Acute Physiological Effects of Greek Traditional Dancing

NCT ID: NCT06260124

Last Updated: 2025-06-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-04-10
• Study Completion Date: 2025-05-30

Brief Summary

In Greece, people of different age groups, including young children to older adults, are involved in traditional dance. To date, the well-know benefits of dancing include entertainment, socialization and increased physical activity. However, the acute effects of Greek traditional dancing on health, physical performance and muscle damage indices remain largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this project is to evaluate the acute effect of Greek traditional dancing on health-, physical performance-, and muscle damage-related parameters by considering the impact of dancing tempo (slow vs moderate vs fast). In a crossover repeated measures design 10 pre- and 10 post-menopausal women will participate in the three dancing sessions of different tempo in a random order.

Detailed Description

This study aims at determining the acute effect of Greek traditional dancing on health- and physical performance-related parameters by considering the impact of dancing tempo. Ten pre- and ten postmenopausal women meeting the inclusion criteria will be assigned to a crossover trial. Initially, participants will undergo baseline testing including (i) anthropometrics, (ii) body composition, (iii) physical performance, (iv) physical activity level and (v) dietary intake. After baseline measurements, a 7-day familiarization period will take place, during which participants will practice daily on the three experimental dances. Each dance will be characterized by a different tempo (beats per minute) so that there will be one dance from each tempo category (i.e. slow, moderate and fast). After familiarization, participants will execute in a random order the three dancing sessions, on separate days. Each dancing session will consist of one dance (of either slow or moderate or fast tempo) lasting ~ 3- 4 minutes. During each dance heart rate, oxygen consumption and activity intensity will be continuously monitored. Before and immediately after the dance systolic and diastolic blood pressure, perceived exertion and blood lactate will be measure. In addition, before each dance and at 24 and 48 hours post-dance muscle soreness, muscle strength and resting metabolic rate will be measured and a resting blood sample will be drawn for the assessment of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers.

Conditions

Menopause; Cardiovascular Health; Body Composition; Physical Performance; Muscle Damage

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Pre-menopausal women

Pre-menopausal healthy, inactive women that will participate in a random order in three dancing sessions (Greek traditional dancing) of different tempo on non-consecutive days.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Slow tempo

Intervention Type: OTHER

A single Greek traditional dance of slow tempo lasting 3-4 minutes.

Moderate tempo

Intervention Type: OTHER

A single Greek traditional dance of moderate tempo lasting 3-4 minutes.

Fast tempo

Intervention Type: OTHER

A single Greek traditional dance of fast tempo lasting 3-4 minutes.

Post-menopausal

Post-menopausal healthy, inactive women that will participate in a random order in three dancing sessions (Greek traditional dancing) of different tempo on non-consecutive days.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Slow tempo

Intervention Type: OTHER

A single Greek traditional dance of slow tempo lasting 3-4 minutes.

Moderate tempo

Intervention Type: OTHER

A single Greek traditional dance of moderate tempo lasting 3-4 minutes.

Fast tempo

Intervention Type: OTHER

A single Greek traditional dance of fast tempo lasting 3-4 minutes.

Interventions

Slow tempo

A single Greek traditional dance of slow tempo lasting 3-4 minutes.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Moderate tempo

A single Greek traditional dance of moderate tempo lasting 3-4 minutes.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Fast tempo

A single Greek traditional dance of fast tempo lasting 3-4 minutes.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Premenopausal and postmenopausal women.
• Abstain from vigorous physical activity and/or exercise during the last (at least) 6 months prior to the study.
• Free of musculoskeletal diseases and injuries.
• Free of cardiometabolic diseases.
• Free of mental health disorders
• No body weight loss >10% over the last 6 months prior to the study
• Non-smokers

Exclusion Criteria

• Perimenopause and menopause women
• Participation vigorous physical activity and/or exercise during the last (at least) 6 months prior to the study
• Presence of musculoskeletal diseases and injuries.
• Presence of cardiometabolic diseases.
• Presence of mental health disorders
• Body weight loss >10% over the last 6 months prior to the study
• Smokers

• Minimum Eligible Age: 20 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Thessaly

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Dimitrios Draganidis

Assisstant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Dimitrios Draganidis, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Thessaly, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science

Locations

University of Thessaly, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science

Trikala, Thessaly, Greece

Countries

Greece

Other Identifiers

Greek Dancing-UTH

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id