A COMPARISON OF PHYSIOLOGICAL-RESPONSES AND RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION BETWEEN HIGH-IMPACT AND LOW-IMPACT AEROBIC DANCE SESSIONS

The aim of this study was to compare the exercise intensity and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of a high-impact (HIP) and a low-impact ( LIP) university aerobic dance session. Ten women [mean (SD) age 22.9 ( 2.6) years] took part in the study. An incremental treadmill test was performed by each subject to determine maximum oxygen consumption ((V) over dot O-2max) and maximum heart rate (HRmax). The measured (V) ove r dot O-2max [mean (SD)] was 49.0 (7.5) ml . kg(-1) . min(-1). The sub jects were randomly assigned to LIP and HIP sessions (i.e. five of the subjects participated in the HIP session first, and the other five pa rticipated in the LIP session first). In a laboratory, heart rate, oxy gen uptake and RPE were measured throughout each session for each subj ect. Expired air was collected continuously throughout the sessions us ing Douglas bags (ten bags over a 30-min period). The sessions consist ed of 20 min of aerobic exercise (bags 1-7) followed by 5 min of local muscular endurance exercise (bags 8 and 9) and 5 min of flexibility e xercises (bag 10). The mean intensity of the aerobic section of the LI P and HIP sessions was 51.6% and 64.7% (V) over dot O-2max, respective ly. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals for the average differenc e between the HIP and LIP sessions demonstrate that the %(V) over dot O-2max,,, was between 12% and 14% higher for the HIP session. The mean %HRmax for the LIP and HIP sessions was 71.4% and 76.7%, respectively , with the %HRmax in the HIP session being between 5.4% and 7.2% highe r on average than that of the LIP session. On average, the RPE for the aerobic section of the HIP session (12.1) was consistently higher tha n that of the LIP session (11.1). HIP activity has the potential to ma intain/improve the aerobic fitness of its participants. According to t he literature, the exercise intensity elicited by LIP activity may hav e a limited training effect for the population utilised in this study, and for some individuals may result in detraining. Conversely, LIP ac tivities may be an appropriate mode of exercise for overweight and unf it individuals.