tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89299374138330355362024-03-05T06:19:43.040+00:00Atalanta DanceAtalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-87572182264092564322013-11-06T10:44:00.000+00:002013-11-06T14:06:28.691+00:00Follow-up links on concussionFollowing last month's blog on concussion (which can be found <a href="http://atalantadancefitness.blogspot.com/2013/10/concussion-in-dance-and-aesthetic-sports.html">here</a>) there have been a few interesting articles popping up over the internet:<br />
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<a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/dont-tell-coach-playing-through-concussions/?_r=0">New York Times Blogger Jan Hoffman discusses attitudes to reporting (or not reporting) concussion in young athletes</a> Although predominantly discussing American football, the article references a study in which young cheerleaders have been found to under-report concussion, and discusses attitudes to working through pain which are relevant to dance and most athletic pursuits.<br />
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<a href="http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2013/Concussions/concussions-RB.pdf">The Institute of Medicine released a report on sports-related concussion in young people</a>, worth a read for anyone working in dance or sport.<br />
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<a href="http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2013/11/04/sorry-mr-villas-boas-concussion-call-always-belongs-to-doctor/">Karim Khan writes on the British Journal of Sports Medicine blog in response to Andre Villas-Boas' comments on decision-making following head injury</a>. For those that missed it, football player Hugo Lloris was knocked unconscious following a blow to the head in a match between Tottenham and Everton. The Tottenham coach allowed Lloris to continue playing, against medical advice, prompting criticism from FIFA and brain injury charity Headway. Khan's short post makes some sensible points on the importance of medical assessment of head injury and medical authority during sports performance.<br />
<br />Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-80223623119431967592013-10-25T09:21:00.000+01:002013-10-25T09:24:10.191+01:00Controlling body composition - nutrition<div style="text-align: justify;">
From the results of last week's survey (thank you for participating in it!) one issue was raised several times - nutrition and weight control. So here's a guide on how to begin addressing your nutritional needs while maintaining control over body composition.<br />
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I'm fairly sure that next to no ballet dancer out there meets the full criteria of the expected dancer's physique. What's 'wanted' changes from company to company and from director to director, and more often than not the pressures a dancer feels to conform to a specific aesthetic will come from themselves as much as from others. Depending on the dance discipline you are working within however, there will be certain demands or expectations of your physique that you're going to come up against during your career. While some physical characteristics (height for example) are set in stone, others are not, and of them body composition is an area that dancer's often strive to control.</div>
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The common thread that will run through any discipline, any company and any casting agent will be that your body can perform the required movements, and do so beautifully. Therefore dancers' bodies are required to be in peak physical condition at all times for both performance and aesthetic purposes. There often seems to be an emphasis of the aesthetic over the physical condition, with dancers looking to achieve a slyph -like physisique, regardless of the effect this may have on their physical performance.</div>
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<em><span style="font-size: large;">Average body fat levels are substantially higher in professional dancers than in top level athletes due to the tendency to address physique and body composition management through excessive calorie restriction. This can lead to fatigue, decreased strength levels, malnourishment, amenorrhea, reduced bone mineral density and subsequently predisposes the dancer to avoidable injury. Too often dancers sacrifice health, strength and fitness in an attempt to achieve the perceived ideal physique.</span></em> </div>
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Body composition can be controlled without sacrificing health or energy levels through manipulation of nutrition and training practices. This post will look at addressing body composition through nutrition, and a follow-up will look at the importance of training for manipulation of body composition. Addressing these two areas can have substantial positive effects on body composition. An increase in lean muscle tissue and decrease in body fat will improve the physique, boost metabolism and increase fitness parameters including strength and power. </div>
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As an artistic athlete, you should be conscious of your nutrition, and you can manipulate your dietary intake to provide both optimal nutrition while improving body composition. <strong>An athlete's or dancer's ability to perform will be significantly impacted by their nutritional status.</strong> It is imperative that in the efforts to control body composition, dancers do so in an intelligent, healthful manner, to ensure they are still providing their body with adequate energy and nutrients, and not through looking to fad diets or excessive caloric restriction. </div>
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<u>Cut out Processed Junk</u></div>
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The most important point in any nutrition programme whether of health, body composition, or both, is to eat clean. It's a pretty simple concept - eat natural, simple, "clean" foods. That means nothing processed, nothing refined, nothing pumped full of e-numbers and nothing luminous in colour. Processed foods slow your metabolism, depress the immune system, damage gut flora, cause cellular inflammation and as such your body is going to treat them as a toxin.<br />
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If you look at an ingredient list and there's numbers and unpronounceable words on it, it's probably a good idea to put it back on the shelf. Organic, fresh and local produce are the best options - the less time and less additives from the field to your plate the better. Cook from scratch when you can so you know what you're eating. Base your diet on fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, free range eggs, whole grains and you're onto a good start. </div>
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<u>Energy Requirements and Balancing Macronutrient Intake</u></div>
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Now that the obvious "don't eat processed crap" is out of the way - a short physiology lesson. Your body has three energy systems, and dance utilises all of them. Each energy system requires fuel provided by the diet.</div>
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<strong>ATP-PCr System</strong> </div>
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Anaerobic </div>
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Produces immediate energy meaning it assists in immediate muscle contraction for short periods of high exertion exercise</div>
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Grand jete is an example of an action that utilises this system.</div>
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<strong>Glycolytic System</strong> </div>
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Anaerobic</div>
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Produces energy through the breakdown of glucose </div>
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Works primarily in the skeletal muscles, using energy from carbohydrate molecules</div>
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Produces energy for short bursts of activity lasting up to around 2 minutes</div>
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Utilised in classes where short periods of dance are followed by rest periods.</div>
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<strong>Oxidative System</strong> </div>
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Aerobic (utilising oxygen to produce energy) </div>
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Has a higher energy producing capacity and so is utilised in endurance activities </div>
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Utilised when you are dancing flat-out for 30 mins or more.<br />
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All three of these systems utilise <strong>carbohydrate</strong> as their main, if not their sole, source of fuel. Carbohydrate is stored within the body as glycogen, and can then be utilised as and when needed by the body's energy systems. In individuals participating in high levels of physical activity, glycogen stores are regularly depleted, and carbohydrates must be consumed in order to restore adequate levels. <br />
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While low-carb diets are touted as a means to control body composition and lose weight, in athletes the body's energy and therefore carbohydrate requirements are higher than in largely sedentary individuals - even if those individuals take part in physical activity every day. Glycogen stores can be run down after 90 minutes of physical activity, and so if you are rehearsing or training for 6-8 hours a day, you need to ensure you are providing your body with adequate carbohydrate throughout the day. Ketogenic diets are a bad idea for athletes. It is essential that you address your carbohydrate needs in any nutritional plan, to ensure you are adequately fueling your body's energy systems.</div>
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Although not a main energy source, <strong>protein</strong> is a vitally important macronutrient and is essential for muscle synthesis. In fact protein is essential for pretty much all of the body's cells' synthesis. Muscle is metabolic tissue - it burns calories just by being there. Body fat on the other hand is non-metabolic. So obviously if you're looking to boost your metabolism, a higher muscle to body fat ratio is important as it further speeds up the metabolism. To increase the percentage of your body that comprises muscle you need to include strength training while providing your body with adequate dietary protein to enable muscular development (there's a post on dietary protein from a little while back <a href="http://atalantadancefitness.blogspot.com/2013/03/nutrition-protein.html">here</a>).<br />
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Protein is also better at satiating hunger than the other macro-nutrients, meaning you feel fuller longer, and so will be less likely to overeat. The body's protein requirements for muscle building are not as high as many people would have you believe. However, when eating a specific amount of calories, the percentage you get from carbohydrates, proteins and fats has a significant impact on body composition, and so providing you have no health issues affecting your kidneys, a higher percentage of protein is often preferable. </div>
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<strong>Fats</strong> are essential in a dancer's diet, as they provide energy and nutrients. Fats have been demonised for years. Over-eating, and over-eating the wrong things make people fat, eating dietary fat does not. Healthy fats found in avocados, olive oil, nuts and oily fish are essential for health and for controlled body composition.</div>
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<em>The membrane of every cell in the human body is comprised of fatty acids; fat is needed to regulate hormone activity, is crucial for neuromuscular facilitation, reduces inflammation and when consumed in the right quantities will have no adverse affect on body composition</em>.</blockquote>
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If you get your fats from vegetable oils, trans fats (for those of you in the US) and other equally crappy sources, you will get fat, and likely ill. Again, cut out the junk in your diet and you'll be fine.</div>
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<u>Practical Implications</u></div>
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Okay so you need carbs to refuel glycogen stores (no Atkins for you), protein for muscle synthesis and fats to control inflammation. You also want to decrease your body fat. How do you go about providing your body with ample fuel for dance, with the correct balance of nutrients, while achieving fat loss?</div>
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Address your carbohydrate sources - you want to move from getting the majority of your carbohydrates from starchy sources (breads, pasta, potatoes etc) to getting more of them from fruits and vegetables. Rice, quinoa, and starchy vegetables (like sweet potato) can and should be consumed (in moderation, and dependent on activity level). If you're already getting the majority of them from fruits and vegetables, increase the ratio of green vegetables. Peoples' bodies metabolise differently, however if you're eating so no set rules apply and you need to experiment. If you start feeling excessively fatigued, up your intake again. Carbs are essential, don't be scared to eat them, just be sensible about what carbs you eat and when. </div>
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Get enough protein. Have a good source of protein with every meal. Unless you have an illness affecting your kidneys being above the recommended daily amount has been shown to have no negative effects, so aim for an absolute minimum of 1g per kg body-weight each day. The combination of the thermic effect plus increased satiety means that higher protein diets are likely to control appetite while boosting metabolism, at the same time as providing the body with the required nutrients for muscle growth. </div>
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Don't avoid fats. Seriously, they're not the devil and you need to ensure you are providing your body with enough for it to function optimally.</div>
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Watch your portion sizes. Eat when you're hungry and eat until you're satisfied, just don't eat for the sake of it, or until you feel sick. </div>
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So as a starting point, if you're 55kgs - eat up to 100grams CHO daily, 55-110grams protein daily. If you then find yourself genuinely hungry, increase these amounts. Simple. Don't starve yourself, just make intelligent choices about what you fuel yourself with. Include more fresh vegetable in your diet - you're probably not eating enough of them. Eat lean meat and oily fish. Include olive oil, avocados, nuts, dairy etc daily, drink enough water (<u>minimum</u> 2 litres, no excuses and if you're dancing all day it should be way more).</div>
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That's it. You can manipulate and control your body composition without starving yourself, without compromising your health or performance and without having to experiment with ridiculous fad diets. You eat to fuel yourself, your body can't perform on empty. Dancers need to remember that their body is their most important asset - it is the only tool of their trade - and they need to look after it. A starved, weak, emaciated body is no good for dance. Eat to fuel your body and be mindful of what you are consuming.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>References:</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Burke, L. (2008) Dietary Carbohydrates. in: Maughan, R. (ed.) Nutrition in Sport: Olympic Encyclodpaedia of Sports Medicine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Burke, L., Cox, G. R., Cummings, N. K. and Desbrow, B. (2001) Guidelines for Daily Carbohydrate Intake: Do Athletes Achieve Them? Sports Medicine, 31(4).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Clarkson, P.M. (1998) An Overview of Nutrition for Female Dancers. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science, 2(1).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kang, J. (2008) Bioenergetics Primer for Exercise Science.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Koutedakis, Y. and Jamurtas, A. (2004) The dancer as a performing athlete: physiological considerations. Sports Medicine, 34(10).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Koutedakis, Y. and Sharp, C. (1999) The Fit and Healthy Dancer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mouritsen, O. G. (2005) <em>Life - as a matter of fat: emerging science of lipidomics</em>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Robson, B.E. (2002) Disordered Eating in High School Dance Students. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 6(1).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wanke EM, Groneberg DA, Quarcoo D. (2011) Analysis and evaluation of occupational accidents in dancers of the dance theatre, <span class="jrnl" title="Sportverletzung Sportschaden : Organ der Gesellschaft fur Orthopadisch-Traumatologische Sportmedizin">Sportverletz Sportschaden</span>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wilmerding, M.V., McKinnon, M.M. and Mermier, C. (2005) Body Composition in Dancers. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science, 9(1).</span> </div>
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Concussion, also referred to as minor traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is an injury more commonly associated with contact sports than with dancing. There has however been an increase in recent years in the number of reported concussions in dancers, and it is necessary for the dance teacher, director, choreographer and dancers themselves to be able to recognise and react to a concussion when it occurs. </div>
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In aesthetic sports such as gymnastics and cheerleading, and in dance related genres such as physical theatre, the reported instances of concussion are significantly higher than in dance, largely due to moves performed while elevated and in performing tricks and stunts. In cheerleading, stunts are responsible for 90% of the concussions suffered by athletes, with the majority of these affecting the bases, rather than the athlete in the air. Across various genres of dance, from street to ballroom to contemporary to lindy-hop, numerous aspects of choreography can pose a risk to dancers if not executed properly. With dance choreography constantly pushing new limits of dancers' physical abilities, and increasingly incorporating tricks and stunts in pieces, it is useful to now consider dance alongside gymnastics and cheerleading as an activity carrying the potential for concussion. </div>
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In a wide variety of sports, it has been found that concussion is under-reported, and that athletes go on to perform or compete after sustaining a head injury. It is imperative for the safety of the dancer or athlete that all concussions are recognised and appropriately addressed. Self-reporting of symptoms has been proven to be ineffective at identifying concussion, and so standardised testing procedures should be in place to ensure concussions are identified and appropriately addressed.</div>
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<b><u>What is concussion?</u></b><br />
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<em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Concussion is when a blow to the head causes the brain to 'shake' inside the skull. A concussion causes temporary disturbance to normal brain function, and most do not cause permanent damage.</strong></em></blockquote>
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Symptoms may include a brief period of unconsciousness, dizziness, nausea, headache, loss of memory, confusion, increased pupil size, feeling dazed, loss of balance and vision disturbances.</div>
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Any persistent symptoms should be checked by a doctor.</div>
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<a href="https://www.headway.org.uk/minor-head-injury-and-concussion.aspx">Headway</a> recommend that anyone experiencing any of the following symptoms following a concussion should go to A&E immediately:</div>
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<tr align="left" style="background-color: #f3f6fb;" valign="top"><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">New deafness in one or both ears</td><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Problems understanding or speaking</td></tr>
<tr align="left" style="background-color: #f3f6fb;" valign="top"><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Loss of balance or problems walking</td><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Blurred or double vision</td></tr>
