Viktor Plačko

Background: DanceSport involves intermittent high-intensity efforts that may differ between styles and partners within a dance couple. However, dance-specific relative oxygen uptake (%VO₂max) in elite Standard and Latin dancers remains insufficiently described. Objective: This study aimed to characterize relative oxygen uptake during simulated competition in elite Slovak national team dancers and to examine (i) differences between Latin and Standard styles, (ii) variability across individual dances, and (iii) sex-specific patterns. Methods: Twenty elite dancers (10 couples) participated in the study. Five couples (n = 10 dancers; 5 females and 5 males) specialized in Latin dances, and five couples (n = 10 dancers; 5 females and 5 males) specialized in Standard dances. VO₂max was determined via an incremental treadmill test. During a simulated final round, breath-by-breath gas exchange was recorded using portable spirometry. Style-level differences were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA (Style × Sex), and dance-specific effects were examined using repeated-measures ANOVAs. Results: No significant difference in mean %VO₂max was observed between styles (F_{(1, 16)} = 1.31, p = 0.269, η²_p = 0.076). In the Latin group, relative oxygen uptake differed significantly between dances (F_{(4, 32)} = 22.45, p < 0.001, η²_p = 0.737), with Jive eliciting the highest values (~103–105% VO₂max in males) and Rumba eliciting the lowest values (~88–89% VO₂max). No Dance × Sex interaction was detected in Latin dances (p = 0.526). In the Standard group, a significant Dance × Sex interaction was observed (F_{(4, 32)} = 8.80, p < 0.001, η²_p = 0.524), with male dancers demonstrating higher %VO₂max during Quickstep (~96%) compared with other dances, whereas females showed a more uniform intensity profile (~80–86%). Conclusions: Relative oxygen uptake in DanceSport is highly dance-dependent and shows sex-specific metabolic patterns in Standard dances. Conditioning programs in elite DanceSport should therefore be structured according to individual dance demands and partnership-specific physiological roles.

Background: DanceSport involves intermittent high-intensity efforts that may differ between styles and partners within a dance couple. However, dance-specific relative oxygen uptake (%VO₂max) in elite Standard and Latin dancers remains insufficiently described. Objective: This study aimed to characterize relative oxygen uptake during simulated competition in elite Slovak national team dancers and to examine (i) differences between Latin and Standard styles, (ii) variability across individual dances, and (iii) sex-specific patterns. Methods: Twenty elite dancers (10 couples) were divided into Latin (n = 10) and Standard (n = 10) groups. VO₂max was determined via an incremental treadmill test. During a simulated final round, breath-by-breath gas exchange was recorded using portable spirometry. Relative oxygen uptake (%VO₂max) was calculated for each dance. Style-level differences were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA (Style × Sex), and dance-specific effects were examined using repeated-measures ANOVAs. Results: No significant differences in mean %VO₂max were observed between styles (p = .269), nor were there main effects of Sex or Style × Sex interaction (p > .05). In the Latin group, %VO₂max differed significantly between dances (p < .001), with Jive highest and Rumba lowest, without sex interaction. In the Standard group, a significant Dance × Sex interaction was observed (p < .001). Male dancers showed higher %VO₂max during Quickstep, whereas females exhibited a more uniform intensity profile. Conclu-sions: Oxygen demand in DanceSport is strongly dance-dependent. Latin dances demonstrate comparable relative intensities between sexes, whereas Standard dances show sex-specific metabolic patterns, likely reflecting distinct biomechanical roles within the partnership. These findings support dance-specific and partner-sensitive approaches to physiological monitoring and training design in elite DanceSport.