Telephone number (44) 75 5132 1637 Co-author email addressesHannah J. Moir, E-mail: h.moir@kingston.ac.uk; Elizabeth Pummell, E-mail: e.pummell@kingston.ac.uk; Allan Knox, E-mail: allan.knox@uws.ac.uk; Chris Easton, E-mail: chris.easton@uws.ac.uk Acknowledgement and disclosure statementThe authors wish to thank all the participants who volunteered their time for this project and in doing so made the completion of this research possible. No financial support was sought. No conflicts of interest are declared. TitleThe health-enhancing efficacy of Zumba ® fitness: An 8 wk randomised controlled study AbstractThe purpose of this study was to gain a holistic understanding of the efficacy of Zumba ® fitness in a community-recruited cohort of overweight and physically inactive women by evaluating i) its physiological effects on cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers and ii) its mental health-enhancing effects on factors of health-related quality of life. Participants were randomly assigned to either engagement in one to two 1 h classes of Zumba ® fitness weekly (intervention group; n = 10) or maintenance of habitual activity (control group; n = 10).Laboratory assessments were conducted pre-(wk 0) and post-intervention (wk 8) with anthropometric, physiological, inflammatory, and health-related quality of life data collected. In the intervention group, maximal oxygen uptake significantly increased (p < 0.05; partial η 2 = 0.56) by 3.1 mL·kg, percent body fat significantly decreased (p < 0.05; partial η 2 = 0.42)by -1.2%, and interleukin-6 and white blood cell count both significantly decreased (p < 0.01) by -0.4 pg·mL -1 (partial η 2 = 0.96) and -2.1 10 9 cell·L -1 (partial η 2 = 0.87), respectively. Large magnitude enhancements were observed in the health-related quality of life factors of physical functioning, general health, energy/fatigue, and emotional well-being. When interpreted in a community-based physical activity and psychosocial health promotion context, our data suggest that Zumba ® fitness is indeed an efficacious health-enhancing activity for adults.

BackgroundResearch interest in both partnered Latin dance and non-partnered Latin-themed aerobic dance has increased in recent years, likely a result of the gaining popularity of these types of instructor-led group classes among the mainstream dance and fitness audiences; however, the efficacy of these activities for the purposes of health promotion currently remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to simultaneously assess the physiological responses and psychological experiences during salsa dance and Zumba fitness in a community sample of physically inactive women.MethodsTwenty-four participants, aged 22–56 years, visited the laboratory to perform a graded exercise test for determination of maximal oxygen uptake and maximal heart rate. The participants then attended 2 partnered salsa dance and 2 non-partnered Zumba fitness classes each in a counterbalanced order over a 2-week period. The 1-h classes were taught by certified instructors in established venues in the Royal Borough of Kingston and the surrounding communities of London, UK. Physiological data were collected using a wrist-worn ActiGraph wGT3X+ accelerometer with accompanying heart rate monitor and were processed using previously validated dance-specific techniques. Psychological experiences were measured via the Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale.ResultsThere was a significantly higher (p < 0.001) total time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (51.2 ± 3.1 vs. 32.6 ± 5.9 min), total energy expenditure (411 ± 66 vs. 210 ± 46 kcal), and total step count (6773 ± 556 vs. 4108 ± 781 steps) during Zumba fitness when compared to salsa dance. Significant pre- to post-class improvements in positive well-being (p < 0.01, partial η2 = 0.41) and psychological distress (p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.72) were simultaneously observed for both salsa dance and Zumba fitness.ConclusionThe acute responses to classes of partnered Latin dance and non-partnered Latin-themed aerobic dance suggest that in physically inactive women participation is indeed efficacious in terms of community-based physical activity and psychosocial health promotion.

This is the accepted manuscript © 2015, Elsevier Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ The published article is available from doi: http://dx.

No abstract

Objectives: Participants of ultramarathon events experience a complex interaction of psychophysiological stressors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) on mood states and serum cortisol responses to a 80.5km treadmill ultramarathon.Design: Twelve participants completed an 80.5km time-trial on a motorised treadmill in the fastest possible time.2 Methods: Participants' trait EI was measured prior to the trial. A mood state questionnaire was completed prior (baseline: within two weeks of treadmill ultramarathon), immediately prior (pre: within 30 min of commencing treadmill ultramarathon), at 40.25 km (halfway: during standardised 10 min rest period to allow for venous blood sampling) and on completion of 80.5 km (post: immediately on completion of treadmill ultramarathon), along with serum cortisol concentrations measured at the same time points.Results: Completion time was 09:00:18±01:14:07 (hh:mm:ss). Significant increase in serum cortisol and total mood disturbance (TMD) was observed throughout the treadmill ultramarathon (p<0.05). Participants with higher trait EI displayed a higher post cortisol concentration (p=0.01) with no change in TMD, compared to those with low trait EI who displayed a significant increase in TMD between pre and halfway (p=0.02). Conclusion:The treadmill ultramarathon elicited a significant increase in serum cortisol concentration, which was significantly greater in those with a higher trait EI. Those individuals with higher trait EI were more effective at managing their mood, with little change total mood disturbance and perceived effort compared to those with lower trait EI.