<tr align="left" style="background-color: #f3f6fb;" valign="top"><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Any weakness in one or both arms or legs</td><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Inability to be woken</td></tr>
<tr align="left" style="background-color: #f3f6fb;" valign="top"><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Any vomiting</td><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Bleeding from one or both ears</td></tr>
<tr align="left" style="background-color: #f3f6fb;" valign="top"><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Clear fluid coming out of your ears or nose</td><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Any fits (collapsing or passing out suddenly)</td></tr>
<tr align="left" style="background-color: #f3f6fb;" valign="top"><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Drowsiness when you would normally be wide awake</td><td style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">Severe headache not relieved by painkillers such as paracetamol</td></tr>
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Concussion rates are elevated for athletes with a history of concussion, therefore meaning it is more likely that after sustaining a concussion the individual may be more suseptible to sustaining another.</div>
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<u><b>Concussion Management</b></u></div>
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Many sporting authorities, particularly in contact sports such as rugby and american football, insist on concussion managament plans being in place. While it is unlikely this will become mandatory for dance companies or schools in the near future, it is good practice for dance professionals to have an understanding of concussion management in order to safe guard their dancers. </div>
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<a href="http://oberon481.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c4e3853ef01347fa2ce0d970c-800wi" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://oberon481.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c4e3853ef01347fa2ce0d970c-800wi" width="212" /></a>There are numerous methods of assessing concussive injury on the sport-field or in the dance studio. If an athlete or dancer has received a blow to the head and claims to feel fine, it is worth assessing them regardless, as self-reporting of symptoms has been proven to be ineffective. If concussion is suspected, medical advice should be sought.</div>
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The Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) is one of the most commonly used assessments, and can be found <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/5/259.full.pdf">here </a></div>
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Another method that has recently come into use is a simple measurement of reaction time, used to identify impaired cognition. The test requires the athlete to grasp a falling measuring stick, with the reaction time to this being recorded. This is an inexpensive piece of equipment for the coach or teacher to use to assist them in making a in-studio assessment. A measuring stick with marking incremental markings down it is dropped from a fixed point next to the athlete. The athlete grasps the stick as quickly as possible, and the marking they grasp it on is recorded. For this to be effective, a baseline (non-concussed) reading must be taken initially. Although a new testing procedure, this has proven effective in identifying impaired cognition following a suspected concussion or blow to the head. </div>
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<u><b>Post Concussion Syndrome/Post Concussion Trauma</b></u></div>
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There is some controversy around Post-Concussion Syndrome, regarding the length of time after a concussion is sustained that the symptoms are then classed as "post-concussive". Some medical practitioners will diagnose PCS at 48 hours after a concussion, whereas others diagnose from 7 days onwards. The symptoms of PCS are similar to those of concussion - headaches, dizziness, nausea, restlessness, insomnia, fatigue and drowsiness, heightened emotional responses and difficulties with concentration. PCS is not unusual, and typically resolves within around 2 weeks of the concussion, however it can effect some individuals for several months. If any symptoms persist after the initial concussion, medical advice should be sought to rule out any more serious causes than PCS.</div>
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<a href="http://0.tqn.com/d/gymnastics/1/0/D/2/-/-/ChinaPacificRimGregTrottGETTY80450517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://0.tqn.com/d/gymnastics/1/0/D/2/-/-/ChinaPacificRimGregTrottGETTY80450517.JPG" width="212" /></a><br />
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<u><b>Return to Sport/Dance</b></u></div>
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Follow the guidelines given to you by your doctor or nurse. In cases of mild concussion, this will usually be rest, fluids and paikillers such as paracetamol to control any headache symptoms. However as a severe concussion does have the potential to be catastrophic, and on rare occasions initial symptoms may mask a more serious injury, it is imperative that medical guidelines are followed and the athlete or dancer is monitored and not encouraged to return to activity before they are ready.</div>
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A gradual build up of physical activity, from light aerobic work to light strength training to sport-specific work that minimises the chance of repeated head trauma and finally to full training should be followed only when symptoms have cleared. Providing no symptoms reappear and the individual is in good health, return to full training can occur after 7 days of the last notable symptoms.</div>
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<u><b>The Controversy of Second Impact Syndrome</b></u></div>
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Second Impact Syndrome is the term given to what is believed to be a catastrophic outcome of a repeated head injury in sport. There is a lack of scientific evidence to support this, however following recent tragic events involving the deaths of young athletes in the United States, something of a panic has emerged surrounding the notion of a 2nd impact within hours or days of an initial concussion as being responsible for catastrophic brain injury. </div>
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Due to the lack of scientific evidence, it perhaps appears more likely that the initial blows in these cases of concussion were either not reported, or not adequately treated, and that it was the initial concussion that was the cause of death. A seemingly minor head injury that is not examined and assessed has the potential to be more severe than it initially presents itself. It is therefore recommended that following a head injury, the individual does not return to performance or competition on the same day and that all symptoms are monitored. Visible and apparent manifestations of cerebral swelling or cerebral bleeding may not be obvious immediately following the initial blow, however if left untreated can have devastating results.</div>
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Further research is needed in this area, however it stresses the importance of addressing all blows to the head and all concussions to ensure that if medical advice and treatement are required, they are sought in the first instance and not left to chance. Although rare, catastrophic head injuries do occur in sport and unfortunately the dance, gymnastics and cheerleading communities cannot consider themselves exempt from the risks. All head injuries should be treated and monitored appropriately.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I love this video, the cheerleaders are nothing short of impressive, but it gives an idea</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">of the risks involved in stunting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Eckner, J.T. et
al., (2012) Effect of sport-related concussion on clinically measured simple
reaction time. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 10.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.headway.org.uk/">www.headway.org.uk</a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lovell, M.R. and
Solomon, G.S. (2013) Neurocognitive test performance and symptom rporting in
cheerleaders with concussions. The Journal of Paediatrics, 163(4).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">McCrea, M. et al.,
(2013) Day of injury assessment of sport-related concussion. British Journal of
Sports Medicine, 47(5).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">McCrory, P. (2001)
Does second impact syndrome exist? Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 11(3).McCrory,
P. et al., (2013) What is the lowest threshold to make a diagnosis of
concussion? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 47(5).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">McCrory, P. et al.,
(2012) Second impact syndrome or cerebral swelling after sport head injury.
Current Sports Medicine Reports,11(1).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Patel, D.R. and
Reddy, V. (2013) Update on sport-related concussion.Adolescent Medicine: State
of the Art reviews, 24(1) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reddy, S., Eckner,
J.T. and Kutcher, J.S. (2013) Effecto of Acute Exercise on Clinically Measured
Reaction Time in Collegiate Athletes. Medicine and Science in sports and
Exercise.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Register-Mihalik,
J.K., (2013) Knowledge, attitude and concussion-reporting behaviours among
high-school athletes: a preliminary study. Journal of athletic training, 48(5).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Schulz, M.R., et
al. (2004) Incidence and risk factors for concussion in high school athletes,
North Carolina, 1996-1999. American Journal of Epidemiology 15(160). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shields, B.J.,
Fernandez, S.A. and Smith, G.A. (2009) epidemiology of cheerleading
stunt-related injuries in the United States. Journal of Athletic Training
44(6). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Singh, S et al.,
(2008) Gymnastics-related injuries to chidlren treated in emergency departments
in the United States, 1990-2005. Paediatrics, 121(4).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Zimmer, A. (2013)
Sport and team differences on baseline measures of sport-related concussion.
Journal of Athletic Training, 48(5).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-35498760491580850552013-10-15T12:23:00.000+01:002013-10-15T12:54:14.162+01:00Survey<div style="text-align: justify;">
In order to tailor and continue providing useful content, I'd be grateful if you could fill in this short survey if you've got a spare moment, <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7NMJXBP">http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7NMJXBP</a> What works, what doesn't , what you like, what you don't...</div>
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It shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes.</div>
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Thanks! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/q71/s720x720/1385177_10151742073431705_1621561619_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/q71/s720x720/1385177_10151742073431705_1621561619_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Little Shao, 2013.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-5730475092006115902013-10-10T11:41:00.001+01:002014-02-17T10:54:11.907+00:00Anterior Pelvic Tilt in DancersCorrect alignment is crucial to dance technique. A common alignment issue in dancers is an exaggerated anterior pelvic tilt - tilting the the pelvis forward. No two individuals will have identical spinal and pelvic alignment, and so it is perhaps useful to think of there being an range that can be considered optimal rather than one set alignment that is perfect. The anterior pelvic tilt pulls the body out of correct alignment (outwith the optimal range), resulting in flawed technique and impaired performance. Your lower abdomen will protrude and your backside will stick out. Over and above the artistic flaw, anterior pelvic tilt impairs turnout and prevents proper muscle recruitment, can cause hip pain, back pain, knee pain and flat feet.<br />
<a href="http://musicstrong.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/anterior-pelvic-tilt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://musicstrong.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/anterior-pelvic-tilt2.jpg" height="198" width="200" /></a><br />
The hip flexors connect the femur to the hip and lower back; tight, short hip flexors cause the hip to pull forward. Any misalignment of the hips will effect the back, and anterior pelvic tilt will give a pronounced curvature of the thoracic spine. This in turn may then produce upper back pain, shoulder and neck pain, headaches and migraine.<br />
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Healthy hips are essential in dance, the turnout and all subsequent movement of the lower body originates here. While pelvic motion is central to many of the basic movements of dance (for example the battement de vant, a la seconde and derrière all display differing degrees of pelvic motion), the body should have a neutral home alignment. The internal rotation of the hip displayed with APT goes on to effect the lower limbs, producing subsequent internal rotation of both the femur and tibia, reducing turnout. This can cause or exaggerate existing <a href="http://atalantadancefitness.blogspot.com/2013/01/over-pronation-of-feet.html">over-pronation of the feet</a>, causing foot, ankle and knee pain. Incorrect alignment further predisposes the dancer to injury.<br />
<a name='more'></a>So in summary, you don't want to have an anterior pelvic tilt.<br />
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When correcting a dancer showing anterior pelvic tilt, you may find that telling them to level their pelvis or stand with a neutral pelvis results in them still tilting it forward. Retraining of alignment and having the dancer learn to recognise the feel of correct neutral alignment is important. They will often feel that the tilted position is natural, and the neutral position is not. This can be addressed through strengthening the lower abdominals, hamstrings and glutes and working to loosen tight hip flexors and erector spinae. Gradually standing with neutral pelvic alignment should not feel as unnatural. <br />
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<strong>The Role of Technique Class in Correcting ATP</strong><br />
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Have the dancer focus on pelvic alignment as a priority until it is corrected. Motor control and bodily awareness will improve quickly if they are mindful of correct neutral position throughout barre and centre work. Barre work may be especially useful in allowing the dancer to develop a sense of control with altered pelvic positioning. Make use of the mirrors as much as possible and ensure the dancer understands the visual as well as the physical sensation of correct and incorrect alignment. <br />
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Draw attention to issues caused by the pelvic position, such as pronated feet. Encourage the dancer to feel the correct foot position when the pelvis is neutral, so that changes to overall alignment of the body are considered simultaneously.<br />
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<strong>Strength Training to Correct ATP</strong><br />
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I don't believe that the low intensity, bodyweight only exercises often prescribed to dancers to correct muscle imbalances of weaknesses are close to being as effective as incorporating weight training. When you've been training with improper alignment, you've put hours of high intensity dancing in that have recruited the wrong muscles and neglected others. To correct this, the neglected muscles need to be activated regularly and pushed to address the imbalance. The best method for this is reguar strength training that focuses on maintaining correct alignment.<br />
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Bodyweight Glute Bridges - initially emphasise a posterior tilted pelvis in these. They are a great way to train the dancer to neutralise the pelvis, and to strengthen the opposing muscles. <br />
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Weighted Glute Bridges - when the dancer is managing to perform bodyweight glute thrusts with correct alignment, moving onto weighted hip thrusts will further strengthen weak hamstrings and glutes.<br />
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Deadlifts - an absolute staple for strengthening the posterior chain, however few dancers tend to be familiar with traditional lifts. Poor grip strength may initially be an issue, therefore gradually progress weight until technique the dancer has mastered the technique; focus on correct form and pelvic alignment are crucial.<br />
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Hanging Leg Raises - I've found dancers, despite displaying low levels of upper body strength, often enjoy a cross-over in training to gymnastic movements. When performing hanging legs raises, emphasise a neutral, if not a posterior pelvic tilt, to ensure the lower abdominals are fully engaged. Depending on initial strength levels (including upper body and grip strength) the number of reps the dancer is able to perform may initially be limited.<br />
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<strong>Stretches to Correct Anterior Pelvic Tilt</strong><br />
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Stretch the hip flexors - encourage the dancer to utilise foam rollers on these and to stretch the hip flexors regularly.<br />
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Do not over-emphasise hamstring flexibility. Dancers have abocve average flexibility levels, not least in the hamstrings. It is not useful to overdevelop flexibility and elasticity on a muscle that is lacking in relative strength. Focus on strengthening the hamstrings as opposed to increasing flexibility.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">References:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bronner, S. and Ojofeitimi, S. (2011) Pelvis and hip three-dimensional kinematics in grand battement movements. <em>JDMS</em> 15(1).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Clippinger, K. (2007)Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Contreras, B. (2012) Don't Be Like Donald Duck. </span><a href="http://www.t-nation.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">www.t-nation.com</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Deckery, JL. (2007) Analysis of pelviv alignment in university ballet majors. <em>JDMS</em>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fitt, SS. (1998) Dance Kinesiology. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Gamboian, N. (1999) Effects of dance technique training on pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis alignment during quiet stance and dynamic dance movement. <em>JDMS. </em>3(1).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Laws, K. (2002) Physics and the Art of Dance: Understanding Movement.</span>Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-68742548048963697832013-09-20T21:02:00.001+01:002013-09-20T21:03:22.839+01:00Flexibility training - is it necessary?Flexibility training can be divisive issue. Even I'm divided on it. On the one hand, you can improve your flexibility levels to a degree through appropriate training (stretching) methods. On the other, the gains you can make are somewhat limited, and I'll often argue largely outweighed by the likelihood of injury (up to 80% of dance injuries are sustained during flexibility exercises. That's an awful lot.).<br />
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Having spent the better portion of my life in dance training and surrounded by other dancers, I can honestly say I've seen a LOT of time wasted on flexibility training for next to no gains. 85% of your flexibility is down to your skeletal structure, 5% is down to environmental circumstances, leaving only 10% down to muscular elasticity. 10%. All those hours spent trying to push that little bit further, and the best you can hope for is 10%.<br />
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In the last couple of years I've been spending time working with people performing at mid-high level in numerous sports, many of whom are reluctant at best to put any time into flexibility training. When no specific training is focussing on improving flexibility levels, that 10% you have control over suddenly looks pretty important. Watching people with a good level of physical fitness and technique unable to lift their leg to hip height without letting their form go seems a waste of all their hard work.<br />
