Pole Dancing-Specific Muscle Strength: Development and Reliability of a Novel Assessment Protocol

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Pole dancing is a growing sport with limited scientific research.
• Assessing strength in pole dancers is crucial for performance and injury prevention.
• Functional strength assessment for this population is underdeveloped.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a strength assessment protocol for pole dancing athletes.
• To focus on functional positions specific to the sport.
• To establish reliability and potential clinical utility of the protocol.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-two female pole dancers participated.
• Maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) were measured in shoulder abduction/adduction and hip adduction.
• Measurements were taken on two separate days using a hand-held dynamometer.

Main Results:

• The protocol demonstrated good to excellent intra-session and inter-session reliability (ICC = 0.837-0.970).
• No significant MVIC differences were found between sides for shoulder abduction and hip adduction.
• A significant difference was noted for shoulder adduction (p = 0.00).

Conclusions:

• The developed strength assessment protocol is reliable and functional for pole dancers.
• The protocol has potential applications in clinical settings for objective strength testing.
• Further research is needed to include more muscle groups, positions, and male athletes.