Kind of a weird question… I’ll typically need a second to catch my breath after going up a flight of stars… Like one level. I believe it was mentioned in the podcast before that it’s normal and not concerning.
I am really just looking for a logical explanation as to why this happens. I thought maybe it had to do with residual fatigue or some kind of heart rate lag but I don’t really have a clue!
Think its something to do with it being a sudden short burst of activity. Rest- effort-rest. and it takes a moment for your breathing to catch up
Good question, will watch with interest. People have commented for as long as I can remember about why I puff after a single flight of stairs when am a fairly fit guy.
Because you just walked up a 35 degree hill pretty quickly?
Yea I forgot to mention how we, as well trained individuals, apparently do this more than your average person. I know I get made fun of at work when I’m out of breath talking to friends after going up stairs.
So of course the effort may be anaerobic but why am I needing to catch my breath but my colleagues aren’t?
Everyone has a different stair climbing threshold
FSTP: Functional Stair Threshold Power™ 
We need a test protocol for this.
Your colleagues probably walk up the stairs slower than you. Or at least they slow down as soon as some sort of discomfort hits, while you keep pushing through. Or maybe you’re holding your breath?
Or maybe your colleagues are just fitter than you 
There’s a podcast episode for this, I just can’t remember which one.
I want to say it was fairly recently but I can’t recall which one
Episode 204 
Yes!! Thank you!
Ramp test on a stair-master 
When you start climbing a flight of stairs two at a time, then decide better of it and just go up one at a time, I call that “shifting into the small ring”.
I’ve been wondering this too. Definitely seems worse for me than it used to be, as I’ve gotten much fitter through cycling.
Doesn’t happen at home (1 flight) but at work where I’m walking up 6 flights of stairs it absolutely hammers my lungs and I struggle to have a conversation. Even if I’m walking with someone who I know to be less fit than me.
I’ll have a listen to 204 later.
(very) mildly interesting note about 204: The first podcast I listened to was 205 so I only barely missed out on this knowledge
Here’s a fairly detailed set of explanations from Runner’s World (apparently this happens to runners too).
My take aways - A combination of doing something you’re actually not trained for (fast twitch vs slow twitch) plus your body is more sensitive to the increased load due to your fitness so it recognizes the demand and reacts quicker than an unfit person.
I attack the stairs at my office every morning, two at a time. Oddly, it kind of tells me how recovered I am. I’m on the third floor, and yes, I’m breathing hard walking into my office.
Dude you gotta drop all the Freds you work with when you attack