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<a href="http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/259/d/c/left_leg_over_splits_by_dreamerloverliver-d2yuvez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/259/d/c/left_leg_over_splits_by_dreamerloverliver-d2yuvez.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a>In physical activity - whether dance, gymnastics or martial arts where a higher degree of flexibility is expected, to team sports like football or rugby where a lesser degree is required - a good level of mobility is essential for the body to perform at it's best. If you train strength, speed, technique, agility, endurance, why skip on flexibility when inadequate levels will negatively impact on everything else? Everyone involved in a physical pursuit needs to train their body to be able to perform the functions they demand of it. If you can't get your leg to hip height without your posture going then your mobility is low, and you need to work to improve your flexibility.<br />
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Regardless of the discipline you train in, you need to look at the demands placed upon your body and make your body fit to meet them. That may mean stretching and improving flexibility levels to a degree, or it may mean strength training to give you better control over your flexibility. It's a two headed coin, and strength and flexibility should always be trained together, yet all too often it seems to be almost exclusively one or the other.<br />
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When it comes to dancers, high levels of flexibility are expected. If you want to be taken seriously and be able to perform choreography correctly you're expected to be able to move fluidly through your body's full range of motion. I understand why so much time is devoted to stretching - it's the drive to ensure you have taken every step possible to allow your body to perform to it's full potential. But stretching is only part of this, and it's importance is <strong>massively</strong> overemphasised in dance. Once your muscles have reached a certain point of elasticity, they're not going any further. After that you're wasting training time.<br />
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I've gone into auditions and been horribly intimidated by dancers warming up and sitting in full over-splits, with their hips at an angle mine could never hope to reach, and panic setting in. Almost everytime, these dancers have been unable to hold their leg above 90 when it's come to centre work. What a waste! What is the point in being able to split over 180 degrees, if you don't have the strength and control to actively hold it there!? If you can sit in oversplits but can't get to full splits in a grande jete you really, <i>really</i> need to refocus your energy and address your flexibility/strength level imbalance.<br />
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To perform at your best, you should be strength training to ensure your strength and flexibility levels are on a par. You'll move better, improve your control, and be less likely to injure yourself. And you'll actually be able to do something that looks impressive when you're dancing, not just when you're warming up.<br />
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Flexibility and strength training need to go hand in hand in order to develop a functional range of movement. A lack of active control over joint range of motion (as is often the case in dancers) can predispose them to injury. Dancers would do well to look into replacing flexibility training with strength training. Flexibility is already catered for through the course of a typical dance class, and any dancer who has been training for several years will have reached the maximal degree of flexibility of which their body is capable. They then need to ensure their strength levels catch up and they can make full use of joint range of motion.Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-83085341216023023322013-06-16T18:36:00.000+01:002013-06-16T18:36:54.706+01:00Fitness for dance...not dance fitnessFor sedentary individuals, taking up dance as a hobby or a past time can undoubtably have a positive effect on their overall health, fitness and well being, just as taking up any physical discipline can have a positive effect. Movements such as Zumba, aerobics, Jazzercise etc are all forms of dance fitness; as well as the plethora of community dance classes across a range of disciplines. While great at getting otherwise sedentary individuals into physical exercise, dance fitness has no relevance to the dance professional.<br />
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<a href="http://media-cache-ak2.pinimg.com/736x/2c/7f/e8/2c7fe87abcee519025b4fad44e214c45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ak2.pinimg.com/736x/2c/7f/e8/2c7fe87abcee519025b4fad44e214c45.jpg" height="200" width="151" /></a>As far as physical fitness goes, for the professional (or preprofessional) dancer, dance training alone is not enough. If you are serious about your dance performance you should <b><u>get fit in order to dance</u>,</b> not dance to get fit. This means training outwith your technique and performance classes, to prepare the body for the demands you throw at it. Strength, aerobic, interval, plyometric and flexibility training are all necessary in order to condition your body to perform at the highest level.<br />
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Every professional athlete and sportsman/woman will train not only in their discipline, but <b>for</b> their discipline. A sprinter does not only sprint in their training sessions, a golfer does not spend all their time swinging clubs and a dancer should not spend all their time working on repetoire and syllabus.<br />
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In order to perform for the duration of a class, rehearsal or performance, the cardiovascular system needs to be developed. Aerobic endurance should be developed, so that the dancer can perform for prolonged period of time, and interval training should be used to allow the dancer to develop the capacity to perform full out for repeated short, high-intensity bursts.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>It takes a lot of effort to make dance look effortless.</i></span></blockquote>
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Strength should be developed to prevent injury, stabilise joints, increase bodily control, improve speed, raise extensions, promote greater elevation and increase power output. Resistance training is necessary to build strength levels, while plyometric training will increase the body's power, allowing for higher jetes, neater fouette turns and sharper movement. Flexibility training should be coupled with strength training, increasing range of motion while increasing your physical strength to control and showcase the ROM your body is capable of.<br />
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Dancers should seek to condition the body for dance performance. The athleticism needed to perform at the highest level requires hard work and preparation. It takes a lot of effort to make dance look effortless. The best way to improve and expand your body's physical capabilities is to think outside the dance studio and develop your physical skills and strength. Becoming fit to dance is crucial in preventing injury, prolonging careers and maximising performance potential.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0NomKocdApB_vpmDWYg8NBfxibJCv2cP7RTlxAl2MS688biNa7HzoyMzZluGhl8Bw6CfBi38EJPrzcCwgx-xiy4y_NDX1P7xDLdd93a4qkF2yAOx-nRO1lpl5Fx9yOIR3yB5eN4fR4sf/s1600/May+05,+2013+-+0047+COLOUR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0NomKocdApB_vpmDWYg8NBfxibJCv2cP7RTlxAl2MS688biNa7HzoyMzZluGhl8Bw6CfBi38EJPrzcCwgx-xiy4y_NDX1P7xDLdd93a4qkF2yAOx-nRO1lpl5Fx9yOIR3yB5eN4fR4sf/s1600/May+05,+2013+-+0047+COLOUR.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a>In the Atalanta workshops that have taken place over the last couple of weeks, we have been focussing on building strength levels in order to improve active flexibility. Workshops have incorporated bodyweight and partner conditioning drills, looking to improve the dancers' ability to utilise their flexibility levels to their full extent.<br />
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We've also held a recent workshop with final year BA Dance students looking at using plyometrics to enhance floorwork; emphasising upper body conditioning as many of the dancers had relatively weak upper body strength compared with lower. The workshops have all been studio based, giving the dancers a means of conditioning and working on supplemental training within the spaces that are readily available to them. All the exercises and drills have been geared toward the specific movement patterns and demands of dance, so that the dancers can see the practical applications of the work done within conditioning sessions.<br />
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If you have any questions or enquiries about conditioning workshops, feel free to get in touch.Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-27291099017829332932013-05-29T21:08:00.000+01:002013-05-29T21:08:56.981+01:00Staying active during injury recoveryFirst up before I say anything else - speak to your doctor/physio/surgeon before you go hell for leather into any training routine while you're injured. The last thing you want to do it prolong your recovery or worsen your existing injury. Also, there are times when giving your body a break for at least a couple of weeks might actually be the best thing for it. Speak to your doctor, assess your situation and make your decision.<br />
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Training when you're injured can have a lot of benefits if you do it safely; it can slow muscle atrophy if you have limb immobilied, maintain your existing fitness levels, or at least prevent them from dropping too far, and can lessen the psychological impacts of injury. Unfortunately if you're injured and want to stay active, you may have to accept that you won't be dancing for a while. This doesn't mean you can't work on specific aspects of technique or fitness, just be smart about it. Any time I've injured myself I've found boredom and frustration can be one of the worst aspects so finding a way to stay motivated and at least maintain a basic level of activity feels better than nothing.<br />
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If you want to try and keep dancing through it speak with your teachers or company director. There's no point going in attempting to be able to perform as per usual, or attempting to hide the injury from them. If you are going to work to keep your technique or company class going, without causing further injury, then you need your teacher to understand what the issue is and work with you on it. If you have a lower limb injury you can work on your port de bras, if it's upper limb depending on how you feel you can still do leg work, or at least maintain some aspects of barre repertoire. If your injury affects your back you are unlikely to have as many options, and it is definitely worth consulting a specialist instead of trying to assess what you can do yourself.<br />
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Aside from maintaining aspects of dance training, look to other activities to maintain your fitness and strength levels. Join a gym - as much as I'm not a fan of fixed weight machines, they can be a godsend when you are injured and have limited mobility or body parts that you have to go gentle on or keep immobilised. Swimming always gets touted as a means of exercise during injury and can help with rehabilitation and regaining range of motion following joint injuries. Look for low impact activities that will lessen strain on injured joints. Be creative, be sensible and find something that you can do safely.<br />
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Keeping active and maintaining your existing fitness levels will minimise recovery time for you getting back to performance. The body hates asymmetry, so even if you are working one side of your body while a limb on the other is completely immobilised, when you are able to safely work the injured limb again it will catch up with it's counterpart quickly. Maintaining your fitness levels will also allow you to go back to your previous level of performance more quickly while lessening likelihood of sustaining another injury due to a decrease in your strength and fitness.<br />
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Be careful not to overtrain or exhaust yourself, your body is expending extra energy to recover from the initial injury. Also be aware that injuries tend to affect the way your carry your entire body - so your balance, alignment and form are all liable to be thrown off for the duration of your recovery. Don't do anything that aggravates, causes pain or discomfort to your injury, and do not take part in activities that risk further injury to it. A no pain no gain attitude isn't going to help the situation. At the end of the day your injury is temporary, and although you will want to get back to full fitness as soon as possible you've got to be patient and allow your body time to heal.<br />
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Continue training if it can be done safely, alter your training if you want to stay active but cannot dance on your injury, and if training with your injury feels too problematic then don't do it, it's not worth the risk of further trauma. Find a physio or trainer that you trust and is experienced in working with dancers and/or the specific injury that you have, speak to them about what you want to do and find a balance between allowing yourself to recover and maintaining a degree of physical activity.<br />
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-55876410163125786862013-05-24T14:26:00.002+01:002013-05-24T14:26:57.767+01:00UpdatesThe blog's been pretty quiet recently, but only because nothing else has! <br />
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There's been trial runs of new conditioning workshops that I'll post information on soon. The workshops have looked at building active flexibility (I'm still loving pushing developpe height) and utilising plyometrics to improve floor work (because the only thing more fun than rolling around on the floor is being able to bounce back off it). They've been a lot of fun and it's great to see the dancers pushing themselves to further develop aspects of training they'd previously not focussed so much on.<a name='more'></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo © Ed Flores: <a href="http://www.bodyandline.com/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">www.bodyandline.com</a></td></tr>
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I went down to the RAD conference in London a few weeks ago and got to spend a full weekend talking to people about dancer's health, arguing over the merits of olympic lifting and comparing recent injuries with my Masters supervisor (neither of ours thankfully were dance related). Some really interesting issues on dancer wellbeing were raised over the weekend, which again I'll discuss on here in the near future.<br />
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In the meantime however <a href="http://www.rebeccadalby.co.uk/news/fitness-training-for-dancers/">here's a guest post</a> I wrote for Bec Dalby Fitness on the importance of supplementary training.Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-44953578087133265102013-05-20T09:03:00.003+01:002013-05-22T13:45:26.213+01:00Hypermobility in dancers<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Despite hypermobility being a topic that is frequently discussed in both dance and dance science circles, it was not an area I've ever had a great interest in. My focus has generally been on supplemental strength training and endocrinology, and anything that falls outside of that I've been reluctant to delve into too deeply. That is until I was diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome after my most recent injury. Being the type of person I am, I can't be told something is affecting my body without then poring over every piece of information on the subject that I can get my hands on. I've never considered myself to have above average flexibility compared with both my dancer and non-dancer colleagues, in fact, my lack of hip flexibility and subsequent limited turnout had been a bone of contention for most of my performing life. Sure I had to resort to my knees rotating and sneakily compensating for what my hips lacked (terrible idea by the way), but the rest of my flexibility levels were pretty good so I accepted you can't win them all and figured I was working from a pretty typical physical start-point. I therefore assumed hypermobility wasn't going to be a problem that affected me. Turns out I was wrong - I was blessed with both average flexibility and sub-par joints. Hypermobility syndrome affects the stability and range of motion of several of, although not necessarily all the body's joints and subsequently can have a substantial impact on posture, joint pain, physical performance and proprioception. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hypermobility syndrome is more common in dance populations than in the general public. Why? Probably because hypermobility can present above average flexibility levels in many affected individuals, and individuals with above average flexibility levels are more likely to succeed in dance than those with poor flexibility levels. It is not caused by dance training, however aggressive stretching practices are likely to exacerbate existing joint instability. </span><br />
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Below is a brief overview of both hypermobility and hypermobility syndrome (note, they're not the same thing). Dance educators should be aware of the condition, of how it presents itself in dancers, and how to assist affected individuals in managing the condition and preventing injury. </span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What is hypermobility?</span></b></u><br />
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Hypermobility refers to a condition where a joint has a higher range of motion than is usual. An individual may present hypermobility in a lone joint, in a number of joints, or may have a hypermobile joint on one side of the body and not the other. </span><br />
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If the ligaments at a specific joint are lax, i.e. too loose or stretchy, their ability to stabilise the joint is compromised. Instability of the joints can predispose an individual to numerous injuries including sprains, strains and dislocations. Even without the presence of a specific injury, the most commonly cited side-effect of hypermobile joints is chronic (longterm) pain. Hypermobility can be identified by means of the Beighton score.</span><br />
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<b>The Beighton score</b></span><br />
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The Beighton score consists of a series of nine tests. A positive result on each test gives a score of 1 point. The tests are:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Can the individual put their hands flat on the floor with knees straight? </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Can the individual bend one or both of their elbows backwards (straightening beyond straight)? </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Can the individual bend one or both of their knees backwards (straightening beyond straight)?</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Can the individual bend one or both of their thumbs back on to the front of your forearm? </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Can the individual bend one or both of their little fingers to 90 degrees towards the back of the hand?</span></li>
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A score of 2 or less is considered normal, however an individual scoring 4 or more is considered hypermobile.</span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hypermobility Syndrome</span></b></u><br />
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Hypermobility Syndrome is a medical condition wherein an individual presents hypermobile joints combined with other symptoms. Hypermobility Syndrome is diagnosed by the Brighton Criteria, which incorporates the Beighton score discussed above.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Brighton Criteria - Major Criteria</span></b><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.2px;">A Beighton score of 4 or more</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Joint pain exceeding 3 months in duration in 4 or more joints</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Brighton Criteria - Minor Criteria</span></b><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 1.4em;">having a Beighton score of 1-3 </span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 1.4em;">having joint pain for longer than 3 months in 1-3 joints, back pain for longer than 3 months, spinal arthritis or spondylolisthesis </span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 1.4em;">dislocating more than 1 joint or the same joint more than once</span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 1.4em;">having 3 or more injuries to your soft tissues, such as tenosynovitis or bursitis </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">having</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4em;"> particular physical characteristics called Marfanoid habitus – this includes being tall and slim and having long, slim fingers</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 1.4em;">having abnormal skin, such as thin and stretchy skin</span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 1.4em;">eye-related symptoms, varicose veins or a hernia </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">An individual with 2 major criteria, 1 major and 2 minor, or 4 minor criteria may be diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome. </span></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hypermobility in dancers</span></b></u><br />
