title: Metabolic power and cardiovascular response of a low cadence-high height bench stepping exercise in healthy young people.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper was to study the feasibility of bench stepping at a low cadence as a safe exercise that can provide enough cardiovascular fitness that be performed by any person.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three men and twenty-one young women (age =23±3 yrs; weight =70±13 kg; height 170±9 cm) participated in this study. Each one held a continuous 20 minute (4 stages /5 min each) bench stepping workout session with two different step heights (31 and 41 cm) and two different intensities (60 and 90 steps∙min-1). Body weight (bw), total & trochanteric height, heart rate (HR, beats∙min-1), rated perceived exertion (RPE) and O2 consumption (VO2) were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the 1st through the 4th stage, the vertical distance (VD, m), RPE, HR and VO2 values were 4.6-9.23 m, 2.5-6.7, 118-168 beats∙min-1 and 20.8-34.0 ml∙kg-1∙min-1, respectively. The best regression model to calculate the O2 consumption (VO2) was: VO2 (L∙min-1) =-1.264+0.026∙bw (kg)+0.195∙VD (m). VD, bw, and gender determined, independently, the changes of caloric expenditure (R2=0.92).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The energy expenditure of a low cadence stepping exercise (15-22 cycles∙min-1) at 31-41 cm bench height, is enough to improve aerobic fitness which in turn may benefit cardiovascular health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad Juárez, México. aramos@uacj.mx
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramos-Jiménez Arnulfo
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hernández-Torres
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wall-Medrano
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cervantes-Borunda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*