Acute Responses to Walking, Stair Climbing, and Functional Circuit Exercise
September 4, 2026 updated by: Ramazan Bayer, Malatya Turgut Ozal University
Acute Metabolic, Respiratory, and Neuromotor Responses to Walking, Stair Climbing, and Functional Circuit Exercise in Sedentary Individuals: A Heart Rate-Controlled Randomized Crossover Study
This study evaluated the acute physiological responses to three different exercise modalities in sedentary young men. Participants completed walking, stair climbing, and functional circuit exercise sessions in a randomized crossover design. Each exercise session lasted 20 minutes and was performed at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (±5 beats/min), with at least 72 hours between sessions.
The study compared acute respiratory, metabolic, and neuromotor responses to the three exercise modalities. Pulmonary function was assessed using spirometry, blood lactate concentration was measured using capillary blood samples, and countermovement jump performance was assessed as an indicator of neuromuscular performance. Heart rate was continuously monitored during each exercise session.
Study Overview
Status
Completed
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Study Type
Interventional
Enrollment (Actual)
30
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.
Study Locations
-
-
Malatya
-
Malatya, Malatya, Turkey (Türkiye), 44100
- Malatya Turgut Ozal University
-
-
Participation Criteria
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Adult
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male sex.
- Aged 18-30 years.
- Classified as sedentary/insufficiently active according to the study eligibility criteria.
- Able to safely complete the exercise protocols and study assessments.
- Provided voluntary informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Current cigarette or electronic cigarette use.
- Known cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic disease.
- Regular medication use that could affect physiological responses to exercise.
- Acute infection within the previous 2 weeks.
- Musculoskeletal conditions that could interfere with safe participation in the exercise protocols.
- Any condition requiring medical evaluation before exercise participation.
- Inability to obtain acceptable baseline spirometry measurements according to the study procedures.
Study Plan
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Basic Science
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
- Masking: None (Open Label)
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Experimental: WP-SP-FCP Sequence
Participants completed the Walking Protocol first, followed by the Stair Climbing Protocol and then the Functional Circuit Protocol, with at least 72 hours between sessions.
|
Participants performed a 20-minute walking exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute stair climbing exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute functional circuit exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
The circuit consisted of chair sit-to-stand, reverse lunges, wall push-ups, high-knee marching, and low-impact mountain climbers performed on an elevated surface.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
|
|
Experimental: WP-FCP-SP Sequence
Participants completed the Walking Protocol first, followed by the Functional Circuit Protocol and then the Stair Climbing Protocol, with at least 72 hours between sessions.
|
Participants performed a 20-minute walking exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute stair climbing exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute functional circuit exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
The circuit consisted of chair sit-to-stand, reverse lunges, wall push-ups, high-knee marching, and low-impact mountain climbers performed on an elevated surface.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
|
|
Experimental: SP-WP-FCP Sequence
Participants completed the Stair Climbing Protocol first, followed by the Walking Protocol and then the Functional Circuit Protocol, with at least 72 hours between sessions.
|
Participants performed a 20-minute walking exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute stair climbing exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute functional circuit exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
The circuit consisted of chair sit-to-stand, reverse lunges, wall push-ups, high-knee marching, and low-impact mountain climbers performed on an elevated surface.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
|
|
Experimental: SP-FCP-WP Sequence
Participants completed the Stair Climbing Protocol first, followed by the Functional Circuit Protocol and then the Walking Protocol, with at least 72 hours between sessions.
|
Participants performed a 20-minute walking exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute stair climbing exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute functional circuit exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
The circuit consisted of chair sit-to-stand, reverse lunges, wall push-ups, high-knee marching, and low-impact mountain climbers performed on an elevated surface.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
|
|
Experimental: FCP-WP-SP Sequence
Participants completed the Functional Circuit Protocol first, followed by the Walking Protocol and then the Stair Climbing Protocol, with at least 72 hours between sessions.
|
Participants performed a 20-minute walking exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute stair climbing exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute functional circuit exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
The circuit consisted of chair sit-to-stand, reverse lunges, wall push-ups, high-knee marching, and low-impact mountain climbers performed on an elevated surface.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
|
|
Experimental: FCP-SP-WP Sequence
Participants completed the Functional Circuit Protocol first, followed by the Stair Climbing Protocol and then the Walking Protocol, with at least 72 hours between sessions.
|
Participants performed a 20-minute walking exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute stair climbing exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
Participants performed a 20-minute functional circuit exercise session at a target intensity of 50% heart rate reserve (HRR), maintained within ±5 beats/min of the individual target heart rate.