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Due to the expectation of above average flexibility, hypermobility can often be seen as an advantage for a dancer. However joint instability is detrimental to performance and predisposes the dancer to injury, due to increased likelihood of dislocation, as well as the negative effect it has on development of proprioception and balance.</span><br />
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Hypermobility often contributes to poor posture, with individuals slouching and "hanging" into their hypermobile joints. This may be due to these unusual positions feeling more stable for hypermobile individuals than correct posture.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Proprioception and hypermobility</span></b><br />
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A high degree of proprioception is essential in dancers. Proprioception refers to the awareness of the body in space - a "6th sense" of where the physical body is. If standing with the eyes closed and being asked to touch the left hand to the left ear, it is the sense of proprioception that allows us to guide our hand there without a visual cue. In dancers, this skill is essential for control of alignment, technique, choreography, and working with other dancers. </span><br />
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Hypermobility can negatively effect the dancer's sense of proprioception. Hypermobile dancers may often appear more clumsy and be more injury-prone than dancers without the condition. Extra proprioceptive training is required for hypermobile dancers to gain greater control of their joints. </span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dance-specific issues caused by hypermobility</span></b></u><br />
<br /><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Swayback Knees</span></b><br />
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"Swayback" knees are commonly referred to in dance classes, when the knee appears to go past the stage of being straight. Teachers and choreographers should recognise this as a display of a hypermobile joint, not merely as a problem in alignment or technique.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pulling up the quadriceps can help to correct the swayback of the knees, however extensive training may be required for the dancer to be able to identify between the sensation of correct and incorrect positioning.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pronation of the feet in 1st position</span></b><br />
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1st position can be especially problematic for hypermobile dancers. Instances of "rolling in" the feet are a common sign of hypermobility when standing in 1st position. Teaching increased activation of the quadriceps and adductors may help to correct the positioning, however pronation may need to be addressed by both podiatrist and physiotherapist if hypermobility is causing significant over-pronation.</span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Considerations in working with hypermobile dancers</span></b></u></div>
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When working with hypermobile dancers, the priority should be management of the condition, allowing the dancer to continue training and minimise likelihood of injury. Be aware that hypermobility syndrome may cause significant joint pain in certain individuals. Hypermobility causes a wide spectrum of problems, and while some individuals may suffer minimal joint pain, others may experience chronic pain at several joint sites. If a dancer suspects hypermobility to be the cause of chronic joint pain they should speak with a medical practitioner about pain management. While increases in stability achieved through strength training may control pain in some individuals, it is unlikely to be effective for those with more severe symptoms.</span><br />
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<a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ba/88/9d/ba889d5f87556f5eb1b73f299f8f0df1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ba/88/9d/ba889d5f87556f5eb1b73f299f8f0df1.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Correction of alignment and posture may be needed in several instances, and due to the high degree of ROM in certain joints, additional work may be needed to help the dancer learn the feel of correct positioning. For example, you may need to work to help the dancer relearn the correct alignment of standing in first position, to avoid pronation of the feet and the knees collapsing inwards. This internally rotated position may intuitively <i>feel</i> correct for the hypermobile dancer's body, and so retraining of the most simple positions may be required to ensure they are not allowing cause problems in technical alignment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In order to decrease likelihood of injury in the hypermobile dancer, strength training is essential. Both alignment and control can be improved in hypermobile individuals through effective strength training programmes. Improving strength levels is crucial in minimising the likelihood of the dancer developing minor soft tissue injuries, as well as major injuries such as joint dislocations as the muscle can compensate for ligament laxity. As strength training can improve the ability of the dancer to maintain and control correct alignment, it can also prevent the onset of muscle imbalances developed from prolonged training with incorrect posture. Minimising occurences of muscle imbalance further protects the hypermobile dancer from suffering injury. Unfortunately there is no guaranteed way of neutralising the problem of joint-hypermobility, and the hypermobile dancer will be more predisposed to injury than the non-hypermobile, however it is crucial that steps are taken to minimise risk wherever possible.</span><br />
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Be aware that hypermobility syndrome may also cause significant joint pain in certain individuals. Hypermobility causes a wide spectrum of problems, and while some individuals may suffer minimal joint pain, others may experience chronic pain at several joint sites. If a dancer suspects hypermobility to be the cause of chronic joint pain they should speak with a medical practitioner about pain management. While increases in stability achieved through strength training may control pain in some individuals, it is unlikely to be effective for those with more severe symptoms.</span></div>
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-76433931087906826632013-04-15T08:29:00.002+01:002013-04-15T08:29:52.677+01:00An overview of injury in danceDance medicine and science practitioners focus predominantly on three interlinked areas - injury prevention, healthier dance practice and the development of peak performance. When working towards these goals, it can be useful to take a step back and consider the extent of the healthcare issues facing dancers that must be addressed. Injury is the key factor in this, as neither healthy dance practice and peak performance cannot be achieved without addressing the significant problem of injury occurence in the dance profession.<br />
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Instances of injury are excessively high in the dancers. Across all disciplines of dance musculoskeletal injury is common in both student and professional dancers. Pushing the body to it's limits and the evolution of evermore demanding choreography means that dance will always be a risky profession; this does not mean however that steps cannot be taken to reduce the risk.<br />
Collecting data on dance injury can be problematic due to dancers often being reluctant to report physical problems to directors or company doctors out of fear of losing professional position or opportunity. Therefore in many studies on dance injury, anonymous self-reporting has proven more useful than company medical records, as is the case with the studies discussed below. The extent of the problem, when providing the security of anonymity to dancers, is shown to be much wider than official company records state. What follows is a brief overview of the issue according to published research.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Defining Injury</u></h3>
Injury means different things to difference people, and so it can be difficult to come to a common definition that can be used effectively to collect reliable, meaningful data.<br />
For the purposes of dance science research, the two following descriptions of injury are useful - <br />
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<ol>
<li>"A pain or musculoskeletal condition resulting from training that is sufficient to disrupt or discontinue typical training routine in terms of form, duration, intensity or frequency" </li>
<li>"A physical or psychological problem deriving from stress or other causes to do with performance, rehearsal, training, touring or the circumstances of dance life"</li>
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<u>Injury Frequency</u></h3>
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<ul>
<li>A 2011 study found that 377/500 dancers studied reported injury within the past 12 months -75% of the dancers.</li>
<li>In a 1996 study of 658 British dancers, 83% of ballet dancers, 84% of contemporary dancers and 83% of dance students reported injury within a 12 month period.</li>
<li>A1988 study found 81% of dancers included in the study sustained injury during their career, with 42% of those in the 6 months preceding the study.</li>
<li>A 1994 report found 76% of musical theatre dancers reported injury during their career.</li>
<li>A 1982 study of Ballet West found 90% of ballet dancers being injured during their career.</li>
<li>In a Swedish study from 1994, 95% of professional ballet dancers reported injury within a 12 month period.</li>
<li>A 1996 study noted 56% of Broadway dancers were found to have been injured over a 12 month period</li>
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From these sample of studies, it is safe to say that not only will the majority of dancers will suffer injury during their career, but the majority will suffer injury in any given 1 year period.</div>
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<h3>
<u>Injury Sites</u></h3>
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1996's excellent report into dance injury, 'Fit to Dance? The Report of the National Inquiry into Dancers' Health and Injury', took a comprehensive look at the types of injury sustained in dance.</div>
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<i>Most Common Injury Sites Across All Dance Disciplines:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Lower back (45% dancers presenting injury)</li>
<li>Knees (34% dancers presenting injury)</li>
<li>Ankles (32% dancers presenting injury)</li>
<li>Feet (22% dancers presenting injury)</li>
</ul>
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<i>Most Common Injury Sites in Ballet Dancers:</i></div>
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Lower back, ankles, feet, knees</div>
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<i>Most Common Injury Sites in Contemporary Dancers:</i></div>
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Lower back, knees, neck, ankles</div>
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<i>Most Common Injury Sites in Other Dance Professionals:</i></div>
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Lower back, ankles, knees, neck</div>
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Male dancers were shown to have higher instances of lower back, shoulder and neck injury than female dancers, however female dancers showed higher instances of foot injury than males. These findings are probably due to the the lifting requirements for male dancers, and the use of pointe work in females.</div>
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<h3>
<u>Causes of Injury</u></h3>
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Numerous factors can contribute to incidence of injury. From the literature, the most common contributing factors to dance injury are:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Poor fitness levels</li>
<li>Fatigue/Overwork</li>
<li>Unsuitable flooring</li>
<li>Repetitive Strain</li>
<li>Ignoring early warning signs</li>
</ul>
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<u><br /></u></h3>
<h3>
<u>Injury Prevention</u></h3>
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While it is impossible to eradicate the risk of injury, steps can be taken to minimise the likelihood of injury occurring and protect the body by addressing the common types and causes of dance injury. </div>
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<ul>
<li>Improved physical fitness will reduce the onset of fatigue, allowing the dancer to perform for longer at a with less physical stress on the body</li>
<li>Improved strength levels will decrease likeihood of muscular injury, stabilise joints therefore decreasing likelihood of sprains, strains and dislocations and minimise likelihood of stress fractures.</li>
<li>Upper body strength training is especially important in male dancers due to the high instances of back, neck and shoulder injury.</li>
<li>Lower limb strength training in female dancers will increase foot and ankle strength and stability, decreasing likelihood of foot and ankle injury. Owing to the chance of muscle imbalances developing, a whole body strength training programme is recommended. </li>
<li>Dance facilitators should book rehearsal and performance space in environments with suitable flooring, this means sprung dance floors that will put less strain on the joints.</li>
<li>Overtraining should be avoided, and any development of pain or excessive fatigue on any joint, limb or muscle group should result in a change of training routine.</li>
<li>Dancers should move away from the "no pain no gain" mentality, and recognise pain as a warning sign from the body. Working through pain should not be promoted or rewarded.</li>
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<u>References</u></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fit to Dance? The Report of the National Inquiry into Dancers' Health and Injury. Brinson and Dick. 1996.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bowling, A. (1989) Injuries to dancers: prevalence, treatment and perceptions of causes. British Medical Journal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kitchin, C. (1994) Musical theatre: a dance injury survey. Dancing Times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ryan, A. and Stephens, R. (1989) The epidemiology of dance injuries. The Healthy Dancer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Evans, R. et al. (1996) A survey of injuries among Broadway performers. American Journal of Public Health. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ramel, E. and Moritz, U. (1994) Self-reported musculoskeletal pain and discomfort in professional ballet dancers in Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Campoy FA et al. (2011) Investigation of risk factors and characteristics of dance injuries. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.</span></div>
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-10782122496088021002013-03-27T08:48:00.000+00:002013-03-27T08:48:38.407+00:00Nutrition - ProteinIt is essential when following a low calorie diet, as many dancers are, that nutrient intake is monitored and you ensure you are providing your body with adequate provision of carbs, protein and fat. Protein is an essential macronutrient that contributes to the formation and repair of muscle and other tissues. It is also required for metabolic processes, formation of antibodies making it crucial to the immune system, hormone synthesis, and even functioning as an energy source when carbohydrate and fat stores are depleted (i.e. in cases of starvation, exhaustion or extreme endurance exercise).<br />
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Dietary protein has additional benefits including increased feelings of satiety (making you feel fuller), higher thermic effect during metabolism than fats or carbs (meaning consumption of dietary protein may increase your metabolic rate) and increased protein turnover (regeneration of body tissue). Protein contains nitrogen, enabling it to form amino acids. There are 20 amino acids that the adult body needs, classified as either essential or non-essential amino acids. The 9 essential amino acids cannot be made in the body and therefore must be provided for through protein sources in our diet. So protein does one hell of a lot for us, and we need to ensure that even when controlling energy intake in low calorie diets, we are meeting our bodies' requirements.<br />
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Animal protein sources are preferable to vegetable sources as they are considered "complete" sources of protein, meaning they contain all 9 essential amino acids. Vegetable sources ("incomplete" proteins) all lack at least one of the essential amino acids. This means vegetarians and vegans should be careful to combine proteins to ensure all essential amino acids are included in their diets.<br />
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When in intense physical training, the body requires a higher amount of protein than sedentary individuals to ensure adequate resources are available for muscles to rebuild and grow and for cell and tissue regeneration around the body. For most individuals, dietary protein intake is sufficient to provide for protein requirements; however, for individuals on low calorie diets, as dancers often are, or those who have relatively low protein diets (including vegetarians and vegans), protein supplementation may be useful in helping achieve optimal intakes.<br />
There's always debate on how much protein athletes do or don't need, how much is useful and how much can be effectively utilised by the body. The official line used to be that 20g per meal was the optimal amount for protein synthesis, and anything over and above this was wasted. It has since been shown that the body can benefit from higher amounts, it is just processed and utilised more gradually. It is worth noting that this guideline was set on protein synthesis, looking at the the interplay of dietary protein and muscle, and does not refer to the much more extensive role protein has to play in the body, as noted above.<br />
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The body cannot store protein in the same way it can store fat or glycogen and therefore it is necessary to regularly provide the body with dietary protein. There optimal amount of protein to be consumed daily is a contested area between dietitians, sport scientists and medical specialists. For highly active individuals, advice tends to recommend anything between 1-2g per kg of body weight per day. The most commonly advised figure is 1.8g per kg body weight, meaning a reasonable guide is between 99-110g per day for a 55kg dancer. Again it comes down to what works for you, if you feel better, stronger, healthier on around 90g a day, go with that. If you are happier at 110g and up, then up your protein intake to that level. Excess protein intake had previously been linked to kidney problems, however recent studies have shown that high protein intake causes no negative effects on individuals who do not have pre-existing kidney conditions.<br />
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High protein, low carbohydrate diets are most commonly used - out with specific medical conditions - in individuals looking to alter body composition and so, assuming the dancer is looking at maintenance of current body composition and providing optimal energy availability, low carbohydrate diets should be avoided. Specific diets to alter body composition aren't discussed here, however it should be noted that it is worth doing a considerable amount of research before embarking on any significant changes while in full-time training, as it is absolutely crucial to ensure you are meeting your daily energy and nutrient requirements.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bouillanne O, Curis E, Hamon-Vilcot B, Nicolis I, Chrétien P, Schauer N, Vincent JP, Cynober L, Aussel C. (2012)Impact of protein pulse feeding on lean mass in malnourished and at-risk hospitalized elderly patients: A randomized controlled trial. <i>Clinical Nutrition</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Campbell, B. and Spano, M. (2010) </span><i style="font-size: small;">NCSA’s Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition</i><span style="font-size: x-small;">. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Deutz, Nicolaas E. and Wolfe, Robert R. (2012) Is there a maximal anabolic response to protein intake with a meal? <i>Clinical Nutrition.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardman, A.E. (2008) Exercise, Nutrition and Health, in Maughan, R. J. (ed.) Nutrition in Sport: Olympic Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine vol. VII. Chichester: Wiley, pp. 39-53.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Koutedakis, Y. and Sharp, N. (1999) <i>The Fit and Healthy Dancer.</i> Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Phillips, S.M. (2006) Dietary Protein for Athletes: from requirements to metabolic advantage. <i>Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism,</i> 31, pp. 647-654.</span><br />
