A Physiologic Profile Comparing Levels and Styles of Female Dancers

Abstract

In brief: A physiologic profile comparing 39 female dancers was undertaken to better understand the factors distinguishing four levels and styles of dance: professional ballet (PB), professional modern, university ballet, and university modern. The PB dancers had significantly lower VO2 max values on the tread-mill as well as lower peak blood lactate levels following the Wingate test for anaerobic capacity than the other dancers. The PB dancers also had a significantly higher isokinetic hamstring-quadriceps ratio than the modern dancers. These findings suggest that physiologic capacity may differ among female dancers according to their levels and styles of dance.