Exercise and Health AEROBIC DANCE: HEALTH AND FITNESS EFFECTS ON MIDDLE-AGED PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Schiffer T, Schulte S, Sperlich B. Aerobic Dance: Health and Fitness Effects in Middle-Aged Premenopausal Women. JEPonline 2008;11(4):25-33. The goal of the study was to evaluate the long-term adaptations in endurance and strength as well as changes in blood lipoprotein concentrations after participation in an aerobic dance and fitness programme (AD) in middle-aged sedentary healthy women. Eighteen healthy women (Age 43±7 years) participated in the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a non exercising control group (n=8) or a training group (n=10). The training group exercised AD twice a week for 3 months. In addition to the anthropometric data and blood lipoproteins, endurance capacity and core muscle strength was analyzed before and after the training period. 12 weeks of AD training (ADI) decreased heart rate significantly at given running speeds (p<0.05) in an incremental field test. Strength tests showed an increase in abdominal muscle strength (p<0.01). The ADI did not result in any significant alteration of blood lipoproteins and body composition. Length and intensity of the ADI were not sufficient to evoke improvements in blood lipoproteins or body composition. Even though AD partly stresses intensive anaerobic metabolic pathways which are considered to have negative effects on blood lipoproteins low and high density blood lipoproteins were not impaired.