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-77400705166609481582013-03-25T06:52:00.000+00:002013-03-25T06:52:12.202+00:00Timetabling in full-time training<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dance schools, conservatoires and companies have a responsibility to care for the overall health and well-being of the dancers they work with. This means on top of technical training providing measures for injury prevention, fitness training, nutritional support, psychological support and a measured approach to workload. Training frequency and scheduling is often waylaid due to other concerns; timetabling tends to be based on what is convenient for studio space or teacher availability, rather than what makes the most sense for the dancers. Scheduling of training can have a significant effect on the dancer's performance and well-being and it is important that companies and schools recognise the implications of their timetabling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In any given training day, technical class should come before conditioning. This means in both pre-professional or professional institutions, ballet, contemporary or classes for other specific disciplines should be timetabled for the mornings, with any physical conditioning classes occurring later in the day. The neuromuscular control required for aerobic or strength training will typically be less than that required in technical class or rehearsal; i.e. running requires a lower level of neuromuscular control than technical choreography does. Technique should always be worked on before the dancer is fatigued to lessen likelihood of injury occurring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The ideal recovery time for positive physical adaptations to occur is 48 hours. Anymore and positive gains will be lost; less than 24 hours and the body is not given adequate recovery time. Two training sessions per muscle group per week are adequate to produce optimal adaptive response. Higher training frequency may lead to overtraining of the muscle, producing suboptimal results.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If using any high intensity training as part of a conditioning programme, it is crucial to leave at least a day between sessions to allow the body to recover and avoid overtraining. When working with an athletic population it is important to balance the overall workload, i.e. technique, repetoire and supplementary training. Conditioning work for an individual in full-time training requires a more considered approach to recovery than individuals in recreational training as the body continues to be taxed during other periods of the working day such as technical class and rehearsal. In pre-professional training, theory components or lower intensity classes such as choreography or pedagogy should intersperse higher-intensity classes such as technique or conditioning to provide opportunities for physical recovery.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Key points:</span></u></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Technical training should occur earlier in the day than conditioning</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Strength training sessions should be spaced at least 1 day apart - this is especially important with high intensity training</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Technique classes should not be more than 2 days apart</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Intersperse days of high training load with days of lower training load</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Classes and rehearsals should not exceed 90 minutes without a break</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Schedule rest periods throughout the day</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A maximum of three training sessions/week on any specific fitness parameter is recommended to avoid development of overtraining symptoms</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Individuals in full-time training may find lower frequency of conditioning sessions (twice a week) are vastly preferable to higher frequency (3-4 times a week) depending on the overall workload.</span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Lois Green 1993</td></tr>
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-45360427804485653782013-03-21T22:40:00.003+00:002013-03-24T17:55:38.656+00:00Research Update: Warm Up & Stretching<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>A new study has been published in the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science looking at the effect of varying stretching protocols during warm-up on dance performance. Warm-up is a much neglected are of dance research and it's great to see work being conducted in this area</i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: justify;">Acute Effects of Warm-up Stretch Protocols on Balance, Vertical Jump Height, and Range of Motion in Dancers (2013)</b><br />
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<b style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Morrin N, Redding E. <i>Journal of Dance Medicine and Science</i>, 17(1), pp.34-40.</b></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Background and Purpose</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stretching is typically a central component of warm-up for physical activity, and is frequently used in dance. Dancers are required to demonstrate prowess in numerous physical skills including power, balance and flexibility. Existing research in exercise science suggests stretching has a negative effect on muscular performance. This study aimed to look at the effect of various stretching protocols on specific physical parameters in contemporary dancers.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Study</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The study looked at the effect of three different stretching warm-up protocols in dancers as well as a no stretching control group, on dancers' vertical jump height, range of motion and balance. The researchers looked at the effect of the following 4 warm-up protocols:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Static stretching</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dynamic stretching</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A combination of static and dynamic stretching</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No stretching</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The participants carried out a cardiovascular warm-up before moving onto one of the 4 stretching protocols. The participants were then immediately tested in the following 3 areas: vertical jump height, hamstring range of motion and balance.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What did the results show?</span></u></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Both dynamic stretching and the combination warm up resulted in significantly better vertical jump height performance than static stretching</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The combination warm-up resulted in significantly better balance than static stretching</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Static stretching and combination warm-up resulted in significantly better range of motion than dynamic stretching</span></li>
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<u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What did the researchers conclude?</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The researchers concluded that static stretching did not appear to have a negative effect on dancer performance and that although dynamic stretching displayed some benefits, they were not significant in all three areas tested. The researchers recommended use of combined warm-up protocol as an effective method of warm-up for dancers.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What are the limitations of the study?</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The study tested the effect of various warm-up protocol on 3 areas of dance performance - vertical jump height, range of motion and balance. The study did not look at the effect of these warm-up protocols on on muscle fatigue or EMG outputs. Considering the existing body of research in exercise science that suggests static stretching may be detrimental to muscular power output and contributes to an increase muscle fatigue, it would be useful to examine the effects of the various warm-up protocols on these fitness parameters in dancers.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What can we take from this study?</span></u></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An aerobic warm-up followed by dynamic or combination stretching has a positive effect on jump height</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An aerobic warm-up followed by combination stretching has a positive effect on balance</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An aerobic warm-up followed by static or combination stretching has a positive effect on range of motion</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This study reaffirms the position that static and dynamic stretching have differing effects on muscle performance, this suggests a considered approach as to the use of each should be taken to maximise performance. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The study reaffirms the position that static stretching is effective in producing gains in muscular range of motion.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The study, in both it's strengths and limitations, show the need for more research on warm-up and stretching protocols on dance performance.</span></li>
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-51089277470292874972013-03-14T06:39:00.002+00:002013-03-15T17:44:46.832+00:00Nutrition and Injury RecoveryI'm currently typing this one-handed, sitting banged up at home with my first serious injury in about 4 years. I dislocated my elbow at the start of the week and will be spending the foreseeable future in the world's least stylish full-arm cast and not lifting anything heavier than a teacup. Awesome. So it seems as good a time as any to discuss options for injury rehab, recovery nutrition and finding some way to not just bow down and give up for several weeks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a good look.</td></tr>
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Injuries are a nightmare, aside from the pain and the damage you've caused yourself, they stop you doing what you love, and usually a big part of the depression people encounter post-injury is from a feeling of helplessness. The bottom line is you need to let your body heal, it might take a week, or it might take a year, but your body needs to have time to do its job. There are things you can do however to help your body along, and optimise conditions for it to heal itself, as well as maintaining your fitness levels, avoiding weight gain or loss and minimising the decline in your physical strength and well-being.<br />
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<b><u>Nutrition for Injury Recovery</u></b><br />
I first started looking into nutrition and injuries years ago following a knee injury and being desperate to do something, anything, to encourage my body to heal. It was something none of my doctors discussed with me, but when I started looking into it there was a substantial catalogue of research on the subject. Just as nutrition plays a major role in contributing to your general health and physical performance, it can make a significant difference to how well and how quickly your body repairs itself following injury.<br />
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<b>Calorie Intake</b><br />
Depending on the individual and the sport or activity involved, a major concern of injury will be the prospect of unwanted weight-gain or weight-loss. First off, remember your injury is temporary, so changes to your body will not be permanent, it can all be reversed. If you are immobilised in a cast, particularly lower limb, you may lose weight due to a loss of muscle mass. Unfortunately not a huge amount can be done when you are unable to move a limb, however adequate calorie intake and adequate protein intake will slow the degree of muscle wastage.<br />
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Carbohydrate requirements are lowered when activity levels decrease as you will not be depleting your body's glycogen stores. Instead focus on quality protein sources, dietary fats rich in omega 3's and nutrient dense fruits and vegetables.<br />
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When your body is repairing itself, basal metabolic rate can increase by 15-20%. In cases of major surgery this can go up to as much as 50% - so don't starve your body or you won't provide it with the energy it requires to heal itself. Be aware however that if you are unable to exercise, or are greatly having to reduce your physical activity, you will be burning less calories than when training at full health.<br />
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If your calorie requirements when training are 2800/day, and without training 2000/day, factor in a 20% rise above your sedentary needs to account for the rise in basal metabolic rate, and your calorie requirements are 2400/day. If you know your calorie requirements when training, it shouldn't be difficult to work out requirements when injured. If you can't work out your specific requirements keep weighing yourself, and if you are losing or gaining more than usual adjust your intake accordingly.<br />
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<b>Inflammation</b><br />
Regardless of what type of injury you sustain, the immediate result will be inflammation. Inflammation is typically characterised by pain, swelling and heat and is usually the point that your injury feels most severe, the acute phase over the first 5 or so days. Your body uses inflammation as a means of repair - clearing out dead and damaged cells and producing new ones, and as such, inflammation is a necessary part of the healing process. That said, excess inflammation is damaging and should be controlled. Inflammation following injury is typically controlled by NSAIDs (Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen), however it can be more effective to manage inflammation through nutrition.<br />
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<u>Dietary fats</u><br />
Dietary fats are a means of managing inflammation post-injury. Omega 3's and mono-unsaturated fats will help reduce inflammation, while Omega 6's and saturated fats will exacerbate it. In practical terms then you want to increase your intake of "good" fats, and decrease your intake of "bad" fats.<br />
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<li>Take 3-9g fish oil daily</li>
<li>Eat nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil (use it as dressing, not for cooking) daily</li>
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As well as fats there are numerous other nutrients shown to be effective in managing inflammation.<br />
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<u>Bromelain</u><br />
Bromelain is a protein digestive enzyme found in pineapple that has been shown to have incredibly potent anti-inflammatory properties. Benefits have been seen from as little as 200mg/day, however supplementation of between 500-1000mg/day is considered optimal for inflammation control. Unless you intend to eat vast quantities of pineapple (including the stem) each day, it is easier to meet bromelain requirements through dietary supplements.<br />
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<u>Tumeric</u><br />
A staple ingredient of curry, the spice tumeric, or to be more specific curcumin which is found in tumeric has a well documented track record for controlling inflammation. 1200-1800mg/day is recommended for effective control of inflammation. Again, unless you eat a lot of curry with a lot of tumeric in it, dietary supplements are the easiest way to achieve recommended intake.<br />
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<u>Garlic</u><br />
Garlic extract is known for a range of health benefits, not least it's anti-inflammatory properties. Again this is an easy and effective means of assisting your body in the inflammation stage. To get enough to have a significant effect, eating 2-4 cloves of garlic, or supplementing with 600-1000mg of AGE (aged garlic extract).<br />
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<u>Vitamin A</u><br />
As stated above, inflammation is a necessary part of recovery, and during the acute phase, vitamin A can support the cellular regeneration work by supporting inflammatory response. Vitamin A also supports collagen repair and so is crucial in repair of soft tissue injury. 10,000 IU/day is adequate for the acute phase (up to 4 weeks).<br />
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<b>Remodelling</b><br />
So after the inflammation stage, your body still has a whole lot of work to do and a long way to go in repairing and rebuilding tissue around the site of injury. Whether you've damaged bone and sustained a fracture or caused trauma to soft tissue, your body needs to repair, remodel and rebuild through production of new tissue.<br />
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<u>Protein</u><br />
Protein provides the building blocks for tissue repair. While protein intake is important for athletes during normal training it is even more important during injury recovery. At a minimum you should be taking 1g protein per kg bodyweight daily, ideally up to 2g/kg. If you can't make this quota through dietary sources use protein supplementation. Even without exercise, daily whey protein (one of the 2 milk proteins) consumption has been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.<br />
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<u>Vitamin C</u><br />
Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen synthesis, and can help minimise muscle inflammation and damage. It is also important for modulating the immune system and as such can help individuals recovering from surgery and injuries. Aim for 1g- 2 g/day when injured.<br />
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<u>Copper and Zinc</u><br />
Copper helps with the formation of red blood cells, contributes to formation of elastin and can strengthen connective tissue. In the more acute stages of injury - up to 4 weeks - 2-4mg/day is recommended. Zinc is necessary for cell division and protein synthesis. It plays an important role in immune function and is important for wound repair and infection prevention.15mg/day zinc is recommended if your activity levels have reduced to sedentary through injury, 30mg/day if you are continuing to exercise.<br />
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High ingestion of either mineral may cause a deficiency in the other, so to ensure the body is provided with adequate provision of both, supplementation of both minerals is recommended.<br />
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<b><u>Summary</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>Stay hydrated - your body needs fluids to transport nutrients so don't fall at the first hurdle. Don't be tempted to starve yourself to avoid weight-gain, your body requires energy to heal, however energy intake should be reduced slightly from training intakes. Initial priority is management of inflammation, followed by providing your body the required nutrients to remodel the site of injury.<br />
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<b>Inflammation</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.iheartdance.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/injuies1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.iheartdance.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/injuies1.jpg" height="154" width="200" /></a>
<li>Take 3-9g fish oil daily</li>
<li>Eat nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil (use it as dressing, not for cooking) daily</li>
<li>Bromelain 500-1000mg daily</li>
<li>Tumeric/Curcumin 5-8mg/day</li>
<li>Aged Garlic Extract 600-1000mg</li>
<li>Vitamin A 10,000 IU/day for up to 4 weeks</li>
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<b>Remodelling</b></div>
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<li>Increase protein intake up to 2g/kg body weight daily. Eat lean protein with every meal.</li>
