Background Stair climbing can be a vigorous lifestyle physical activity, and is associated with healthier lipoprotein profiles, lower body weight and blood pressure, as well as higher aerobic fitness. The present analysis of data from a cohort of late middle-aged men and women examined the association between daily stair climbing and the metabolic syndrome. Methods Data from 782 (423 women) participants (mean (SD) age 58.3 (0.95) years in the Dutch Famine Birth Cohort Study (2002-2004) were used to examine the cross-sectional association between self-reported daily stair climbing and the metabolic syndrome. Stair climbing was assessed by the question 'Do you climb stairs daily?' and the metabolic syndrome was defined using the established five components relating to lipid fractions, blood glucose levels, blood pressure and abdominal obesity. Results Not climbing stairs daily was associated with an increased incidence of the metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.23, 2.92, p = 0.004) and a greater number of its components (F1,780 = 8.48, p = 0.004): these associations were still evident after adjusting for a variety of potential confounders. Conclusions The most likely explanation for the current findings is that daily stair climbing may be protective against the metabolic syndrome. This result reinforces public health recommendations for increased stair climbing with evidence from physiological outcomes.

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Daily stair climbing is associated with decreased risk for the metabolic syndrome.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of bench step (BS) exercise for ameliorating arterial stiffening caused by acute mental stress (MS). Fifteen young healthy men participated in two randomized trials: rest (RE) and exercise (EX) trials. Following a 5-min MS task (first task), the RE trial participants rested on a chair for 10 min (from 10 to 20 min after task cessation); the EX trial participants performed BS exercise for the same duration. At 40 min after the first task, the participants performed the same task (second task) again. Heart–brachial pulse wave velocity (PWV) (hbPWV), brachial–ankle PWV (baPWV), heart–ankle PWV (haPWV), and the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) were measured simultaneously at 5, 30, and 50 min after the first task. Both trials caused significant elevations in hbPWV, haPWV, and CAVI at 5 min after the first task; these changes persisted until 30 min after the task in the RE trial, while they were abolished in the EX trial. baPWV significantly increased at 30 min after the task in the RE trial, but not in the EX trial. After the second task (from 30 to 50 min after the first task), none of the parameters significantly increased in the RE trial, although the values remained above baseline levels. In the EX trial, hbPWV, haPWV, and CAVI showed significant elevations. Our findings suggest that a 10-min BS exercise after acute MS can counteract stress-induced arterial stiffening, but has only a limited effect against subsequent acute MS. 

/pdf/the-effectiveness-of-bench-step-exercise-for-ameliorating-ezxdsoj6.pdf

The effectiveness of bench step exercise for ameliorating acute mental stress-induced arterial stiffening

This study examined the effect of moderate intensity stair stepping exercise on the glycemic response, and antioxidant capacity (TAC) during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).Thirty participants (women = 12) completed 4 OGTTs during rest or stair walking bouts of 1, 3, and 10 min in a randomized order. Blood was collected at baseline and 30 min during the OGTTs and analyzed for glucose, insulin, TAC, and lactate. Glucose concentrations were decreased following the 10 min (-22.69 (-34.66 to -10.72) mg/dL, p < 0.002) and 3 min (-15.37 (-25.05 to -5.69) mg/dL, p < 0.004) bouts but not the 1 min bout (-6.18 (-19.54 to 7.18) mg/dL, p = 0.352). Insulin concentrations were decreased following the 10 min (-6.11 (-8.86 to -3.36 μIU/dL), p < 0.001) and 3 min (-2.589 (-4.54 to -0.63) μIU/dL, p < 0.012) bouts but not the 1 min bout (-0.37 (-1.87 to 1.13) μIU/dL, p = 0.616). Insulin sensitivity index values showed a significant increase in the 10-min trial (1.81 (0.03-3.58), p < 0.048), but not during the 3 min (0.65 (-0.66 to 1.96) p = 0.317) or 1 min trial (0.13 (-1.58 to 1.84) p = 0.878). There was no omnibus effect for trial in TAC (p = 0.132, η2 = 0.07). There was no interaction between trial and time for blood lactate (p = 0.621, η2 = 0.02).This study provides evidence bouts as short as 3 min decrease postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels but longer bouts are needed to affect insulin sensitivity. 

