A team of pathophysiologists at the University of Milan has found that climbing stairs or walking for short bursts allows people to consume 20% to 60% more energy than if they do the same activity nonstop for the same distance. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group asked volunteers to walk on a treadmill or climb stairs while also monitoring their oxygen intake.

Super interesting and makes a lot of sense in retrospect.

  • plz1@lemmy.worldEnglish
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    22 days ago

    This is fascinating. I hate the treadmill due to the monotony of doing that for 20-20 minutes. If I could break that up into 5-minute chunks over the course of the day, it’s less monotonous, for sure.

    • Benign@fedia.io
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      22 days ago

      The paper behind this meagre article talks about 10-240 second bouts. The 20-60% figure is for 30sec bouts.

    • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
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      22 days ago

      But without the high intensity part. Just starting and stopping something as simple as a walk can increase energy consumption by over 50%, I found that neat. The comparison to a car really resonated with me; I hate coming to a stop because I know it kills my gas mileage, but now I want to try to emulate that in my daily physical activities

      • Delphia@lemmy.worldEnglish
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        22 days ago

        I saw an interview with some exercise scientists talking about studies done on people who lived in rural less developed environments, think shepherds in developing countries. The studies indicated that while they may do 30,000 steps a day their body physiologically adapts and changes their movement paterns very quickly to use the absolute minimum amount of energy possible to move around. So their energy expenditure was more like what someone who walks 15,000 steps a day of stop start a day.

  • BearOfaTime@lemm.eeEnglish
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    22 days ago

    Seems pretty obvious and in-line with Physics 101.

    Momentum is a bitch, after all.

  • Th3D3k0y@lemmy.worldEnglish
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    22 days ago

    I was talking to my wife about them and thought to my old backpacking trips. I’d get really tired and want to take a break, but I know that if I sit down starting up again will be worse, so I’d just do a little pacing.

    I wonder what the participants did in between cycles and how much that impacts. Sit, lay down, stand, levitate? Does the start and stop degree change the result? Like if I go from laying down to sprinting for 30 seconds and repeat.

  • Okokimup@lemmy.worldEnglish
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    22 days ago

    I’ve always heard the opposite, but this makes sense. It also means walking my dog - with all his sniffing and peeing - is better exercise than I thought.