Do stair climbing exercise "snacks" improve cardiorespiratory fitness?
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial.
PubMed 30649897 · doi:10.1139/apnm-2018-0675
What was done
Sedentary young adults were randomly assigned to perform stair climbing exercise snacks or serve as non-training controls (n = 12 each; total n = 24). The intervention group performed 3 bouts per day of vigorously ascending a 3-flight stairwell (60 steps), separated by 1–4 hours of recovery, 3 days per week for 6 weeks. The measured outcome was peak oxygen uptake.
What was found
Peak oxygen uptake was significantly higher in the stair-climbing group compared with controls after the 6-week intervention (P = 0.003). The authors noted that the absolute increase was modest; specific numeric values (e.g., baseline and follow-up VO2 peak values) were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
It demonstrates that brief, vigorous physical activity bouts distributed across the day can modestly improve cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary individuals without requiring continuous exercise sessions.
Limits
The sample size is very small (n = 24 total, 12 per group). The study was limited to sedentary young adults over a short 6-week duration. Absolute numerical values, effect sizes, and broader clinical or cardiovascular outcomes were not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Studies by Martin Gibala and others show that performing regular exercise snacks for 6 to 8 weeks improves VO2 max by 2 to 3 mL/kg/min in untrained individuals.