Physiologic responses to forward and retrograde simulated stair stepping

This study compared the physiologic responses to forward and retrograde simulated stair stepping on the StairMaster 4000 PT. Twenty male subjects (mean age 23.65 +/- 1.63 years) volunteered for this study. Subjects completed a practice trial of 6 minutes of both forward and retrograde stepping at Level 5. Each experimental trial was divided into four 3-minute stages: Level 3, Level 5, Level 7, and Level 9. Heart rate, blood pressure, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded during the second minute of each stage. Expired gases were analyzed and averaged over the last 2 minutes of each stage. Caloric expenditure and delta efficiency were later calculated. Data were analyzed using a 2 x 4 ANOVA (direction by level) and 2 x 3 ANOVA (for delta efficiency). Compared to forward responses, retrograde heart rates were significantly higher at Levels 7 and 9 (p < 0.01). Retrograde responses for RPE, metabolic equivalents (METS), and caloric expenditure were significantly higher at (p < 0.01) Levels 5, 7, and 9 when compared to forward responses. However, the results of this study show that these differences between forward and retrograde stepping are not practically meaningful.