ArchanaRetal.,Int.J.Res.Pharm.Sci.,9(4),1268-1273

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ORIGINALARTICLE

INTERNATIONALJOURNALOFRESEARCHINPHARMACEUTICALSCIENCES

PublishedbyPharmascopePublications JournalHomePage:www.pharmascope.org/ijrps

EffectofregulardancepracticeonpulmonaryfunctionsandrespiratoryefficiencyinfemaleBharatanatyamdancers–Apilotstudy

SurekhaR,ArchanaR*,VijayalakshmiB

DepartmentofPhysiology,SaveethaMedicalCollege,SaveethaNagar,Thanadalam,Chennai-602105India

ArticleHistory: ABSTRACT

Receivedon:09.03.2018Revisedon:14.07.2018Acceptedon:19.07.2018

Danceisoneofthespecialformsofexercisewhichhasawholesomeeffectonthehumanbody.PractisingtraditionaldancelikeBharatanatyamhasapo-tentiallypositiveimpactonphysicalhealthandmayenhancetherespiratorysystembyimprovingrespiratoryefficiencywhichhasnotexplicitlybeenas-sessedsofar.ThestudyaimedtoevaluatetheeffectofregulardancepracticeonpulmonaryfunctionsandrespiratoryefficiencyinfemaleBharatanatyamdancers. Inorder toachieve thepurposeof this study, femaleparticipantsbetweentheagegrouping13-18yearsweredividedintocontrolgroup(withno experience of Bharatanatyam dancing) and dancers group (practisingBharatanatyamfor3years).UsingPCbasedUSBSpirometer;dataforpulmo-nary function test was collected by assessing variables like FVC, FEV1,FEV/FVC1,FEF25%-75%,PEF,FET,FIVC,PIF,totalFEV1%.Dataforrespir-atoryefficiencywasassessedbytesting40mmendurancetest,peakexpira-toryflowrate(PEFR),respiratoryblasttestandbothincontrolandthedanc-er'sgroup.Theresultswereanalyzedusingstudents"t"test.Long-termprac-ticeofBharatanatyampracticehadsignificantlyincreasedtherespiratoryef-ficiencyindancers(p<0.05)comparedtothecontrolgroup.Thus,thestudyhasfoundthatthepracticeofregularBharatanatyamdancewillbebeneficialinimprovingpulmonaryfunctionsandrespiratoryefficiency.

Keywords:

Traditionaldance,Bharatanatyam,Respiratoryefficiency,40mmendurancetest.

*CorrespondingAuthor

Name:Dr.R.ArchanaEmail:dr.rarchana@gmail.com

ISSN:0975-7538DOI:https://doi.org/10.26452/ijrps.v9i4.1670

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INTRODUCTION

Danceisatypeofartthatreferstorhythmicbodymovements(SaabaananthSandGopinathV,2014).Itispractisedallovertheworldindifferentstylesand cultures which makes a benefaction to ahealthy life. The origin of Indian classical dancewasdiscovered1000-1500yearsagooutofwhich,Bharatanatyam thrived remarkably in India(Saabaananth S, Gopinath V, 2001). Scientificresearch has provided evidence that dancepractice might have an encouraging effect on

pulmonary functionsandcapacities (ArpitaChat-terjee, 2013). Dances such as Aerobic dance,Bharatanatyam, Kandyan dance, Ballroom dance,Ballet, Mohiniattam, Manipuri, has a widespreadbeneficialeffectonhumanbeings.

Bharatanatyamistheoldestofallclassicaldanceswhich is more common in South India. Generaletymology of Bharatanatyam is "BHAVA"(expression)+"RA"ga(music)+"TA"la(rhythm)+NATYAM(dance) (MAIRÉADVaughan,2014). So,Bharatanatyamisnotjustadancebutanappealingpathway to intensify one's physical and mentalwell-being.Ifpractisedwithultimateenthusiasm,this might be as good as many other difficultexerciseactivities.Ingeneral,startingwiththefirstbreathandendingwiththelaststepofdance,thedancersmoveturn,glide,reach,jump,shaketotherhythmicflowofone'sinnerurge(SaabaananthSandGopinathV,2014).

DancelikeBharatnatayamhasawholesomeeffectonphysiologicalresponsesuchasthegreatimpact

