title: Brief Intense Stair Climbing Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness.
abstract: Sprint interval training (SIT) is a time-efficient strategy to improve cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF); however, most protocols have been studied in laboratory settings and require specialized equipment. We investigated the efficacy of brief intense stair climbing as a practical model of SIT to improve CRF.
  
  
  
  Two separate studies, each consisting of an acute and chronic phase, were conducted in a total of 31 sedentary women (age = 24 ± 10 yr, body mass index = 23 ± 4 kg·m).
  
  
  
  The acute phase of study 1 established that the mean HR, blood [lactate], and RPE were similar when participants (n = 8) performed an SIT protocol that involved 3 × 20-s "all-out" efforts of either continuously ascending stairs or cycling. The chronic phase demonstrated that CRF, as determined by peak oxygen uptake (V˙O2peak), increased by 12% or ~1 MET (8.27 ± 1.05 to 9.25 ± 1.01 METs, P = 0.002) when participants (n = 12) performed the 3 × 20-s stair climbing protocol 3 d·wk for 6 wk. The acute phase of study 2 established that HR and RPE were similar when participants (n = 11) performed three different stair climbing protocols: the 3 × 20-s continuous ascent model used in study 1 and two 3 × 60-s models of ascending and descending either one or two flights of stairs (P > 0.05). The chronic phase demonstrated that V˙O2peak increased by 7% (8.91 ± 1.30 to 9.51 ± 1.52 METs, P = 0.01) when the same group of participants performed the one-flight 3 × 60-s protocol 3 d·wk for 6 wk. The Cederholm index determined from an oral glucose tolerance test was 57 ± 17 and 64 ± 21 mg·L·mmol·mU·min before and after training, respectively (P = 0.056).
  
  
  
  Brief, intense stair climbing is a practical, time-efficient strategy to improve CRF in previously untrained women.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CANADA; and 2School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, CANADA.
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Jessica H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Baglole
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Macinnis
authors.forename: Brendon J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Gurd
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gibala
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D000072599:Cardiorespiratory Fitness; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010465:Perception; D005082:Physical Exertion; D000072799:Stair Climbing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D019344:Lactic Acid