Three minutes of moderate-intensity stair walking improves glucose and insulin but not insulin sensitivity or total antioxidant capacity

Postprandial hyperglycemia can be corrected by exercise; however, the effect of home-based high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE), a new time-efficient exercise, on glycemic control is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of home-based HIIE on postprandial hyperglycemia. Twelve young adult males (mean age: 24.3 ± 2.3 y) with postprandial hyperglycemia that had not yet led to diabetes completed home-based HIIE, moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE), and control conditions on separate days, randomly. The intervention began 30 min after the start of a standardized meal intake, with 11 min of HIIE completed at maximal effort in the home-based HIIE condition, 30 min of running performed at 50% maximum oxygen uptake in the MICE condition, or 30 min of sitting at rest completed in the control condition. The participants sat at rest after each intervention for up to 120 min. Interstitial fluid glucose concentrations were measured using a continuous glucose monitoring system that scanned every 15 min for up to 2 h after the meal. The glucose concentrations after the meal were significantly lower in the home-based HIIE and MICE conditions than in the control condition (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the glucose concentrations between the home-based HIIE and MICE conditions. In conclusion, home-based HIIE was able to correct postprandial hyperglycemia.

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/7/4227/pdf?version=1649064442

Home-Based High-Intensity Interval Exercise Improves the Postprandial Glucose Response in Young Adults with Postprandial Hyperglycemia

Single, short stair climbing and descending (SCD) bouts of low to moderate intensity effectively lower postprandial blood glucose but previous reports have found conflicting results on interactions by sex during exercise. We hypothesize that SCD at a self-selected intensity will be equally effective at lowering postprandial blood glucose in males and females. Methods and Results: Thirty subjects (age: 23.8 (3.0) years) performed 0, 1, 3, and 10 min of SCD following consumption of a mixed meal. SCD was performed at a self-selected comfortable pace and all bouts ended at minute 28. Postprandial blood glucose was measured every 15 min for 1 h and analyzed as glucose over time, area under the curve (AUC), and incremental AUC (iAUC) using mixed-design ANOVAs with repeated measures. Although there was no interaction between sex and condition or time (p = .129 to .541) for glucose over time, AUC, or iAUC, there was a main effect for sex for glucose over time (p = .004) and AUC (p = .006), but not iAUC (p = .125). Females had higher blood glucose throughout each trial (22% (13 to 31%), p = .004) but both males' and females' postprandial blood glucose was lowered following 10 min of SCD relative to the seated control condition. Conclusions: Males and females benefited equally from single, short SCD bouts of low to moderate intensity despite females having higher blood glucose at all time points. Previous findings of sex differences in the attenuating effect of exercise on postprandial blood glucose are likely due to the use of absolute workloads leading to varying relative intensities. 

Sex differences in the acute effect of stair-climbing on postprandial blood glucose levels: A randomized controlled trial

Background and Aims Postprandial blood glucose (PBG) is an independent predictor of disease and mortality risk. To date, the shortest, single, moderate intensity exercise intervention to reduce PBG is a 1-min bout of stair stepping during an oral glucose tolerance test. Whether this effect translates to real meal consumption is unknown. Methods and Results Subjects (N=30) participated in a randomized controlled crossover trial performing 0min (seated control), 1min, 3min or 10min of stair climbing and descending bouts (SCD) at a self-selected pace after consumption of a mixed meal on four separate visits. Compared to control, all SCD reduced PBG at least one timepoint: at 30-minutes the 3min (-10.8(-18.7 to -2.8)mg/dL, p = 0.010) and 10min (-36.3(-46.4 to -26.3)mg/dL), p Conclusions Single, subjectively “light” intensity stair climbing and descending bouts as short as 1 minute in duration attenuate the postprandial glucose response in normal weight individuals following consumption of a mixed meal. More pronounced effects require longer bouts in a dose-dependent manner.

Hannah Salmons

Papers

A single one-minute, comfortable paced, stair-climbing bout reduces postprandial glucose following a mixed meal