Probe Reaction Time Changes with Fatigue Induced by Climbing Up- and -Down Stairs

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Probe Reaction Time (P-RT) and fatigue in normal young adults induced by climbing up and down stairs. This study examined how P-RT changes depending on the degree of fatigue. [Subjects] Twelve healthy subjects (4 males, 8 females) participated in this study. [Methods] Subjects were asked to climb up and down stairs while the P-RT and the heart rate (HR) were measured. The speed of climbing up and down stairs was decided by the subjects. [Results] The general ANOVA was significant and showed that P-RT after climbing up and down several times was different from that of the first time. Furthermore, the HR and P-RT were correlated. [Conclusion] The result of this research show that when someone is tired by climbing stairs, their P-RT is likely to be longer.