Walking in short bursts uses 20 to 60% more energy than walking the same distance continuously.

A team of pathophysiologists from the University of Milan found that climbing stairs or walking for short periods allows people to consume 20 to 60 percent more energy than if they did the same activity nonstop for the same distance . In their study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society Bthe group asked volunteers to walk on a treadmill or climb stairs while monitoring their oxygen intake.

The research team noted that available energy expenditure tends to reflect activities performed in a metabolically stable state, which is only established after performing such activity for a period of time. They wondered whether there might be differences in spending if people performed start-and-stop-type exercises more than once. To find out, they recruited 10 volunteers.

Volunteers walked on a treadmill or climbed a small staircase for varying lengths of time, ranging from 10 seconds to four minutes. While doing so, they wore a mask to measure their oxygen consumption, a way of measuring energy consumption.

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The researchers found that the volunteers used more energy if they started and stopped multiple times compared to engaging in a regular, longer-duration activity because they covered the same amount of ground.

Researchers say this is because the body uses more energy to prepare for an activity and get into a good rhythm than once stability is achieved. They compare it to a car using more gasoline as it struggles to regain speed from an idling position.

Further testing showed that exercising in several short sessions rather than one longer one led to an increase in energy consumption of 20 to 60 percent.

The team suggests that people who want to get the most out of their exercise programs complete several short bursts of activity rather than continuing for long periods at a constant pace.

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