Abstract
Using two groups of college women, eleven and nine as subjects, the effects of 5-minute stepping exercise for four weeks (some for eight weeks) were examined. The subjects in the harder training group undertook the exercise, i. e., stepping up and down three 19-cm tall stairs in every four seconds, four times a week, while those in the easier group, three times a week. The relative metabolic rate of this exercise was obtained to be 5.5, which was equivalent to 75.5% of the mean maxVO_2 value of themselves. The results obtained follow:1) No significant changes were found in maximun heart rate, maximum respiratory rate, maximum breathing capacity and tidal volume between the pre and post training subjects. 2) Maximum VO_2, maximum VO_2/kg and O_2 pulse values in the harder training subjects significantly increased, whi1e O_2 pulse value in the easier group did the same. 3) The subjects who took eight week training showed significant increase in maximum VO_2/kg regardless of whether three or four times a week of exercise frequency. 4) Subjects with low maximum VO_2/kg values resulted in effective increase upon three times a week of exercise, while those with average value of 31ml/kg. min resulted in significant effect upon four times a week of exercise, but no effect upon three times a week. Among the subjects with 32 ml/kg. min in maximum VO_2 value, the training load reached only to 70% of the maximum capacity, and hence no training effects were found.