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onrespiratoryefficiency,balance,flexibility,stam-inaandalsoamajorroleintheprevalenceofobe-sity(NeepaBanerjeeetal.,2014a).Practisingac-tivitieslikeBharatanatyamplayavitalroleincon-trolling weight. Bharatanatyam includes somebasic initiative steps like Tattuthadavu, Nat-tuadavu,Murkaadavuandinvolvementofcomplexmovements, jumps and gestures offer a role inburning calories and controls weight (NeepaBanerjeeetal.,2014b).Ithascompoundstepswithadifferentposture,gesturesandexpressionwhichinvolve themaximum part of the dancer's body.Suchactivitieswhenpractisedonregularandwell-organizedbasisincreasesVo2max(maximumvol-umeofoxygen)consumptionandstrengthenstherespiratorymusclewhichindicatesthemaximumaerobicpower(UjwalLYeoleetal.,2016;KyoChulSeo, 2017). The systemic practice of Bha-ratanatyamhasanactiveroleinfootacupressuremassage that prevents poor eyesight, thyroidproblems, blood pressure due to the presence ofnerveendingsatthebaseofthefoot(SudhakarandKanaka,1994).Itcontributesanimportantpartinnonverbal communication where movement ofeyes, face, along with facial expressions whichcommunicate themeaning, concepts, intimationsalongwiththedance(PreetiBalaSharma,2013).Regular practice of Bharatanatyam increase bal-ancewhichinvolvessystemicandorganizedfeed-back from the kinesthetic, visual, vestibular andauditory system, thereby influencing motor andsensory system. Studies have shown that prac-tisingdanceonceaweekmayprovideasignificanteffect on the physical and psychological benefitsfor older adults (Ghai, C.L, 1999). Hence, goingthroughthespiculesofmodernism,Indianclassi-caldancehaskeptheadhighspreadingitsfascinat-ingspiritacrosstheculturalbarriers.Itstherapeu-tic effectiveness hasmade it unique yetmysticalovertheimmeasurablespanofperiod.Therefore,thecurrentstudywasaimedtoevaluatetheeffectof long-term Bharatanatyam dance practice onlungfunctionbyassessingpulmonaryfunctiontestandrespiratoryefficiencybyassessing40mmen-durance test, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR),respiratoryblasttest.

METHODOLOGY

The study was started after obtaining clearancefromtheInstitutionalReviewBoard(IRB)andIn-stitutional Ethics Committee (IEC No:SMC/IEC/2017/264)ofSaveethaMedicalCollege& Hospital. The study was conducted in femaleBharatanatyamdancerswiththeagegroupof13-18yearsindanceschoolsinChennaiafterobtain-ing permission for data collection. Written in-formedconsentfromalltheparticipantsandinfor-mationsheetregardingthestudyweregiventoallthe participants. Demographic information of all

dancerswas obtained including age, year/monthof dance practice, how often they practice danceandthedurationoftimespentpersitting.Thepar-ticipants were divided into two groups: group I(control group) with no experience of Bha-ratanatyamdancing and group II (dancer group)practisingBharatanatyamfor3years.PulmonaryfunctiontestwasassessedusingPC-USBbasedSpi-rometer, and respiratory efficiencywas assessedusing40mmendurance test,peakexpiratory flowrate(PEFR),respiratoryblasttestinboththecon-trol and dancer group including female Bha-ratanatyamdancers,whoarewillingtoparticipatein the study and practicing Bharatanatyam forthreeyears,threedaysperweek,onehourpersit-ting, and excluding athletes, swimmers, dancerswith chronic obstructive pulmonary disease andunderwentsurgery,lungcirrhosis,respiratorydis-tresssyndrome,asthma,wheezingandsmokers.

Measurement of Pulmonary functions:Pulmonary functions were assessed by standardgold method – USB based spirometer (Spiro =Breathe,Meter=measuringdevice).Aspirometerisaninstrumentusedtomeasurethemovementofair in and out of the lungs. It is an electricalinstrument provided with the graphic recordknownasspirogramwhichprovidesthevariablesof lung volumes and capacities (Vinayak P et al.,2011).Duringthistestparticipantswereaskedtoblowthroughasterilemouthpieceandvalueswasrecorded through the graphic representationunderthesupervisionofaphysician.

MeasurementofRespiratoryefficiency

40mm Endurance test: Following a deepinspiration,participantswereaskedtoexpireintothemercurymanometeruptothelevel40mmandto maintain it as long as possible (Chaitra, VijayMaitri,2011).

Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR): Peak flowrate is the highest rate at which the gas can beexpelled from the lungs through an openmouthwith closed nostrils (Clippenger K, 1997).Participants were asked to expire forcefully intothe peak flow meter after a deep inspiration byadjustingtheknobtothezerolevel.

Respiratory blast test: After a maximalinspiration, participants were asked to expireforcefully through the rubber tube of mercurymanometerandraisethelevelofmercuryashighaspossible

Three trails were made out of which maximumvaluewasconsideredforbothpulmonaryfunctionandrespiratoryefficiencytest.

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RESULTS

Theresultswereanalyzedusingstudents"t"test.Long-termpracticeofBharatanatyamhas signifi-cantly increasedthepulmonaryfunctionandres-piratoryefficiency indancers (p<0.05)comparedtothecontrolgroup.

