Muscular Fatigue: Considerations for Dance

Abstract

Muscular fatigue can be defined as the failure to maintain an expected power output. It is a multifaceted phenomenon that incorporates metabolic, neural and neuromuscular components, among others. Metabolic causes of fatigue are associated with the ability to maintain energy supply during exercise, the speed at which homeostasis is achieved postexercise, and the effects of high intensity exercise by-products on the peripheral neuromuscular system. Research has indicated that the central nervous system plays a protective role in preventing catastrophic muscle damage by reducing the intensity and frequency of propagation founded on biofeedback from the muscle cells. The duration and particularly the type of physical activity play a role in the development of muscle fatigue, with impact or weightbearing exercises, such as dance, producing increased symptoms compared to non-impact or nonweightbearing equivalents. The effects of prolonged exercise and the associated increased levels of muscle fatigue that may lead to compromises in neuromuscular propagation need to be considered in dance.