<li>Vitamin C - supplement to 1/2g daily</li>
<li>Copper 2-4mg/daily</li>
<li>Zinc 15-30mg/daily</li>
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<span style="color: #999999;">References</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Bloomer RJ, Larson DE, Fisher-Wellman KH, Galpin AJ, Schilling BK. (2009) Effect of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid on resting and exercise-induced inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers: a randomized, placebo controlled, cross-over study. <i>Lipids in Health and Disease, </i>8(36).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Buford TW, Cooke MB, Redd LL, Hudson GM, Shelmadine BD, Willoughby DS. (2009) Protease supplementation improves muscle function after eccentric exercise. <i>Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise</i>, 41(10).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Chainani-Wu N, Madden E, Lozada-Nur F, Silverman S Jr. (2012) High-dose curcuminoids are efficacious in the reduction in symptoms and signs of oral lichen planus. <i>Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology</i>, 66(5).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Dangardt F, Osika W, Chen Y, Nilsson U, Gan LM, Gronowitz E, Strandvik B, Friberg P. (2010) Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation improves vascular function and reduces inflammation in obese adolescents. <i>Atherosclerosis</i>, 212(2).Hanai H, Iida T, Takeuchi K, et al., (2006) Curcumin maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis: randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. <i>Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology</i>, 4(12).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Khajehdehi P, Pakfetrat M, Javidnia K, et al., (2011) Oral supplementation of turmeric attenuates proteinuria, transforming growth factor-β and interleukin-8 levels in patients with overt type 2 diabetic nephropathy: a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study. <i>Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology</i>, 45(5).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Belury MA, Andridge R, Malarkey WB, Glaser R. (2011) Omega-3 supplementation lowers inflammation and anxiety in medical students: a randomized controlled trial. <i>Brain, Behaviour and Immunity,</i> 25(8).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Kim EC, Kim TK, Park SH, Kim MS. (2012) The wound healing effects of vitamin A eye drops after a corneal alkali burn in rats. <i>Acta Ophthamologica</i>, 90(7).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Nakhostin-Roohi B, Babaei P, Rahmani-Nia F., et al.(2008) Effect of vitamin C supplementation on lipid peroxidation, muscle damage and inflammation after 30-min exercise at 75% VO2max. <i>Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness,</i> 48(2).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Pennings B, Groen B, de Lange A. (2012) Amino acid absorption and subsequent muscle protein accretion following graded intakes of whey protein in elderly men. <i>American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, </i>302(8).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Pot GK, Brouwer IA, Enneman A, Rijkers GT, Kampman E, Geelen A. (2009) No effect of fish oil supplementation on serum inflammatory markers and their interrelationships: a randomized controlled trial in healthy, middle-aged individuals. <i>European Journal of Clinical Nutrition,</i> 63(11).Thompson D, Bailey DM, Hill J. (2004) Prolonged vitamin C supplementation and recovery from eccentric exercise. <i>European Journal of Applied Physiology, </i>92(1-2).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Sobouti B, Hooman N, Movahed M. (2013) The effect of vitamin E or vitamin A on the prevention of renal scarring in children with acute pyelonephritis. <i>Paediatric Nephrology</i>, 28(2).</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Vazquez-Prieto MA, Rodriguez Lanzi C, Lembo C, Galmarini CR, Miatello RM. (2011) Garlic and onion attenuates vascular inflammation and oxidative stress in fructose-fed rats. <i>Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Vega-López S, Kaul N, Devaraj S, Cai RY, German B, Jialal I. (2004) Supplementation with omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and all-rac alpha-tocopherol alone and in combination failed to exert an anti-inflammatory effect in human volunteers, <i>Metabolism, </i>53(2).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">Walker AF, Bundy R, Hicks SM, Middleton RW. (2002) Bromelain reduces mild acute knee pain and improves well-being in a dose-dependent fashion in an open study of otherwise healthy adults. <i>Phytomedicine</i>, 9(8).</span></div>
Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-21613486655781214502013-03-12T21:09:00.000+00:002013-03-12T21:39:39.486+00:00Dance Science ResourcesDance science is still very much in it's infancy and as such steady sources of reliable information - whether peer-reviewed research, journals, books, magazines or websites - can be hard to come by. As a dance educator, facilitator, choreographer, director, or artist, you have a duty of care to yourself and to those you work with, and the most important part of that is educating yourself.<br />
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Below is a short, non-exhaustive list of some of the most useful resources for reliable dance science information; some are dance-specific, others are more general in areas of sport, exercise or health but all are applicable and useful to those working within dance.<br />
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<b>Organisations</b><br />
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<a href="http://iadms.org/">International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS)</a><br />
The premier worldwide organisation for dance medicine and dance science, IADMS promotes health, well-being, training, and performance of dancers by cultivating educational, medical, and scientific excellence. The annual conference is the pinnacle of the dance science calendar, bringing together researchers and practitioners at the forefront of dance medicine and science. IADMS also published the quarterly Journal of Dance Medicine and Science.<br />
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<a href="http://iadms.org/">Dance UK</a><br />
UK based organisation aiming to improve the conditions in which dance is created, performed and experienced. Dance UK run a Healthier Dancer Programme, working to improve the physical and psychological health and well being of dancers, and run a biennial Healthier Dancer Conference. The website includes a <a href="http://www.danceuk.org/medical-practitioners-directory/">directory of dance-specialist medical practitioners</a> and <a href="http://www.danceuk.org/healthier-dancer-programme/healthier-dancer-talks/">speakers list for Healthier Dancer lectures</a> among other resources<br />
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<b>Books</b><br />
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The Fit and Healthy Dancer - Yiannis Koutedakis and Craig Sharp</u><br />
The Fit and Healthy Dancer should be on all dancers' bookshelves. It is accessible, authoritative and covers all aspects of dance physiology, health, fitness, injury prevention and training.<br />
I was lucky enough to study under Yiannis during my postgraduate studies, he is one of the world's foremost researchers in dance science, a former professional dancer, Olympic rower, Olympic coach, was one of the founders of the British Olympic Medical Centre and has had an illustrious career as a sport and exercise physiology researcher. Craig Sharp was one of the pioneers of Sports Science in the UK, he founded the Birmingham Human Motor Performance Laboratory and along with Yiannis was a founder of the British Olympic Medical Centre. Between them they cover all aspects of dance and exercise physiology, bringing decades of professional and academic knowledge to the discipline of dance.<br />
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Anatomy, Dance Technique and Injury Prevention - Justin Howse and Moira McCormack</u><br />
Written by Moira McCormack - physiotherapist for the Royal Ballet and the late Justin Howse, Orthopaedic Consultant to the Royal Ballet School, English National Ballet and the RAD, this book provides an over view of causes of injury in dance, with an emphasis on prevention but with consideration of treatment and rehabilitation.<br />
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<b>Journals</b><br />
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Journal of Dance Medicine and Science</u><br />
Official quarterly journal run by IADMS<br />
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Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research</u><br />
Official journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Numerous dance-specific articles have been published in the JSCR, as well as a host of strength and conditioning research that will be of interest to dancers.<br />
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Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport</u><br />
International journal publishing original peer-reviewed research across all areas of sport and exercise science and medicine.<br />
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<b>Websites</b><br />
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/">Pubmed</a> - biomedical research searchable database<br />
<a href="http://examine.com/">Examine</a> - research backed information on supplements and nutrition<br />
<a href="http://hjd.med.nyu.edu/harkness/">Harkness Centre for Dance Injuries</a> - as well as information on the Centre, the website has a range of useful resources<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olivia (c) Peddecord Photography 2010</td></tr>
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-19948852605642949842013-03-04T06:47:00.000+00:002013-03-04T06:47:08.416+00:00Improving jump height in dance trainingJump height is an area that I'll freely admit I largely neglected during my training years; my jetés didn't cause me particular problems and so I paid little attention to developing them. So more recently my training patterns changed, and after stopping performing I moved into training in martial arts. Within 2 months I could jump higher than I had ever been able to before, fast-forward 6 months and it's higher still. Now when I go back to dancing, my sautes, jetés and grand jetés are the highest they've ever been, my leaps are more powerful and my elevation is significantly more impressive than it was when I was training and performing full-time. Since jump height is such a fundamental aspect of dance performance, serious provision for maximising it should be included within training. The fact that for it isn't provided for in various schools and companies makes little sense, when simple changes to training programmes are liable to elicit substantial gains.<br />
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<a href="http://media-cache-lt0.pinterest.com/550x/04/f9/a9/04f9a94bab72d7e1a1872e6588b43e30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-lt0.pinterest.com/550x/04/f9/a9/04f9a94bab72d7e1a1872e6588b43e30.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a>Two aspects of my training changed that contributed to a significant increase in jump height - first, all my strength training is now centred around whole-body, multi-joint movements , and second, plyometric training is now incorporated into my schedule. Neither of these featured in any of my dance training, nor in the supplementary conditioning classes my college provided. I believe that's true of most dance training programmes. This strikes me as a significant shortfall in training provision, as despite limited jump height never seeming a pressing concern to me, I was clearly not performing at my full potential. There are always individuals that struggle with it, and all the male dancers I worked with were constantly being pushed to improve the height of their jumps.<br />
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This isn't only important in ballet - in all genres of dance, the ability to produce explosive force is needed in some form, and more often than not it is in jumps. So why do we not train for this? We need to maximise our jump height for both vertical jumps - think of your sautés, sissones, jetés, even pas de chats, and jumps and leaps into which we can produce and utilise greater force - grande jeté, tour jeté, switch leaps etc. Alignment and technique are essential in mastering jump height in these, however once you have mastered the technical side you can further develop jump height by training for strength and power.<br />
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<a href="http://media-cache-ec7.pinterest.com/550x/b2/99/e4/b299e4e018b6a25fe8a152f28852cb82.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ec7.pinterest.com/550x/b2/99/e4/b299e4e018b6a25fe8a152f28852cb82.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a>Strength training in dance has been proven to increase jump height in numerous studies. The majority of dancers still do not adequately supplement technical training with strength training, and so any provision of ST is liable to promote a positive response. Multi-joint exercises however are far more effective than isolation exercises in building explosive power. They are more effective exercises in general as they replicate natural movement of the body - how often in life do we repeatedly use one single muscle or joint in isolation? It is far more common for us to use numerous joints and muscles in at the same time to produce movement, therefore training should replicate that in order for our training to be more functional and applicable to the demands we place on our bodies. Improving maximal strength relative to body mass can improve performance in explosive lower body movements, such as in jetés and jumps, multi-joint power movements have been shown to be the most effective way of building this.<br />
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Plyometric training is specifically geared toward developing power movements, involving actions in which the working muscle groups being stretched immediately prior to contraction - as when the dancer plies before performing a jeté.<br />
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There are numerous plyometric exercises that can be utilised to improve jump height. The depth jump, squat jumps and explosive lunges require little space or equipment but are highly effective in building explosive power. Adding weight to plyometric movement has not been found to produce any gains in jump height over and above the initial gains made without, so it is worth concentrating on using body weight and progressively raising the height of the jumps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cache-ec3.pinterest.com/550x/6f/0c/68/6f0c68d2fa0bb975f4da8ad49b2f2698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ec3.pinterest.com/550x/6f/0c/68/6f0c68d2fa0bb975f4da8ad49b2f2698.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe M. Bloomington, 2011</td></tr>
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A 2007 study showed that plyometric training resulted in significantly greater gains in dancer vertical jump height and aesthetic jump height than traditional isometric weight training. Interestingly they also showed greater gains in legs press strength, suggesting incorporating plyometric training would also promote greater gain in lower body strength. Both traditional weight training and plyometric training increased jump height significantly above dancers not participating in any supplementary training programmes.<br />
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Regardless of your current abilities, if you aren't incorporating strength training and specifically plyometric training in your training schedule, it is highly unlikely you are achieving the full elevation that your body is capable of.. Simple changes can help you make significant gains. If you have a trainer aligned to your company or school speak to them about this, if not and you don't know where to start then speak to a trainer at a gym. Adding a few new exercises to your schedule can make a substantial difference to your performance.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Brown, Andrea; Wells, Tobin; Schade, Margaret; Smith, Denise; Fehling, Patricia (2007) Effects of Plyometric Training Versus Traditional Weight Training on Strength, Power, and Aesthetic Jumping Ability in Female Collegiate Dancers. <i>Journal of Dance Medicine & Science</i>, 11(2), pp. 38-44(7).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">de Villarreal ES, Kellis E, Kraemer WJ, Izquierdo M. (2009) Determining variables of plyometric training for improving vertical jump height performance: a meta-analysis. <i>Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, </i>23(2), pp, 495-506. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Koutedakis and Sharp (1999) The Fit and Healthy Dancer; Wiley.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nuzzo, James L; McBride, Jeffrey M; Cormie, Prue; McCaulley, Grant O. (2008) Relationship Between Countermovement Jump Performance and Multijoint Isometric and Dynamic Tests of Strength. <i>Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research</i> 22(3), pp, 699-707. </span>Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-14379975227657722612013-02-28T07:43:00.002+00:002013-03-02T17:34:32.885+00:00Supplements use in dancersDietary supplements are taken by athletes to supplement their existing nutritional intakes and address any insufficiencies or deficiencies that may affect their health or performance. While some are taken for performance and others for health, others are completely pointless, occasionally dangerous, and all cost a considerable amount of money. Individuals with low caloric intakes may need to consider supplementation in order to ensure their nutrient intake is adequate. As many dancers use calorie restriction in an attempt to control weight and body composition, they are an at-risk group for nutrient insufficiencies/deficiencies and so it is worth considering where insufficiencies may arise.<br />
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First off, let's address common mistakes dancers make in supplement use. There are two in particular that permeate the dance community, one of significantly more concern than the other.<br />
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<b>Multivitamins</b></div>
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Many dancers I know take multivitamins by the shedload. A fear of getting ill seems to underlie the belief that running down to Boots and shelling out for a jar with every letter of the alphabet on the front is going to stop flu hitting you. They're pointless. If you have a balanced diet you don't need multivitamins. If you don't have a balanced diet, sort if out, and you still won't need multivitamins. Your body can only use so much of the vitamins you put in, anything over and above is a waste. Further to this excessive intake can cause gastrointestinal problems and the last thing you need is making yourself ill by trying to keep yourself healthy. Be sensible and eat a balanced diet and you should be getting the dietary vitamins you need.<br />
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<b>Diet Pills</b></div>
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Okay, diet pills, fat burners, appetite suppressants. Stop, just stop. You exercise all day, you feel hungry; you shouldn't be attempting to suppress it, accept your body is needing fuel and feed it. Your body doesn't tend to be stupid, whereas your head will have it's moments; make sure when it comes to what you need you listen to your body.<br />
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Even the most 'natural' of diet pills, fat burners and appetite suppressants tend to contain excessively high levels of caffeine, if it's equal to 4 cups of coffee it's not good for your heart. Less innocently - if the ingredients include ephedrine or yohimbine you may end up experiencing some unpleasant, not to mention dangerous side-effects. Ephedrine increases blood pressure and is linked to the development of cardiac conditions, it causes gastrointestinal and genitourinary problems; restlessness; insomnia; paranoia; hostility; panic and agitation. Yohimbine, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction, similarly causes a rapid increase in heart rate and has been linked to kidney failure and seizures. It has never been proven to help weight loss. These two drugs show up regularly in diet pills and fat burners. These types of pills are often only available for a short space of time before concerns over their legality and safety are raised and they are taken off the market.<br />
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I'll assume you aren't willing to take methamphetamine to assist in your weight loss, so why take ephedrine or yohimbine?! If you take a pill that combines caffeine, ephedrine and yohimbine, you are at best going to feel agitated, hyperactive and have your heart thudding in your chest, at worst you are going to end up becoming seriously ill. The health risks completely outweigh any weight loss benefits. Control your body composition through nutritional intake and exercise, don't attempt to use pills to quell your hunger or allow you to drastically cut your calorie intake.</div>
