A pathway in my neighbourhood splits at an incline into both steps and a slope. Which option requires more calories to walk up or down?
• The answer is complicated. Stair-climbing is more efficient than walking up a ramp, so it costs less energy. What’s more, ramps of the same steepness as an average flight of stairs are impossible to climb.
Very shallow slopes take a long distance (and walking time) to reach the same height as steep steps, so more energy is used overall. However, when climbing the steps, energy is used at a greater rate, which makes steps feel like harder work. In each case the gradient is important – steps with smaller risers and ramps with a shallower gradients feel less tiring because the rate or intensity of work is less.
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Michael Rennie, Professor of Clinical Physiology, Derby City General Hospital, Derby, UK