Stair climbing is a form of exercise that nearly everyone can do to some degree. Unlike other aerobic exercises, such as bicycling, swimming or weight training, stair climbing does not require any specialized equipment or training. In fact, you can burn calories while stair climbing throughout the day at home or while running errands. Stair climbing is also used as an exercise test to assess mobility and heart and lung function.
Background
The stair-climbing exercise test was developed by in the 1930s to evaluate respiratory function in people with pulmonary tuberculosis and silicosis, a disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust commonly referred to as Potter's rot. A modified form of the test later was introduced for use as an anaerobic power test to measure athletic performance. Named for its originators, this exercise test is known as the Margaria step test, the Margaria stair test and the Margaria- Kalamen power stair test. The test itself continues to be evaluated for reliability and possible modification in the present day. For instance, a study published in the April 24, 2010, issue of the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" stressed that warm-up exercise prior to taking the test is more valuable than had been previously believed.
Energy Transfer
When stair climbing is used as an anaerobic power test, the "power" is calculated by using the following formula: P = (M x D) x 9.8 / t, where "M" equals the person's body mass, "D" is the vertical distance covered, "t" is the time needed to complete the test in seconds and 9.8 represents the constant of gravity. In an article written for the School of Physiotherapy at Curtis University in Australia, author Chris Perkin says that the stair exercise test stimulates the adenosine triphosphate phosphocreatine energy system, or ATP-CP for short. ATP-CP is a chemical stored in muscle cells for only a few seconds to provide the energy boost needed to quickly sprint into action. So, the power calculation is a measurement of the amount of ATP-CP transferred to muscles, as you prepare to swing at a golf ball, for example.
Gross Motor Function
Another deviation from the standard stair-climbing test is the Timed Up and Down Stairs test, or TUDS. The summer 2004 issue of "Pediatric Physical Therapy" featured a study in which this test was administered to 47 children, 20 of whom had cerebral palsy. The researchers found that the TUDS exercise test was highly reliable as a marker of mobility and balance in children with and without cerebral palsy.
Postoperative Complications
The stair test is commonly used to assess oxygen use to help detect complications of postoperative heart or lung surgery. For instance, Alessandro Brunelli and associates at Umberto I Regional Hospital in Italy found that people who exhibit oxygen desaturation greater than 4 percent during exercise have twice the risk of developing complications after lung resection since this indicates oxygen is not reaching vital organs. Similarly, researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston have found that the stair test is a useful tool to predict complications from other types of high-risk surgery, including congestive heart failure and pneumonia.
References
- PubMed.gov: The Methods of R. Margaria and H. W. Knipping in the Study of Respiratory Function; Experimental Studies in Silicosis and Pulmonary Tuberculosis
- TopEndSports.com: Margaria Kalamen Power Test
- PubMed.gov: Development of a Modified Margaria-Kalamen Anaerobic Power Test for American Football Athletes
- Curtin University: Power is the Most Important Factor in Assessing a Person's Capacity for Performance in Sports
- PubMed.gov: Timed Up and Down Stairs Test: Preliminary Reliability and Validity of a New Measure of Functional Mobility
- European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery: Oxygen Desaturation During Maximal Stair-Climbing Test and Postoperative Complications after Major Lung Resections
