Abstract
Study aim: To assess the impact of an ordinary training week cycle lasting 6 months on the anaerobic endurance of dance sport athletes.
Material and methods: Two couples of standard style and six couples of ten dance style, aged 14–26 years, of diverse competitive categories (E, D, B, A, S), were subjected to maximum runs 8 × 50 m spaced by 15-s intermissions, before and after half-year training. Running time of every run and post-run heart rate (HR) were measured. The results were expressed as running velocities (m/s) and R-R intervals for heart rates.
Results: Velocities were significantly higher in the post-test (5.21 ± 0.21 m/s and 5.57 ± 0.34 m/s for women and men, respectively) than in the pre-test (5.13 ± 0.13 m/s and 5.39 ± 0.24 m/s, for women and men, respectively) (F1,14 = 14.70, p = 0.0018, η2 = 0.51) despite the fact that a significant decrease of speed in each successive run was noted (F7,98 = 82.19, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.85) for all of the participants in the pre-test and post-test.
Conclusions: The half-year training cycle of dance sport couples had no significant impact on their anaerobic endurance. It seems that individual training plans should include dancing interval exercises and interval training. The performance index is a useful tool in monitoring the training process and can be used as an accurate method for evaluating the anaerobic predispositions of athletes. It is recommended to develop specific, test-suitable dancing exercises.