[Purpose] Currently, the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) is used to evaluate exercise capacity in people following lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer. However, it is unclear whether the 6MWD can detect changes in cardiorespiratory fitness induced by exercise training or lung resection. Conversely, the stair-climbing test is used frequently for the preoperative evaluation of lung rese...

This study aimed to compare gait properties during level walking and during stair ascent and descent with varying loads. Fifteen healthy young men (mean age: 22.1 ± 1.6 years) walked while holding four different loads relative to each subject’s body mass (0, 20, 40 and 60% of body mass: BM) on their backs. Stance time, swing time, and double support times were selected as gait parameters. All p...

Air consumption, oxygen uptake (VO(2)), carbon dioxide output (VCO(2)) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER=VCO(2)/VO(2)) were measured directly from the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as 36 professional firefighters (three women) completed scenarios of high-rise stair climbing and fifth floor search and rescue. During stair climbing VO(2) was 75+/-8% VO(2max) (mean+/-SD), RER=1.10+/-...

BACKGROUND Few studies have reported the biomechanical aspects of stair climbing for this ergonomically demanding task. The purpose of this ethically approved study was to identify normal functional parameters of the lower limb during stair climbing and to compare the actions of stair ascent and descent in young healthy individuals. METHODS Thirty-three young healthy subjects, (16 M, 17 F, ra...

Stair climbing has become a popular form of training for athletes as well as non-athletes. Considering that there are a plethora of devices for stair climbing, how does a person decide which apparatus to use? Aside from issues of practicality, much of the decision could be based on the principles of specificity of training. That is, for maximum transfer of benefits from one activity to another,...

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that individuals who respond favorably to bracing will exhibit decreased patellofemoral joint stress during stair ambulation. DESIGN A repeated-measures, cross-sectional study. BACKGROUND Ascending and descending stairs is one of the most painful activities of daily living for persons with patellofemoral pain (PFP). Although patellar bracing has been shown t...

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of toe-spread (TS) exercises and hip external rotator strengthening exercises for pronated feet on lower extremity muscle activities during stair-walking. [Subjects and Methods] The participants were 20 healthy adults with no present or previous pain, no past history of surgery on the foot or the ankle, and no foot deformitie...

Climbing and descending stairs are demanding daily activities, and the monitoring of them may reveal the presence of musculoskeletal diseases at an early stage. A markerless system is needed to monitor such stair walking activity without mentally or physically disturbing the subject. Microsoft Kinect v2 has been used for gait monitoring, as it provides a markerless skeleton tracking function. H...

INTRODUCTION Arthrodesis of the ankle is an established operation. The lack of normal ankle movement after ankle arthrodesis reduced the ability of the patients to walk smoothly on the arthrodesis foot. It would have a more profound effect in negotiating stairs, because large ranges of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion are required to accomplish this activity. Although gait characteristics have b...