Continuous handrail support, oxygen uptake, and heart rate in women duringsubmaximal step treadmill exercise

Past research suggests that continuous handrail support during exercise att enuates physiologic responses to exercise and reduces aerobic benefits; how ever, this phenomenon has not been systematically studied in women exercisi ng on the step treadmill. The effects of three levels of handrail support ( continuous light, continuous very light, dr no handrail support) on oxygen uptake and heart rate during step treadmill exercise were examined in 15 he althy women. Measures were obtained during 6 bouts of exercise, 3 bouts at 25 steps/min followed by 3 bouts at 33 steps/min. At both step rates, mean oxygen uptake was significantly reduced during continuous light and continu ous very light handrail support as compared with no handrail support, and m ean heart rate was significantly reduced during continuous light versus no handrail support. At 25 steps/min only, mean heart rate was significantly r educed during continuous very light versus no handrail support. Findings in dicate that women who use even continuous light or continuous very light ha ndrail support attenuate physiologic responses during step treadmill exerci se, thereby reducing aerobic requirements and gaining suboptimal benefits f rom exercise. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.