Thinking of adding a stadium workout to your training? Strap on your KT Tape and check out this article from Livestrong.com that shows why adding stair runs can be so beneficial to your training:
OVERVIEW
Running stairs is a common training method utilized by many high school and college athletes, and is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to increase your cardiovascular health and leg strength and burn calories. Running stairs utilizes a principle called interval training, which requires you to perform short bursts of high intensity exercise, followed by a rest period. Running stairs doesn't require you to be an elite athlete, but it does require putting in some hard work.
IMPROVEMENTS TO YOUR V02 MAX
VO2 max is one of the best measures of cardio-respiratory endurance. VO2 max is the maximum capacity of your body to transport and use oxygen during high-intensity exercise. This is also the point where a runner moves from aerobic to anaerobic exercise. Stair running challenges the body's cardiovascular system, causing the heart muscle to become more efficient at absorbing oxygen from the blood, and increasing lung capacity, allowing a runner to take in more oxygen with each breath.
DECREASING YOUR RESTING HEART RATE
Along with improved cardiovascular health, you may find that your resting heart rate may be slightly lower. As you get more fit, it is not uncommon for people to see a resting heart rate in the 50 to 60 beats-per-minute range. The heart becomes more efficient and can pump a greater volume of blood with each beat.
RECOVER MORE QUICKLY
High intensity interval training performed with proper rest periods in between each interval can cause a marked improvement in recovery heart rate. Recovery heart rate is a measurement of how much the heart rate falls in the first minute after ceasing exercise. The more fit you become, the more quickly your heart rate will return to its resting heart rate after exercising.
BURN MORE CALORIES
Due to its higher intensity, running stairs burns more overall calories than other lower intensity types of exercises. Studies have also shown that high intensity interval training can keep the heart rate slightly elevated after you stop exercising. A 2006 study published in the "Journal of Sports Sciences" showed that performing interval training at an intensity of 70 percent of your maximum heart rate can produce greater amounts of exercise post-oxygen consumption, or EPOC, and burn an extra 80 calories per exercise session.
To read the entire article, visit Livestrong.com.
