Brief Intense Stair Climbing Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness.

Purpose: 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. Methods: Two separate studies, each consisting of an acute and chronic phase, were conducted in a total of 31 sedentary women (age=24+/-10 y; BMI=23+/-4 kg*m-2). Results: The acute phase of Study 1 established that the mean heart rate (HR), blood [lactate], and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were similar when participants (n=8) performed a SIT protocol that involved 3x20-s "all-out" efforts of either continuously ascending stairs or cycling. The chronic phase demonstrated that CRF, as determined by peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), increased by 12%, or ~1 metabolic equivalent (8.27+/-1.05 to 9.25+/-1.01 METs; p=0.002) when participants (n=12) performed the 3x20-s stair climbing protocol 3 d*wk-1 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 3x20-s continuous ascent model used in Study 1, and two 3x60-s models of ascending and descending either one or two flights of stairs (p>0.05). The chronic phase demonstrated that VO2peak 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 3x60-s protocol 3 d*wk-1 for 6 wk. The Cederholm index determined from an oral glucose tolerance test was 57+/-17 and 64+/-21 mg*l2*mmol-1*mU-1*min-1 before and after training, respectively (p=0.056). Conclusion: Brief, intense stair climbing is a practical, time-efficient strategy to improve CRF in previously untrained women. (C) 2016 American College of Sports Medicine

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