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Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Daily Overview

Session

WR2_1_3: Abstract presentations: Active Schools, Healthy Children: Creating Environments for Physical Activity and Health
Location: White room 2
Session Chair: Josefine Björkqvist

Presentation 8

4:06pm - 4:09pm

Preliminary Results of the Acute Physiological Response of Adolescent Girls During an Irish Dance Practice Session

Sarah Dillon, Clare McDermott, Fiona Skelly, Aoife Lane, Emma Cowley

SHE Research Centre, Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Athlone, Ireland , Ireland

Globally, almost 80% of adolescents fail to meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), with Irish data reporting similar trends^1,2. In an Irish context, dance is a popular activity among this cohort and Irish dance has the potential to be an alternative form of physical activity (PA) ³. However, the physiological demands of Irish dance remain underexplored. The aim of this research is to determine the acute physiological response of adolescents during a typical dance practice.

Methods:

A total of 27 adolescent girls (15 ± 1.9 years) were recruited from registered Irish dance schools using convenience sampling. Heart rate was recorded continuously throughout the class using polar H10 chest-strap monitors. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded at 10-minute intervals throughout the class using the Borg 6–20 scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Microsoft Excel.

Results:

The average session duration was 109.2 minutes (range: 66–153 minutes). Girls’ average resting heart rate was 74.9 ± 8.9 bpm. The class was performed at an average of 51.3 ± 12.7% of heart rate reserve (%HRR). Participants spent 33.3 ± 23.5% of session at light intensity, 30.7 ± 9.6% at moderate intensity, 35.9 ± 19.9% at vigorous intensity and 70.7 ± 28.9% in MVPA. Average minutes of MVPA for a typical Irish dance class was 71.4 ± 29.3. Mean RPE during the session was 12 ± 2.

Conclusions:

Preliminary results show that participating in Irish dance can provide the opportunity for adolescent girls to accumulate MVPA, thus supporting attainment of the PA guidelines.