Energy cost and energy sources of a ballet dance exercise in female adolescents with different technical ability

This study evaluated energy cost and energy sources of a ballet exercise (grand adage) in young female dancers with different technical ability, and then related the energy sources to the subject's VO 2max and anaerobic threshold (IAT). Twenty-five dancers (13-16 years) were divided into two different technical ability groups: low-level (n = 13) and high-level (n = 12). The overall energy requirement of dance exercise (VO 2eq) was obtained by adding the amount of VO 2 during exercise above resting (aerobic source or VO 2ex) to the VO 2 up to the fast component of recovery (anaerobic alactic source or VO 2al) and to the energy equivalent of peak blood lactate accumulation (anaerobic lactic source or VO2la) of recovery. VO -2eq of exercise amounted to 81 ± 10 and 94 ± 9 ml kg -1 in low-level and high-level groups, respectively. VO 2ex represented the higher fraction (65 ± 4% and 77 ± 5%) in low-level and high-level groups, respectively, of VO 2eq in both the groups. In the low-level group the remaining fractions were: 23 ± 2 % for VO 2al and 12 ± 1% for VO 2la-. In high-level group the remaining fractions were: 18 ± 2 % for VO 2al and 4 ± 1% for VO 2la-. Between two groups, significant differences were found in VO 2ex (P < 0.01), VO 2la- (P < 0.01), and VO 2al (P < 0.05). IAT was 55 and 60% of V̇O 2max for low-level and high-level dancers, respectively. Low-level dancers performed more exercise above IAT than high-level. For these reasons, it should be better to define exercise intensity according to the IAT parameter and not only to V̇O 2max.