A new study has been launched in the UK to improve health and fitness of undersea divers who work for prolonged periods in a pressurised underwater environment.
The study aims to addressed challenges in sub-sea environments where the typical work-life balance is replaced by prolonged periods in a pressurised hyperbaric chamber as most professional saturation divers contend with a unique set of physiological and psychological stresses at work.
The ground-breaking study has been launched by Robert Gordon University (RGU) to develop, monitor and evaluate tailored training and nutrition programmes for saturation divers to improve their health and fitness.
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The project has a budget of 127,000 pounds that will fund a two-year evidence-based research project involving world leading companies in sub-sea engineering, diving industry experts, dieticians, physical activity experts, behavioural psychologists and occupational physiotherapists.
With little research conducted in this field, there is still much to learn about the body's response to these elements and the effect on personal and professional productivity.
Dr Eimear Dolan, lecturer of Sports and Exercise Science at Robert Gordon University's School of Health Sciences will lead the extensive research programme.
"Saturation diving is a physically demanding occupation, and as such, divers must maintain peak physical condition in order to perform to the best of their abilities."
"The research will look at lifestyle choices during work periods and home-leave to ascertain and promote beneficial changes in both environments which will protect and prolong divers' health and vitality," she said.
A key challenge in the research will be the unique demands of this extreme working environment and the academic partners will need to adapt their scientific knowledge to meet the characteristics of this occupation.
Not only will the wellness programme address physical activity in confined spaces, experimentation with foods will be undertaken to provide divers with high-nutrient meals that are not affected in terms of taste or smell when compressed before entering the pressurised chamber.
