Abstract

This study tried to examine some physiological response variables (PER) of step aerobics exercise (S-A) for a group of aerobic instructors (n=10) and their students (n=16). All instructors trained an equal 30-min S-A program, for a group of students. Heart rate (HR) was monitored continuously, and the average HR and %HRmax of the first half (min 1st – 15th), and the second half (min 16th – 30th) of the session was calculated. Blood lactate (BL) was measured in the 15th and 30th min of the session. Instructors and students differentiated significantly in age, aerobic dance experience, HR and %HRmax between the15th and 30th min of the S-A session (t-tests AGE: 12.60, p < 0.001; Experience: 6.22, p < 0.001; HR16-30: 2.48, p < 0.05; %HRmax16-30: 3.2, p < 0.01). Students, but not instructors, tended to have lower HR during the second half compared to the first half of the S-A (t test: 2.3, p < 0.05). BL for both groups increased from the first to the second half of the S-A (p < 0.05). HR seemed to fail to monitor training intensity during S-A for the both groups, because of the motor-learning process (characteristic for students), and verbal cueing (instructors). Finally, it seems that previously reported health related problems of aerobic dance instructors are not related to the magnitude of the acute physiological stress during single session, but more likely to the disproportional frequency of the exercises (6-9 sessions weekly). Verf.-Referat