DISCUSSION

Dance has been principle key of rituals, festivity,leisure, enjoyment and relaxation since theprimaeval times of our existence. It provides anactive, non-competitive formof exercise that haspotentially positive effects for physical health aswell asmental and emotional well-being (NeepaBanerjeeetal.,2014b).Clippingersaysthatitalsocandriveandexcitepeopleanditcanbeawayofenchantingpeople inphysicalactivity (Quin,Eetal.,2007).Manyscientificstudieshaveprovedthatpractisingphysicalactivitieslikedancecanhaveapositive influenceonphysical fitness, circulatory,respiratory, muscular and skeletal systems(ChaitraBetal.,2012).

In our study, we assessed the effects of regulardancepracticeonpulmonaryfunctionsbyestimat-ingthevaluesofFVC,FEV1,FEV/FVC1,FEF25%-75%,PEF,FET,FIVC,PIF,totalFEV1%.Respiratoryefficiencywasassessedbyestimatingthevaluesof40mm endurance, peak expiratory flow rate(PEFR), respiratoryblast.The result of the studyshowedanincreaseinpulmonaryfunctionsdanc-ers when compared to the control group, whichshowsthatlong-termBharatanatyampracticecanmake lungs stronger and increases respiratoryfunctionsandefficiency.

In previous studies by Chaitra B et al., sixteenweeksof aerobicsdance inhealthymalemedicalstudents aged between 17-20 years caused asignificantincreaseinFVC,FEV1andPEFRandno

significant change was observed in FEV1/FVCratio.NeepaBanerjeeet al., in their studieshaveshown that female Bharatanatyam dancersbetweenagegroupof14–17yearswhoreceivedtraining for a minimum period of 3 years andpractisingitregularlyforatleasthalfanhourfor6daysaweekhadpositively increased theVCandFEV1valuesof thedancinggroupwhichsignifiestheeffectofdanceonpulmonaryfunction(NeepaBanerjeeetal.,2014b).

In our body, the respiratory system takes in air,transfers the oxygen to the blood, takes carbondioxidefromthebloodandpassesitoutwiththeexhaled air. The physiological response to dancelike Bharatanatyam depends on extremity,continuanceandregularityoftheexercise.Duringdance practice, requirements for oxygen andsubstrate in skeletal muscle, removal ofmetabolitesandcarbondioxideareincreased.Thechemical, mechanical and thermal stimulusmodifiesmetabolic,cardiovascularandpulmonaryfunctions inorder tomeet thesehighneeds.Thecardiorespiratory function was enhanced inAerobic,practisingdancefor60±15min,3daysperweek,overaperiodoftwelveweeks(SaabaananthS,GopinathV,2014).Indianclassicaldancershavesignificantly higher VO2 max and lower BMI ascompared toYogaPractitioners.Previousstudieshaveshownthatpractisingphysicalactivitiesonaregular basis over a period have resulted in animprovement of VO2max (Ujwal L Yeole et al.,2016). The cardiorespiratory changes observedare directly proportional to the frequency anddurationof thedancetrainingthat the individualundergoes.AsweincludedfemaleBharatanatyamdancerspractisingBharatanatyamforthreeyearsregularly, all these facts together could be thecausefortheenhancedlungfunctionsobservedinthedancersinthepresentstudy.

Table1:ComparisongraphbetweenthecontrolgroupanddancergroupinrespectofPulmo-naryfunctiontestandrespiratoryefficiency

Parameters Controlgroup(n=30) Studygroup(n=30)PulmonaryFunctionTestForcedVitalCapacity(L) 2.09±0.71 3.163±0.73*ForcedExpiratoryVolumein1Sec(L) 1.84±0.72 2.73283±0.59*FEV/FVC1 0.84±0.10 0.92697±0.074*Forcedinspiratoryflow25–75% 2.07±1.18 3.599±0.74*Peakexpiratoryflow(L/S) 4.51±1.69 6.699±1.46*ForcedExpiratoryTime(S) 4.313±1.9 4.463±1.39Forcedinspiratoryvitalcapacity(L) 1.56±1.11 3.1503±1.08*PeakInspiratoryFlow(L/S) 2.30±1.40 4.591±1.52*TotalFEV1 75.1±12.41 184.57±44.37*RespiratoryEfficiencyTestRespiratoryblasttest(mmHg) 34.6±5.69 70.6±12.90*Peakexpiratoryflowrate(L/min) 310±41.00 476.3±69.32*40mmEndurance 26.5±7.18 57.6±11.70*

Datawerepresentedasmean±SDand*(p<0.05)wassignificant.

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Figure1:ComparisongraphbetweenthecontrolgroupanddancergroupinrespectofPulmo-

naryfunctiontest

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Thus,practisingdancelikeBharatanatyamhelpstointegratethebody,mind,andsoulandalsohasabeneficial role inhumanhealthby increasing thepulmonaryfunctionandrespiratoryefficiency.

CONCLUSION

Regularlong-termBharatanatyampracticeisanef-fectiveway to enhance pulmonary functions andrespiratoryefficiency.

Conflictsofinterest:Nil

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