Predictors of aerobic power : class, rehearsal, performance and aerobic training / Gwen Baraniecki-Zwil (2017)

In dance science, there is an abundance of studies investigating recommendations for improving the aerobic power of dancers. However, none of these studies have examined the extent to which aerobic training predicts aerobic power in dancers.

The primary aim of this study is to calculate the extent to which time spent doing supplemental training is predictive of aerobic power. A secondary aim is to collect data on the activities university level dancers engage with outside dance related activities. A tertiary aim is to add current VO2max data to the body of dance science literature that is mainly collected 20 years ago.

Participants completed a demographic survey to measure the average participation per week in dance class, rehearsal, performance, and aerobic training. Participants completed a VO2max treadmill test to measure aerobic power. Multivariate regression analysis was run to determine the predictive power of time spent in dance class (class), time spent in rehearsal (rehearsal), time spent in performance (performance), and time spent in aerobic training (aerobic training) on aerobic power.
The regression analysis indicated that class, rehearsal, and aerobic training did not significantly predict aerobic power (F(3,1) = 4.881, p = .318) accounting for approximately 74% of its variance. The effects of class, rehearsal, and aerobic training were not statistically significant (β = -1.259, p = .196; β = -0.239, p = .545; β = 0.991, p = .247). The mean VO2max was 48.20 ± 5.070 ml.kg-1.min-1. The measured VO2max values were similar to those of untrained individuals.

It was concluded that dance training must be radically changed to incorporate more aerobically demands elements for two reasons: 1) despite the efforts of the dance science community to improve the aerobic power of dancers for 20 years the aerobic power of dancers has not improved; 2) the amount of time spent in class detracts from the amount of time that a dancer could be spent doing aerobic training and therefore leads to a trend of decreased aerobic power.