Selected results of ten years of medical and sports assessments of forestry workers in Valais

Following a survey in 2010 which revealed that the median age of forestry loggers was 26, the joint professional committee undertook a series of initiatives to extend the careers of forestry professionals. One of these initiatives was to carry out medical and sports assessments at Suva's Clinique romande de réadaptation (CRR) in Sion. This article presents a selection of the results of ten years of these assessments, with the aim of providing objective recommendations for keeping staff in the forest longer. Of the 250 tests included in the analysis, the authors found that vitamin D levels, when related to the date of the test, were slightly above average. The results of the cycloergometer tests showed that the subjects had an estimated maximum oxygen consumption (V̇O_2max ) of 42.1 ml/kg/min on average, but that 38% of the subjects had a V̇O_2max level below 40 ml/kg/min, the threshold below which a person has a low level of aerobic endurance. Stratification by function showed that machinists were more likely to be overweight and had a V̇O_2max level below the average. As a result, this category of workers has an increased health risk. The relative maximum power of the legs measured in these tests was on average of a good level, no doubt due to walking on steep terrain. The power of the subjects' arms is less than the power of their legs, but nevertheless seems sufficient. In conclusion, the population studied had an average cardiovascular endurance below the recommended standards, with an associated health risk.