All that really matters is how much you’re lifting your center of mass for each step. Which is much more about the biomechanics of using the machine vs real stairs. Nothing to do with the kind of physics talked about in this article.
This article is wrong about both the physics (special relativity when it’s really the equivalence principle of GR) and the biology (calories burned is not about work in the physics sense; isometric exercises have 0 work!).
Also if you’re looking at tiny effects, what about air drag? Buoyancy?
the energy expenditure difference between climbing real stairs and using a stair climber is negligible—approximately 10.4 joules or 0.0025 calories over a 300-meter height gain.
using a stair machine is effectively as good a workout as climbing actual stairs.
Air resistance? I’m thinking about the change in buoyancy when the density of air is lower.
Also of course the physical work is fairly irrelevant to calories burned. Try holding a 10 pound weight straight out from your body and not moving it. Zero work done for the physicists but ouch it’s a lot.
The linked article came to a conclusion about moving vs non moving energy based on the tiny change in gravity with altitude. Air resistance is a much larger effect (though still tiny compared to the movement in the inertial frame of the stairs).
PSA ~ Fire escapes are not ideal:
~ Propping open fire door often illegal
~ The air is usually gross / not tested for quality
~ Falling on raw concrete or steel can wreck you
~ If something bad happens, your phone may not have signal, and it may be quite a while before you are discovered
Cheers!
Comments
Also if you’re looking at tiny effects, what about air drag? Buoyancy?
using a stair machine is effectively as good a workout as climbing actual stairs.
Saved you a click
The best exercise is the one you will actually do.
Also of course the physical work is fairly irrelevant to calories burned. Try holding a 10 pound weight straight out from your body and not moving it. Zero work done for the physicists but ouch it’s a lot.
The linked article came to a conclusion about moving vs non moving energy based on the tiny change in gravity with altitude. Air resistance is a much larger effect (though still tiny compared to the movement in the inertial frame of the stairs).
~ Propping open fire door often illegal
~ The air is usually gross / not tested for quality
~ Falling on raw concrete or steel can wreck you
~ If something bad happens, your phone may not have signal, and it may be quite a while before you are discovered
Cheers!