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The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of 12 weeks of quadriceps and hamstring strength training on torque levels after a dance exercise and on selected anthropometric parameters. The sample consisted of 22 (ages, 25 +/- 1.3 years) full-time professional ballerinas who were randomly assigned into experimental (n = 12) and control (n = 10) groups. A dance routine designed to cause fatigue within 5 minutes, isokinetic dynamometry, and anthropometric assessments were conducted before and after strength training in both groups. Before strength training, the dance routine resulted in significant reductions of hamstring (p 0.05) and thigh circumferences (p > 0.05). A negative relationship (p < 0.001) was found between initial strength levels and improvements measured at the end of the 12-week program. These results suggest that supplementary strength training for hamstring and quadriceps muscles is beneficial to professional ballerinas and their dancing; weaker individuals are more likely to benefit from such regimens than their stronger counterparts, whereas increases in thigh-muscle strength do not alter selected aesthetic components.
Koutedakis et al. (Thu,) studied this question.