Acute Responses to Walking, Stair Climbing, and Functional Circuit Exercise

NCT07806032 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2026/205
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Sedentary Behaviors

Keywords

Walking; Stair Climbing; Functional Exercise; Heart Rate Reserve; Pulmonary Function; Blood Lactate; Countermovement Jump; Sedentary Adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1)

  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 Outcomes (8)

• Change in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)

  Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session

• Change in FEV1/FVC Ratio

  Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session

• Change in Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF)

  Baseline and 5 minutes after each exercise session

• Change in Blood Lactate Concentration

  Baseline and 3 minutes after each exercise session

• Change in Countermovement Jump Height (CMJ)

  Baseline and immediately after post-exercise spirometry initiated at 5 minutes after each exercise session

Study Arms (6)

WP-SP-FCP Sequence

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: Walking Protocol; Behavioral: Stair Climbing Protocol; Behavioral: Functional Circuit Protocol

WP-FCP-SP Sequence

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: Walking Protocol; Behavioral: Stair Climbing Protocol; Behavioral: Functional Circuit Protocol

SP-WP-FCP Sequence

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: Walking Protocol; Behavioral: Stair Climbing Protocol; Behavioral: Functional Circuit Protocol

SP-FCP-WP Sequence

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: Walking Protocol; Behavioral: Stair Climbing Protocol; Behavioral: Functional Circuit Protocol

FCP-WP-SP Sequence

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: Walking Protocol; Behavioral: Stair Climbing Protocol; Behavioral: Functional Circuit Protocol

FCP-SP-WP Sequence

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: Walking Protocol; Behavioral: Stair Climbing Protocol; Behavioral: Functional Circuit Protocol

Interventions

Stair Climbing Protocol BEHAVIORAL

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.

Also known as: SP

FCP-SP-WP Sequence; FCP-WP-SP Sequence; SP-FCP-WP Sequence; SP-WP-FCP Sequence; WP-FCP-SP Sequence; WP-SP-FCP Sequence

Functional Circuit Protocol BEHAVIORAL

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.

Also known as: FCP

FCP-SP-WP Sequence; FCP-WP-SP Sequence; SP-FCP-WP Sequence; SP-WP-FCP Sequence; WP-FCP-SP Sequence; WP-SP-FCP Sequence

Walking Protocol BEHAVIORAL

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.

Also known as: WP

FCP-SP-WP Sequence; FCP-WP-SP Sequence; SP-FCP-WP Sequence; SP-WP-FCP Sequence; WP-FCP-SP Sequence; WP-SP-FCP Sequence

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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.

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Malatya Turgut Ozal University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Malatya Turgut Ozal University

Malatya, Malatya, 44100, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sedentary Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: Participants completed three exercise conditions (walking, stair climbing, and functional circuit exercise) in a randomized crossover design. The order of the three conditions was determined using six balanced intervention sequences, with at least 72 hours between exercise sessions.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 1, 2026
• First Posted: September 8, 2026
• Study Start: June 22, 2026
• Primary Completion: August 5, 2026
• Study Completion: August 5, 2026
• Last Updated: September 8, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)