Rasituskyky

Rasituskyky is a Finnish term that refers to the capacity to withstand physical or metabolic stress during work or activity. In everyday language it is used in sports science, health care, and occupational health to describe how much workload a person can handle and how their body responds to that load.

In human physiology, rasituskyky comprises several interrelated components, including cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, and recovery ability. It reflects the maximum sustainable level of exertion a person can maintain for a given period and is influenced by factors such as training status, nutrition, and recovery.

Measurement of rasituskyky commonly involves tests that estimate how the body processes oxygen and manages fatigue. Cardio-respiratory indicators like VO2 max and anaerobic threshold, along with metrics such as heart rate response, time to exhaustion, lactate levels, and functional performance tests, are used. In occupational settings, rasituskyky may be assessed to ensure tasks are within a worker’s physical capacity and to guide rehabilitation or return-to-work plans.

Factors affecting rasituskyky include age, sex, health conditions, lifestyle (smoking, sleep, nutrition), training history, and environmental conditions (temperature, altitude). Improvement is typically achieved through tailored training that combines aerobic conditioning, strength and endurance work, and adequate recovery.

Rasituskyky is a useful concept for designing training programs, monitoring fitness changes, and assessing safe work capacity. It is not a fixed number; day-to-day variation and measurement context matter, and it should be interpreted alongside other health and performance indicators.