 33 ± 7 years) with a workplace Rest.Shade.Hydration (RSH) intervention were observed over 4 days, at the end (18 h post-shift recovery) and beginning of a work week (42 h post-shift recovery). Measures included work intensity (heart rate), gastro-intestinal temperature, estimated body core temperature (using heart rate), fluid consumption, pre- and post-work blood and urine samples, physical activity (accelerometery) away from work, plus ambient heat exposure at work and home. Results: On workdays, workers awakened... (More)
Purpose: To examine heat exposure at work and home and the work–recovery cycle and temporal variation of kidney strain, muscle injury and inflammation biomarkers in sugarcane workers. Methods: 20 male sugarcane workers (age: 33 ± 7 years) with a workplace Rest.Shade.Hydration (RSH) intervention were observed over 4 days, at the end (18 h post-shift recovery) and beginning of a work week (42 h post-shift recovery). Measures included work intensity (heart rate), gastro-intestinal temperature, estimated body core temperature (using heart rate), fluid consumption, pre- and post-work blood and urine samples, physical activity (accelerometery) away from work, plus ambient heat exposure at work and home. Results: On workdays, workers awakened at approx. 02:40 after 5 h sleep in ~ 30 °C. Across work shifts, daily average WBGT ranged from 26 to 29 °C (cooler than normal) and average workload intensity ranged from 55 to 58%HRmax. Workers reported consuming ~ 8 L of water and ~ 4 × 300 mL bags of electrolyte fluid each day. Serum creatinine, cystatin C and creatine phosphokinase markedly increased post-work and decreased during recovery; serum potassium did the opposite (all p < 0.01). Biomarker concentration changes were similar between recovery periods (18 h vs. 42 h; all p > 0.27). C-reactive protein was the highest at the end of the work week (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Despite RSH intervention, cross-shift kidney strain was marked (recovering overnight) and systemic inflammation increased over the work week. Thus, biomonitoring of kidney function in occupational populations should be performed before a work shift at any point in the work week. This is essential knowledge for field studies and surveillance.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Heat stress, Inflammation, Kidney strain, Recovery, Worker health
- in
- European Journal of Applied Physiology
- volume
- 125
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 639 - 652
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:86000430937
- pmid:39369140
- scopus:85205665858
- ISSN
- 1439-6319
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00421-024-05610-3
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 46900124-c672-4fef-a25d-39b48677768d
- date added to LUP
- 2025-01-02 14:03:45
- date last changed
- 2025-10-14 12:48:14
@article{46900124-c672-4fef-a25d-39b48677768d,
abstract = {{<p>Purpose: To examine heat exposure at work and home and the work–recovery cycle and temporal variation of kidney strain, muscle injury and inflammation biomarkers in sugarcane workers. Methods: 20 male sugarcane workers (age: 33 ± 7 years) with a workplace Rest.Shade.Hydration (RSH) intervention were observed over 4 days, at the end (18 h post-shift recovery) and beginning of a work week (42 h post-shift recovery). Measures included work intensity (heart rate), gastro-intestinal temperature, estimated body core temperature (using heart rate), fluid consumption, pre- and post-work blood and urine samples, physical activity (accelerometery) away from work, plus ambient heat exposure at work and home. Results: On workdays, workers awakened at approx. 02:40 after 5 h sleep in ~ 30 °C. Across work shifts, daily average WBGT ranged from 26 to 29 °C (cooler than normal) and average workload intensity ranged from 55 to 58%HR<sub>max</sub>. Workers reported consuming ~ 8 L of water and ~ 4 × 300 mL bags of electrolyte fluid each day. Serum creatinine, cystatin C and creatine phosphokinase markedly increased post-work and decreased during recovery; serum potassium did the opposite (all p < 0.01). Biomarker concentration changes were similar between recovery periods (18 h vs. 42 h; all p > 0.27). C-reactive protein was the highest at the end of the work week (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Despite RSH intervention, cross-shift kidney strain was marked (recovering overnight) and systemic inflammation increased over the work week. Thus, biomonitoring of kidney function in occupational populations should be performed before a work shift at any point in the work week. This is essential knowledge for field studies and surveillance.</p>}},
author = {{Lucas, Rebekah A.I. and Hansson, Erik and Skinner, Bethany D. and Arias-Monge, Esteban and Wesseling, Catharina and Ekström, Ulf and Weiss, Ilana and Castellón, Zoey E. and Poveda, Scarlette and Cerda-Granados, Fatima I. and Martinez-Cuadra, William Jose and Glaser, Jason and Wegman, David H. and Jakobsson, Kristina}},
issn = {{1439-6319}},
keywords = {{Heat stress; Inflammation; Kidney strain; Recovery; Worker health}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{639--652}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{European Journal of Applied Physiology}},
title = {{The work–recovery cycle of kidney strain and inflammation in sugarcane workers following repeat heat exposure at work and at home}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00421-024-05610-3}},
doi = {{10.1007/s00421-024-05610-3}},
volume = {{125}},
year = {{2025}},
}