The purpose of this study was to clarify the training effects of a prescribed exercise on physiological functions of middle aged persons. As the means of training, the staircase steppings were adopted, which were given three times a week during four months every other day. The amount of exercise was determined to be 152 steps/min. conducted within three minutes. The stepping was to step up two stair-cases at one time together, while stepping down only one stair-case instead.
Twelve healthy men were employed whose age ranged from 36 to 50, and divided into two groups ; (a) exercise group, (b) none-exercise group. To measure the effects, following items were considered : weight, thigh-girth, calf-girth, triceps skin-fold, subscapular skin-fold, iliocrestate skin-fold, lower leg composition with ultra-sonic photography, legmuscular strength, leg-muscular endurance, five-minutes distance run, all-out time by bicycle-ergometer, heart-rate, maximum oxgen intake, oxgen pulse per body weight, redcell count, Hb volume (rest), vital capacity, timed vital-capacity, MBC.
The following results were made :
1. The leg-muscular strength and endurance of the exercise group increased with significance, whereas the none-exercise group showed no changes except for approximately 14 per cent increase in the skin-fold measurements after the training.
2. Marked changes were not seen in cardio-respiratory measurements while an obvious increase of fatty tissue in the lower-leg of the exercise group was observed.
3. The level of general endurance of the subjects this time was not up-graded perhaps due to the lack of amount in prescribed exercises for each person, but these exercises may be used for the maintenance of the fitness regarding the endurance.