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So now that the bad choices have been discussed, what, if any, supplements are useful for the dancer?</div>
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<b>Vitamin D. </b><br />
<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7xgvmBy501qm9zy1o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7xgvmBy501qm9zy1o1_500.jpg" height="199" width="200" /></a>Back to that again. Your main source of vitamin D is the sun, you train inside all day, rehearse inside all day, you don't see the sun, you become vitamin D deficient. Dancers aside, anyone who lives above 40 degrees north of the equator (most of Europe and half of the USA) are likely to have vitamin D insufficiency. Even in countries with high levels of sunlight such as Australia, vitamin D deficiency is being realised as a widespread and serious healthcare issue.<br />
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RDA guideline amounts are repeatedly being raised, as it turns out we need more than previously thought. What do you need it for? Only <span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to improve your muscular strength; your calcium and phosphorus absorption and therefore your bone strength; strengthen your immune system; regulate blood pressure; prevent autoimmune conditions, various types of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, arthritis...convinced it's worth looking into? 50ug (2000 iu) daily has been shown improve muscular strength and power in dancers, and exceeds the currently low set level of RDA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Calcium</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dietary sources of calcium</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Again, with a balanced diet, supplementation should not be necessary. However due to the relatively widespread issue of low bone mineral density in dancers, calcium intake should be a consideration. If you skimp on calcium rich foods (dairy, sesame seeds, tofu, nuts, leafy greens) then yes, calcium supplements should be considered. But honestly, it's not that difficult to get consume adequate levels through your normal diet. Bare in mind that if your calcium levels show up low in a blood test but your diet seems fine, it may be calcium absorption that is the issue, where again, vitamin D plays a role.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Protein and Iron</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Why would I put these together? Simply because deficiency is common in individuals with who are vegetarian and have low body weight, and so it's a consideration for the vegetarian diet. Protein supplementation isn't necessary if you balance your diet carefully, bare in mind if you are training hard you do need enough protein to build and repair your muscles. Dairy, pulses, nuts and eggs are all easy sources of increasing protein intake. Anaemia is not uncommon in dance, and is again a condition that often appears in vegetarians. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If anaemia is present, supplementation is liable to be necessary, however <i>d</i></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>o not take iron supplements without seeing your doctor first.</i> Increased consumption of seeds, eggs, leafy greens, dark chocolate and iron-enriched cereals will increase your dietary intake of iron without the need for supplementation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Fish Oil/Omega 3</b></span><br />
<a href="http://dianekress.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/fish-oil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://dianekress.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/fish-oil.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your Grandma wasn't wrong when she would try to get you to drink a tablespoon of cod liver oil every morning, disgusting maybe, but not wrong. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for health, however cannot be synthesised within the body. Omega 3 oils can improve cardiovascular health and lower triglycerides, they play a role in control of conditions such as </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">rheumatoid arthritis and depression and have been linked to improvements in numerous conditions including ADHD, Alzheimers and dementia. It has anti-inflammatory properties that can help control joint pain and promote ease of movement. Most people in western cultures do not eat enough oily fish, hence why supplementation is so commonplace. If your diet is low in oily fish such as tuna, mackerel or salmon, supplementation may be worth considering.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Getting nutrients from your dietary intake is always preferable to taking it from supplements - a balanced diet should provide you with almost all of the nutrients your body needs. If you are falling short of some though, supplementation is an easy way to address a deficiency. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Aulin, K.P. (2008) Minerals: Calcium in Maughan, R. J. (ed.) </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nutrition in Sport: Olympic Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine </i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">vol. VII. Chichester: Wiley, pp.318-325.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Cimolai, N and Cimolai, T (2011) Yohimbine use for physical enhancement and its potential toxicity. J<i>ournal of Dietary Supplements,</i> 8(4), pp, 346-354.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Dwyer JT, Allison DB, Coates PM. (2005) Dietary supplements in weight reduction. <i>Journal of the American Dietitians Association</i>, 105(5), pp. S80-86.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Giampreti A, Lonati D, Locatelli C, Rocchi L, Campailla MT. (2009) Acute neurotoxicity after yohimbine ingestion by a body builder. <i>Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia)</i>, 47(8), pp. 827-829.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Forte RY, Precoma-Neto D, Chiminacio Neto N, Maia F, Faria-Neto JR. (2006) Myocardial infarction associated with the use of a dietary supplement rich in ephedrine in a young athlete. <i>Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia,</i> 87(5), pp. 179-181.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Koutedakis, Y. and Sharp, N. (1999) <i>The Fit and Healthy Dancer. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Rovner, A.J. and O’Brien, K.O. (2008) Hypovitaminosis D among healthy children in the United States: a review of the current evidence. </span><i style="font-family: Times;">Archive of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine</i><span style="font-family: Times;">, </span><span style="font-family: Times;">162</span><span style="font-family: Times;">(</span><span style="font-family: Times;">6), pp.513-519.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Stockton, K.A., Mengersen, K., Paratz, J.D., Kandiah, D. and Bennell, K.L. (2011) Effects of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis. <i>Osteoporosis International</i>, 22(3), pp. 859-871.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Van der Mei, I.A., Dore, D., Winzenberg, T., Blizzard, L. and Jones, G. (2012) Vitamin D deficiency in Tasmania: A whole of life perspective. <i>International Medicine Journal</i>. Electronically published before print, 5 April 2012. Abstract only, available through www.pubmed.org [Accessed 9 April 2012].</span></div>
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-10455607465178624702013-02-26T06:21:00.001+00:002013-02-26T22:32:13.047+00:00Disordered Eating in DanceWhen it comes to discussing eating disorders in dancers, I seem to spend all my time either trying to convince my non-dancing friends that the majority of dancers do not have an eating disorder, or trying to convince my colleagues who do work in dance that it is a serious problem that needs addressing. While to non-dancers the image of the anorexic ballet dancer is at least familiar if not cliched, to many dancers there is a denial regarding the degree to which disordered eating is a serious and wide-spread problem and there is a sense of many people and companies being in denial about the severity of the issue. In reality the scope of the problem sits somewhere between the two outlooks - disordered eating is a serious problem for a significant minority of dancers.<br />
<a name='more'></a>Let me first differentiate between eating disorders and disordered eating. The term 'eating disorder' covers anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the two most widely known and diagnosed problems. 'Disordered eating' covers damaging eating habits and attitudes to eating that do not fall under the two aforementioned conditions. Nonetheless, disordered eating can be every bit as damaging often resulting, as with anorexia and bulimia, in malnourishment, amenorrhea, weakness, extreme weight-loss and osteoporosis, not to mention a host of psychological issues. Anorexia and bulimia are horrendous conditions, however we need to think of disordered eating as on a par with them, and then realise the extent of the problem in dancers.<br />
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This is a problem that goes wider than ballet - it is existent in contemporary dance, musical theatre, jazz, commercial and I do not doubt many other genres of dance. It affects both male and female dancers. The demands placed on dancers can be huge, not only to perform at their best, but to adhere to predefined ideals of how they should look. These ideals may be real or imagined; while there are certainly some teachers, choreographers and artistic directors that want a specific look, often it is the dancer themselves that heap on the pressure to achieve a specific body type. The body is constantly on show, costumes leave little to hide behind and the physical figure is central to the performance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nycdancestuff.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/misty-copeland-lizavollphotography-5335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://nycdancestuff.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/misty-copeland-lizavollphotography-5335.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attitudes are slowly starting to change again - promoting strength over skinniness.<br />
Misty Copeland 2012 (c) Liza Voll </td></tr>
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Professional dance is competitive, of course it is. Right from dance classes as a child, whether you were interested in pursuing it as a vocation or not, you would have had an awareness of competition within the class. It is natural and it exists in just about every walk of life. However as the body is constantly on show and central to the aesthetic performance, it is openly critiqued in a way it would not be in other athletic pursuits.<br />
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The added pressure of the physical image of the body, alongside initial aspects of competition, may well contribute to the high instances of disordered eating in dance. Additionally, it is necessary to consider that for many dancers, the years they work to prove themselves during training are their teenage years. While trying to take their first steps into professional work or to gain a place on a training course, they are faced with changes to their body that are out with their control, and equally are exposed to the same insecurities and social pressures that non-dancing teenagers are. While none of these reasons alone account for the high instances of disordered eating in dancers, they go some way to demonstrate underlying pressures that many dancers will experience.<br />
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Dance UK's Healthier Dancer Conference last year focussed on this issue. It was refreshing to see dancers, artistic directors and choreographers including Dame Monica Mason, Richard Alston, Gemma Nixon, Lauren Cuthbertson and Tamara Rojo openly discuss the problem, among many others. What was equally encouraging was that it appeared the over-riding opinion of artistic directors was that the key qualities they looked for in dancers were articulation, line, speed, strength, health and energy, and not a uniform physical aesthetic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhSMZuYEiP33oNdp4q9j6nMjBCxnLwsqEivn6r30p1SeEy7MMUh_P4ugErWwYk62yZas4aBAEhJYZXwxdxlgNtjrr73XHhjwclFD_hQe42xpqPa1wQHzO6VQkTfiaaeCtCVrO0MezSo0D/s640/2006ah1031_margot_fonteyn_in_swan_lake_custom_290x391_06200837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhSMZuYEiP33oNdp4q9j6nMjBCxnLwsqEivn6r30p1SeEy7MMUh_P4ugErWwYk62yZas4aBAEhJYZXwxdxlgNtjrr73XHhjwclFD_hQe42xpqPa1wQHzO6VQkTfiaaeCtCVrO0MezSo0D/s640/2006ah1031_margot_fonteyn_in_swan_lake_custom_290x391_06200837.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margot Fonteyn in Swan Lake</td></tr>
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This suggests however that the causes of disordered eating in dancers are more complex than simply dancers being told they must be thin. Tradition, and the cultural expectation of the sylph-like dancer may play a role. However in considering this, we must also realise that ballet dancers have only been seen to be of diminutive stature since the 1960's, the same time when Twiggy changed the fashion world and western culture became fixated with the ultra-thin female figure.<br />
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In the 1890s Anna Pavlova faced criticism for being too thin, with Russian dancers at the time tending to be more curvaceous than the image we are familiar with today. More recently, Margot Fonteyn - dancing from the late 1930s-1960s, and widely regarded as one of the most iconic dancers of all time - never fitted into the modern prescription of the ultra-skinny dancer.<br />
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Looking further back, Edgar Degas' famous ballerina paintings from the 1870s depicted dancers that would be considered positively heavy by today's standards, and yet the physique of the dancers would have been the norm for the time period, so there is no long lasting tradition within the art of ballet of the expectation of extreme thinness. It is a thoroughly modern phenomenon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://daen.theamk.com/art/Degas/degas.classe-danse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://daen.theamk.com/art/Degas/degas.classe-danse.jpg" height="320" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edgar Degas, Le Classe de Danse 1873-76</td></tr>
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Popular culture and cultural trends cannot be discounted as a probable factor in instances of disordered eating. Yet another consideration is the issue of perfectionism. In any discipline, whether artistic, academic, athletic or otherwise, those who are at the very top of their game, or those who strive to be, often display tendencies toward perfectionism. The dedication that excelling within dance requires may turn to obsession at times, and if directed toward an area such as body image, it can have disasterous effects.<br />
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Eating disorders are a serious mental illness. A host of underlying problems may contribute to them, and the causes will not necessarily be common to all sufferers. Unfortunately the stigma that comes with this may contribute to the reluctance of many within the dance profession to openly discuss the issue. I guarantee you there is next to no one working in professional dance that has not encountered someone who they knew or suspected may have an eating disorder. It is not uncommon, but it is largely brushed under the carpet. Skinniness in dance is often seen as a sign of dedication. Protruding clavicles are seen to be a thing of beauty. A dancer should be strong; yet you can't be strong when you are barely eating enough to fuel your body's basic functions, far less to undertake the demands of dance. Strength and health should be promoted as a virtue in dance, not protruding bones and sickly ballerinas.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ENB's Artistic Director Tamara Rojo has publicly spoken out against the <br />
promotion of unhealthy eating practices in dance.</td></tr>
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Too few dance schools and courses provide adequate nutritional education to their students. Even out with disordered eating, limited food intake and fad dieting is commonplace among dancers looking to control their body-weight. There is a lack of knowledge of how to adequately fuel the body while controlling body composition. There's no mystery to it - education will allow dancers to have more control over their bodies. This will not stop there being problems with disordered eating, but it will do something to curb the culture of confusion and ignorance as to the importance of adequate nutrition. Further education is needed to raise awareness and encourage open discussion regarding disordered eating in dancers. Removing the stigma makes it easier for at risk students to be identified and supported, and makes it more likely that they will be able to recognise their condition.<br />
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There's no black and white answer to the problem. Open discussion is key, as is education. Teachers, choreographers, dancers, dance students, anyone working within a dance organisation must be aware of the issues, the warning signs, and ways to confront the issue and support must be offered to dancers who are suffering or at risk. While this is a problem that is not dance-specific, it is a common enough problem in dance that it cannot be ignored or dismissed by those working within the arts just because it raises some uncomfortable questions.<br />
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<a href="http://www.b-eat.co.uk/">Click here for link to Beat organisation offering support for those suffering from or concerned about eating disorders. </a>Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-15904048030954748762013-02-22T06:55:00.001+00:002013-02-25T21:02:47.282+00:00Research Update: Vitamin D status in ballet dancersA new study carried out by Roger Wolman of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, along with colleagues at the University of Wolverhampton, has looked at the vitamin D status of professional ballet dancers in winter vs summer months.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Koji Aoki </td></tr>
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The 6 month cohort study contrasted high sunlight months (summer) against low sunlight months (winter). The study looked at 19 professional ballet dancers within the UK and considered their vitamin D status through serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels within the body, as well as recording parathyroid hormone (PTH) and blood serum bone turnover markers (CTX and PINP). The dancers all danced 6-8 hours a day, for 38 hours a week. The Company's doctors recorded injury instance over the 6 month period.<br />
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Significant differences were found in levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, PTH and blood serum bone turnover markers between summer and winter months. Although levels of 25-hyrdoxyvitaminD were higher in summer months, only 3 of the 19 dancers achieved "sufficient" levels during the summer period, with the rest being considered either insufficient or deficient in vitamin D. All dancers' vitamin D levels were found to be insufficient or deficient in winter months. <br />
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A significant decrease in injury instances in summer months (p<0.05) was observed, suggesting low vitamin D status increases likelihood of injury occurence. Further to this, the study found that use of oral contraceptives appeared to increase serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and had a positive effect on bone metabolism.<br />
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The study reaffirms the position that athletes who train indoors - dancers, swimmers, gymnasts, martial artists - are at risk of vitamin D deficiency. The study provides further evidence that vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are considerable concerns for professional dancers and athletes who train indoors, increasing likelihood of injury occurence and having a detrimental effect on bone metabolism.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Wolman R, Wyon MA, Koutedakis Y, Nevill AM, Eastell R, Allen N. (2013) Vitamin D status in professional ballet dancers: Winter vs. summer. <i>Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(12)01139-5/abstract</span>Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-48581802168270363802013-02-21T06:23:00.000+00:002013-02-21T06:24:40.085+00:00The importance of dance-specific medical practitionersIf you're a dance student, working freelance, part-time or recreationally, or indeed if you're aligned to a company that does not have it's own physio, podiatrist or osteopath, you've probably had some mixed experiences going to see medical practitioners about dance related injuries. In the UK we're lucky enough to have the NHS, meaning we don't have to pay to see a specialist. The downside of this is we usually don't get to pick who we see.<br />
