Hamstring extensibility differences among elite adolescent and young dancers of different dance styles and non-dancers

Abstract

Background Hamstrings have been analyzed extensively due to their tendency to shorten and their effect in the lumbo-pelvic dynamics and the sagittal position of the spine in trunk flexion with extended knees positions. It has been demonstrated that practicing a certain sport results in long-term changes in hamstring extensibility. Despite this, adequate extensibility of the hamstring musculature is essential for the dancer’s performance. Several studies have found differences in the extensibility of the hamstrings depending on the dance style, but none have compared ballet, Spanish dance and modern dance. The purpose of the present research was to analyze the differences in hamstring extensibility among professional dance students based on dance style practiced and non-dancers. Methods The sample was comprised of 210 students from the Professional Dance Conservatory (70 for ballet, 70 for Spanish dance and 70 for modern dance) and 70 non-dancers. For the assessment of hamstring extensibility, the angle in the passive and active straight leg raise (PSLR and ASLR, respectively) test, and the scores of the pelvic tilt in sit-and-reach (SR) test and the toe-touch (TT) test were randomly conducted. Results The results showed significant differences for all the tests according to group (p < 0.001). In the PSLR and ASLR test, for both legs, and in the pelvic tilt in the SR test, the ballet dancers showed greater ranges of hamstring extensibility than the modern dancers and Spanish dancers (p ≤ 0.001). In the distance in the SR test and in the pelvic tilt in the TT test, the ballet dancers obtained higher values than the Spanish dancers (p = 0.004 and p = 0.003, respectively). The modern dancers showed higher ranges of hip flexion than the Spanish dancers in the ASLR test for both legs and in the pelvic tilt in the SR test (p from 0.007 to <0.001). Dancers showed significantly higher hamstring extensibility than non-dancers in all the tests (p < 0.001). Conclusions The systematic practice of dance, regardless of the style, seems to lead to high ranges of hamstring extensibility. Ballet dancers have the greatest hamstring extensibility.

The Effect of Age, Biological Maturation and Birth Quartile in the Kinanthropometric and Physical Fitness Differences between Male and Female Adolescent Volleyball Players

“…These results are in line with other studies that have analyzed flexibility and range of motion (ROM) comparing between sexes [ 32 , 42 ]. Flexibility test performance has also been associated in the literature with age, finding that flexibility increases with advancing age, perhaps due to the susceptibility to improvement with training [ 32 , 43 ]. However, in the present study, no influence of age was observed in the differences found.…”

Physical, Psychological, and Body Composition Differences between Active and Sedentary Adolescents According to the “Fat but Fit” Paradigm

“…More specifically, previous studies have already pointed out that there might be differences in all physical tests that depend on cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, muscle power, speed, balance, coordination, accuracy, and agility between active and sedentary subjects, but not in tests that depend on flexibility [ 9 , 60 ]. This could be because the practice of regular physical activity increases muscular fitness and cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents [ 76 , 77 ], but flexibility requires a high volume of stretching for range of motion to improve, which is not common in most sports practices [ 78 ]. In addition, a significant finding of our study was that only cardiorespiratory fitness showed itself to be a primary outcome to distinguish between active and sedentary individuals.…”

Ground reaction force as a factor responsible for the topography of injuries in professional dance. An analysis of three dance styles: classical dance, modern dance, and folk dance

“…Such excessive overtraining of extensor mechanisms may lead to patellofemoral syndrome, patellar tendinitis, or patellar tendon enthesopathy ( 6 ). Also, dancers’ posterior femoral muscles (muscles of the hamstring group) remain tense ( 39 ) as a necessity for proper shock absorption, and the continuous load affecting the extensor mechanism makes the knee joint one of the most loaded joints.…”