The circuit consisted of chair sit-to-stand, reverse lunges, wall push-ups, high-knee marching, and low-impact mountain climbers performed on an elevated surface.
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the exercise session.
Other Names:
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1)
Time Frame: Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was measured by spirometry before and 5 minutes after each exercise condition.
The primary outcome was the change in FEV1 (ΔFEV1), calculated as post-exercise FEV1 minus pre-exercise FEV1 and expressed in liters (L).
Measurements were obtained following standardized spirometry procedures.
|
Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)
Time Frame: Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
Forced vital capacity (FVC) was measured by spirometry before and 5 minutes after each exercise condition.
The outcome was the change in FVC (ΔFVC), calculated as post-exercise FVC minus pre-exercise FVC and expressed in liters (L).
|
Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
|
Change in FEV1/FVC Ratio
Time Frame: Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
The FEV1/FVC ratio was assessed by spirometry before and 5 minutes after each exercise condition.
The outcome was the change in FEV1/FVC ratio (ΔFEV1/FVC), calculated as the post-exercise value minus the pre-exercise value.
|
Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
|
Change in Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF)
Time Frame: Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
Peak expiratory flow (PEF) was measured by spirometry before and 5 minutes after each exercise condition.
The outcome was the change in PEF (ΔPEF), calculated as the post-exercise PEF minus the pre-exercise PEF and expressed in liters per second (L/s).
|
Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
|
Change in Blood Lactate Concentration
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 minutes after each exercise session
|
Capillary blood lactate concentration was measured before exercise and 3 minutes after each exercise condition.
The outcome was the change in blood lactate concentration (ΔLactate), calculated as the post-exercise value minus the pre-exercise value and expressed in millimoles per liter (mmol/L).
|
Baseline and 3 minutes after each exercise session
|
|
Change in Countermovement Jump Height (CMJ)
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after post-exercise spirometry initiated at 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
Countermovement jump (CMJ) height was assessed before and after each exercise condition.
The outcome was the change in CMJ height (ΔCMJ), calculated as the post-exercise value minus the pre-exercise value and expressed in centimeters (cm).
|
Baseline and immediately after post-exercise spirometry initiated at 5 minutes after each exercise session
|
|
Mean Heart Rate During Exercise
Time Frame: During each 20-minute exercise session
|
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout each exercise condition.
Mean heart rate was calculated across the exercise period and expressed in beats per minute (bpm).
|
During each 20-minute exercise session
|
|
Maximum Heart Rate During Exercise
Time Frame: During each 20-minute exercise session
|
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout each exercise condition.
Maximum heart rate was defined as the highest heart rate recorded during the exercise period and expressed in beats per minute (bpm).
|
During each 20-minute exercise session
|
|
Time Spent in the Target Heart Rate Range
Time Frame: During each 20-minute exercise session
|
Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout each exercise condition.
The outcome was the percentage of exercise time during which heart rate remained within ±5 beats/min of the individualized target heart rate corresponding to 50% heart rate reserve (HRR)
|
During each 20-minute exercise session
|
Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Sponsor
Study record dates
These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
June 22, 2026
Primary Completion (Actual)
August 5, 2026
Study Completion (Actual)
August 5, 2026
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
September 1, 2026
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
September 4, 2026
First Posted (Actual)
September 8, 2026
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
September 8, 2026
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
September 4, 2026
Last Verified
September 1, 2026
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- 2026/205
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
NO
IPD Plan Description
Individual participant data are not planned to be shared because no data-sharing plan was established as part of the original study protocol.
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
No
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