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.

The purpose of this study was to value calibrate, cross-validate, and determine the reliability of a combined triaxial accelerometry and heart rate telemetry technique for characterizing the physiological and physical activity parameters of Latin dance. Twenty-two non-professional adult Latin dancers attended two laboratory-based dance trials each. After familiarization and a standardized warm-up, a multi-stage (3 x 5-minute) incremental (based on song tempo) Afro-Cuban salsa choreography was performed while following a video displayed on a projection screen. Data were collected with a portable indirect calorimeter, a heart rate telemeter, and wrist-, hip-, and ankle-mounted ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers. Prediction equations for energy expenditure and step count were value calibrated using forced entry multiple regression and cross-validated using a delete-one jackknife approach with additional Bland-Altman analysis. The average dance intensity reached 6.09 ± 0.96 kcal/kg/h and demanded 45.9 ± 11.3% of the heart rate reserve. Predictive ability of the derived models was satisfactory, where R(2) = 0.80; SEE = 0.44 kcal/kg/h and R(2) = 0.74; SEE = 3 step/min for energy expenditure and step count, respectively. Dependent t-tests indicated no differences between predicted and measured values for both energy expenditure (t65 = -0.25, p = 0.80) and step count (t65 = -0.89, p = 0.38). The 95% limits of agreement for energy expenditure and step count were -0.98 to 0.95 kcal/kg/h and -7 to 7 step/min, respectively. Latin dance to salsa music elicits physiological responses representative of moderate to vigorous physical activity, and a wrist-worn accelerometer with simultaneous heart rate measurement constitutes a valid and reliable technique for the prediction of energy expenditure and step count during Latin dance.

No abstract

No abstract