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Dance is such a specific physical activity, with each genre of dance having it's own specific physical strains and requirements. When we get injured we need our bodies to be able to go back to doing what they did before - and usually this is completely out with the scope of the general public. When a medical practitioner decides we're 'fixed' they may well be looking at us with a mind to the general public, what are we complaining about, we're fit, healthy, in good shape, and the fracture/sprain/miscellaneousinjury has healed pretty well, our balance is fine, we're expected to get on with it. Owing to a heightened sense of proprioception, an high awareness of our bodies and years of putting them through rigorous physical training however, we often recognise something is still not right, or not as it was, even when medical and physical tests show good results.<br />
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Having a practitioner who is well versed in the demands of dance and of the physical requirements of the dancer's body, makes treatment and recovery less stressful and more complete. Sports specialists are great, but again if they predominantly work with rugby players or golfers, you will need to spend a substantial amount of time explaining your body and your art's requirements before they can get down to treating you. The easiest thing for you is to find a reputable practitioner with specialist knowledge in working with dancers.<br />
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<b>Finding a practitioner</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>In the UK there is Dance UK's <a href="http://www.danceuk.org/medical-practitioners-directory/">Medical Practitioners Directory</a> providing a list of practitioners including podiatrists, physios, osteopaths, chiropractors, orthopaedic surgeons and nutritionists.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The <a href="http://www.nidms.co.uk/home/">National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science</a> in London provides the only NHS dance injury clinic in the UK and operates a referral system so that injured dancers can be treated by practitioners with in-depth dance specific knowledge. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.physioremedies.com/images/dancer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.physioremedies.com/images/dancer.jpg" height="128" width="200" /></a>
<li>In Birmingham, the <a href="http://www.brb.org.uk/masque/index.htm?act=department&urn=266">Jerwood Centre for Prevention and Treatment of Dance Injuries</a>, aligned with Birmingham Royal Ballet, offers dance specific medical services.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>In Scotland, <a href="http://www.stewartscottphysio.com/">Stewart Scott Physiotherapy</a> has extensive experience working with contemporary dancers at SDT and Rambert Dance.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Outwith the UK, numerous countries have specific dance-injury clinics, the <a href="http://hjd.med.nyu.edu/harkness/">Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in New York</a> being one of the best examples. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>In the absence of a reputable dance injury clinic, a google search will throw up dozens of results for medical practitioners with a specialism in dance. Ensure that they are registered professionals, aligned to reputable clinics and have a good reputation before checking in with anyone.</li>
</ul>
Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-50612060204940369402013-02-19T11:49:00.000+00:002013-02-19T20:31:37.846+00:00Overtraining <div>
<div>
Overtraining or burnout refer to a condition where athletes or dancers note a marked decrease in physical performance for no apparent physical or medical reason, suffer from prolonged fatigue and display behavioral and emotional changes. Symptoms of overtraining will vary from individual to individual, the most common symptoms include:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Increased perception of effort during exercise</li>
<li>Excessive sweating</li>
<li>Frequent upper respiratory tract infections</li>
<li>Breakdown of technique</li>
<li>Muscle soreness</li>
<li>Sleep disturbance</li>
<li>Lack of concentration</li>
<li>Loss of appetite</li>
<li>Mood disturbances</li>
<li>Signs of depression</li>
<li>Decreased interest in training and performance</li>
<li>Decreased self-confidence</li>
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<a name='more'></a>Overtraining displays similar symptoms to conditions such as ME, chronic fatigue and post-viral syndrome, and so the route of the symptoms must be identified before a diagnosis can be made. Medical practitioners should discuss the workload of athletes or dancers presenting these symptoms to assess whether a medical condition or overtraining is at the route of the problem. Overtraining itself can develop due to a combination of different factors including increased physical workload; lack of recovery; fitness level; external factors (social, personal, financial, professional stresses); and personality factors including perfectionism and over-achievement. </div>
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Overtraining causes physical changes, as well as the symptoms mentioned above. Physical signs of overtraining include:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Increased resting heart rate</li>
<li>Increased resting blood pressure</li>
<li>Increased resting lactic acid concentrations</li>
<li>Following exertion, heart rate will take longer to return to resting level</li>
<li>Muscle damage</li>
<li>Decreased ability to efficiently utilise oxygen</li>
<li>Menstrual irregularities (chronic OT)</li>
<li>Lowered immunity, specifically to upper respiratory and skin infections (chronic OT)</li>
<li>Increased allergies (chronic OT)</li>
<li>Decreased maximal voluntary strength (chronic OT)</li>
<li><br /></li>
</ul>
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<b>Acute vs Chronic Overtraining</b></div>
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Acute overtraining refers to overtraining that occurs in a relatively short space of time, for example when there is an imbalance between workload and recovery that lasts between a few days and a few weeks. This could be due to performance schedules, understudies having to step up, audition season, last minute cast changes or students in the build up to exams or performances. More often than not the increase in physical stress will be coupled with an increase in emotional and psychological stress. In cases of acute overtraining, once the cause has been removed, recovery will normally occur quickly. </div>
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Chronic overtraining refers to a long-term imbalance between physical workload and recovery, lasting weeks to months in duration. Chronic overtraining tends to occur in individuals that fall into the following categories: overachievers (individuals who are highly motivated and reluctant to allow time off); those with inadequate fitness levels (where the physical workload is poorly matched to their physical fitness); those involved in individual activities (dancers, swimmers, runners etc., as opposed to those involved in team activities).</div>
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<b>Prevention and Recovery from Overtraining</b></div>
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There are no specific ways of assessing which dancers are more at risk of overtraining than others, and so prevention is best done through training management and monitoring. This enables any warning signs of excessive fatigue to be quickly acknowledged and addressed. Meeting nutritional and hydration needs are essential, as both affect fatigue, physical performance and the immune system. Cycle training schedules so that days of heavy physical workload are interspersed with days of lighter physical workload, introduce non-dance physical training that will complement dance workload while offering some variety and allow 1-2 days off of physical training per week.</div>
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Adequate physical rest as well as adequate sleep are crucial in allowing recovery from physical work. The prospect of missing training or performance will often overshadow the dancer's concern for their own physical health; as is often seen in dancers (and athletes) who push themselves to continue when injured or unwell. It is important that dance educators, choreographers and directors help dancers see beyond the immediate, and that by allowing time off, if necessary, they will be prolonging their time dancing and therefore increasing performance opportunities in the future. Any promotion of "no pain no gain" mentalities should be avoided; dancers are notorious for pushing themselves and not knowing when to stop and it is the responsibility of everyone involved in professional dance to promote a healthier attitude to training. Long-term investment in dancer health is more important than one performance, or even a whole season of performances.</div>
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Overtraining is a significant issue in dance, and may contribute substantially to the high number of injuries, early retirements and frequent illnesses we see in professional dancers. The stress of increased physical workload combined with emotional and psychological stress can overload the body and result in hormonal, neural and immunological changes that render the body unable to fully recover or make positive adaptations following physical work. Physical training, both intensity and duration; diet; sleep; physical rest and hydration all must be addressed in order to reverse the effects of overtraining. </div>
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<div>
Recovery time is crucial for the physical and psychological well-being of the dancer. Effective recovery can vastly improve performance, whereas ineffective recovery not only negatively effects dance performance but hinder physical ability in general and increases likelihood of injury. Effective recovery is an essential tool in the avoidance and the reversal of overtraining. A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10496117">1999 study</a> showed that in professional dancers displaying signs of burnout, a 6-week summer break from physical work was sufficient to restore physical fitness parameters and allowed the continuation of positive physical adaptations.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources: </span></div>
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<div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kellmann M. (2010) Preventing overtraining in athletes in high-intensity sports and stress/recovery monitoring. <i>Scandanavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, </i>20, pp. 95-102. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Koutedakis and Sharp (1999) <i>The Fit and Healthy Dancer</i>; Wiley.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Koutedakis Y, Myszkewycz L, Soulas D, Papapostolou V, Sullivan I, Sharp NC (1999) The effects of rest and subsequent training on selected physiological parameters in professional female classical dancers. <i>International Journal of Sports Medicine</i>, 20(6), pp. 379-383.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Vetter RE, Symonds ML (2010) Correlations between injury, training intensity and physical and mental exhaustion among college athletes. <i>Strength and Conditioning Research, </i>24(3), pp. 587-96.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Winsley R, Matos N. (2011) Overtraining and elite young athletes. <i>Sports</i> <i>Science</i>, 56, pp. 97-105. </span></div>
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-85591580508407396082013-02-14T06:32:00.001+00:002013-02-14T06:32:30.085+00:00Nutrition - CarbsNutritional needs get a whole lot easier to understand if you have a basic understanding of your energy systems and the fuels each energy system uses. Your body has 3 - the ATP-PCr, the Glycolytic and the Oxidative systems.<br />
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The <em>ATP-PCr System</em> produces immediate energy and so is able to assist in instantaneous muscle contraction for short periods of high exertion exercise.The <em>Glycolytic System</em>, producing ATP through the breakdown of glucose. The Glycolytic system resynthesises ATP at a faster rate than the Oxidative system<em>,</em> and produces energy for short bursts of activity lasting up to around 2 minutes. The <em>Oxidative System</em> takes longer to be activated through activity than the other energy systems, however it has a higher energy producing capacity and so is utilised in endurance activities. Dance utilises all three energy systems, depending on the specific activities being performed; all three systems use carbohydrate as their main, if not sole, source of fuel.<br />
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Your body's preferred energy source is carbohydrate, which it stores as glycogen throughout the body. Your body's carbohydrate stores can last you for about 90 minutes of non-stop exercise, at which point they will start to run down. The muscle fatigue you feel? It's your brain panicking that it is running out of easily sourced fuel and telling you to stop. Your body is not stupid, when it thinks it is being starved it goes into survival mode - it knows the most important priority is maintaining brain function so if fuel is compromised it tells you you're fatigued. It's your body's warning system; in order for your body to continue, you need to replenish your glycogen stores.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Variety of carbohydrate sources.</td></tr>
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<div>
Carbs should constitute up to 70% of your diet if you're professional or pre-professional. Forget low carb diets, they're not for people who are in full-time training. You body needs the fuel to continually function at it's peak. Most professional dancers aren't looking to lose weight or body mass, they're looking to maintain their body's current status, so make sure you fuel your body appropriately. Remember that fruits and vegetables are good sources of carbs, if you need to refuel after class or rehearsal an apple of a banana will do, you don't need to head straight to pasta or breads. As your glycogen stores are worn down you need to top them up, so having snacks that provide a good source of carbohydrate is crucial throughout your training day. If you can't face dancing straight after eating, there are plenty of drinks that are options; just stay away from anything carbonated or caffeinated so that you don't become dehydrated.</div>
<div>
<br />
Aim to replenish your glycogen stores within 30 minutes of finishing exercise, if you leave it a few hours your body will take longer to rebuild its store. Grab something quick to eat that contains a good source of carbs straight after you finish training and then have a proper meal later. When you're dancing several hours a day you need to think about the fuel you need, and how best to replenish it at the right time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Principal dancer, Sian Richards, NBC.</td></tr>
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For recreational dancers the same rule goes for finishing training. Regardless of what your diet is like normally, the best time to consume carbs is after you have depleted your existing glycogen stores, so straight after exercise. Eat a banana, a cereal bar, whatever source of complex carbohydrate you like straight after your class. Provided you're sensible about your choices and keep the simple carbs to a minimum, (the general rule is avoid anything refined or "white" - white bread, white sugar etc) you'll be giving your body a decent slow release energy source.</div>
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Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-59650566253346850842013-02-12T08:23:00.001+00:002013-02-12T08:31:42.396+00:00Pancake Day!It's Pancake Day! I freaking love pancakes. Here's my favourite pancake recipe, they're high protein, low fat, taste awesome and are pretty much idiot-proof.<br />
<a name='more'></a>4 beaten egg whites<br />
100g low fat cottage cheese<br />
2 tbsp oats<br />
1 tbsp self-raising flour<br />
Almond milk (or normal milk, I just like the taste of almond).<br />
Coconut, blueberries, pumpkin, whatever else you want in it<br />
Coconut oil (for cooking)<br />
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Whisk it. Cook it. Done.<br />
<br />Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929937413833035536.post-60385328051103574152013-02-11T06:20:00.000+00:002013-02-12T07:39:39.046+00:00Working with recreational dancersWorking with recreational community dance groups poses a different set of considerations in class planning. Instead of working with a known quantity, you never know how many dancers you will have; what level of fitness they are at or what level of technique, if any, they have. It can make planning sessions and creating choreography tricky at best. You can have individuals brand new to exercise in with semi-professional dancers, or people who have trained to a high level alongside people with reasonable levels of fitness but absolutely no technical knowledge. Fitness and technical skill can vary wildly, and your job is to find a means of providing a diverse population with a useful, enjoyable and fulfilling class.<br />
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Drop-in classes when you don't know who or what you're getting can be the hardest to pitch. The easiest way to provide a safe and enjoyable class is to make the exercises and choreography scalable - have a simple version that can be developed by those with a higher skillset to an intermediate or advanced level. Don't pitch the base choreography too high, and be aware that what is basic and easy to one person may be a considerable physical challenge for another.<br />
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Those who have trained extensively in dance tend to have much higher levels of coordination and neuromuscular control than the general public. Simple transfer of weight poses the trained dancer no problem, but can be an initial stumbling block to someone just starting out. Equally jete sections can cause excessive strain on joints in untrained individuals. The most basic plies and port de bras can take weeks for the new dancer to master, whereas the experienced dancer is liable to become bored and frustrated if not able to push themselves physically and technically.<br />
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Recreational dancers usually come to class due to a combination of the desire for an exercise class, and an attraction to the art of dance. They didn't go to spin class, out for a run or to the swimming pool, they came to class because there is an urge to dance, whether it's classical ballet, hip hop or zumba. As a dance facilitator it's a balancing act between trying to provide for this desire to dance, and working within their particular fitness and skill limitations. Injuries tend to happen with recreational dancers when they are pushed to perform choreography their bodies are not ready for. You want to push them to improve their strength, fitness and technical skill, the higher these are the more challenging choreography you can throw at them, the more they enjoy the class and the more they grow. Equally many will not have a great deal of bodily awareness or co-ordination, and therein lies the danger of them pushing their bodies too far and opening themselves to injury.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhythm and motion class at ODC Dance Common, SF, 2010.</td></tr>
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Always start with a thorough warm up; include body-weight and strength work in classes; work to develop aerobic capacity - use the grande allegro section to develop this in new dancers instead of complicated jumps; drill the basics of weight transferral and alignment; develop proprioception; don't push flexibility or attempt lifts just because your students want to do something impressive, stick to the fundamentals; include a decent cool down and stretch, it will develop bodily awareness. If you start with the basics and have more advanced versions for more experienced students you lessen the risk of over-extending inexperienced individuals. A person coming to a class to improve their general fitness does not need to be able to execute complicated physical feats - you need to provide a safe and effective class that fulfills their desire for physical exercise and experience of dance. Recreational dancers aren't the same as professionals, don't let over enthusiasm cause physical injury.<br />
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<br />Atalantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180942516585700186noreply@blogger.com0