Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing (SMART) Laboratory

Mason researchers study physical and mental demands on collegiate dancers

Colleen Rich — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 17:39:32 +0000

Mason researchers study physical and mental demands on collegiate dancers Colleen Rich Wed, 01/03/2024 - 12:39

Researchers at ��AV’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) and College of Visual and Performing Arts are studying the intricate world of collegiate dance as they try to develop a better understanding of the physical and mental demands placed on dance majors.

Jatin Ambegaonkar and team conducting their annual assessments with first-year dance majors in 2018. These assessments are part of the ongoing work SHARe consortium via Mason's SMART Laboratory. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The research team is led by Jatin Ambegaonkar, a professor in the Athletic Training Education Program within Mason’s School of Kinesiology, Mason doctoral candidate Kelley Wiese, and Jena Hansen-Honeycutt, the athletic trainer for the School of Dance.

This study, funded by a grant from the Virginia Athletic Trainers’ Association, will allow the researchers to call attention to the rigorous nature of this art form and how it can impact the well-being of performers. In so doing, they hope to increase awareness of the health needs of collegiate dancers.

The study will include an assessment of the physical activity demands and sleep quality among 30 to 40 Mason dance majors, as measured by data collected from wearable biosensors, and an analysis of self-reported perceptions involving physical and mental workload, fatigue, and sleep within the same demographic. The researchers believe that an assessment of the sleep habits and workload endured by these performers will elucidate the complexities of the physical and mental strains experienced by collegiate dancers and provide crucial information to clinicians, educators, dance programs, and the dancers themselves.

The study will include an assessment of the physical activity demands and sleep quality among 30 to 40 Mason dance majors, as measured by data collected from wearable biosensors. Photo by Jena Hansen-Honeycutt/School of Dance

While dance offers physical and psychosocial benefits to an estimated 11 million participants in the United States, an alarming 85% of dancers suffer injuries annually, underscoring the vital need for specialized care.

Weise, who is pursuing a PhD in Education with a kinesiology concentration, is dancer and performer herself, which led to her interest in performing arts medicine. “My personal passion for performing arts aligned with the desire to provide quality care for performers,” she said. She added that this understanding, cultivated through her personal experiences on stage, provides her with insights into the physical and psychological demands of artists during training, rehearsals, and recovery.

“Our mission is injury prevention and performance enhancement, extending dancers’ careers,” said Ambegaonkar, who is also associate dean for research in CEHD’s Office of Research Development. “Our findings will enable stakeholders to tailor training, recovery, and participation considerations to accommodate the fluctuating demands experienced throughout the year.”

Ambegaonkar anticipates the study also will illustrate the importance of on-site access to qualified health care professionals who are dedicated to monitoring and supporting the unique needs of this specialized group of aesthetic athletes.

For Ambegaonkar, his lead role in the current study is representative of the dedication and commitment he has exhibited throughout his career in seeking to expand the body of scientific knowledge pertaining to dancers’ risk of injury—a mission he embarked on when he first started working at Mason in 2006. His ethos of “Health for Dancers, Dance for Health,” gave rise to a pioneering consortium established in 2018, Supporting Healthy Arts Research (SHARe), aimed at holistically addressing dancers’ health needs.

To this end, he believes that this area of research holds the promise to unlock crucial insights that could significantly impact the training, recovery, and overall care provided to collegiate dancers and which could lead to enhanced support and understanding within the performing arts.

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College of Education and Human Development

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing (SMART) Laboratory

Students

Mason professor finds that headgear reduces concussions in high school girls’ lacrosse

Colleen Rich — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 17:45:53 +0000

Mason professor finds that headgear reduces concussions in high school girls’ lacrosse Colleen Rich Fri, 12/03/2021 - 12:45

Photo by Getty Images

High school girls lacrosse players competing in states that mandate headgear have a lower risk of concussion than players in states not requiring headgear, according to a landmark research project.

The study, conducted by ��AV professor Shane V. Caswell and other researchers, including Mason alumna Patricia Kelshaw (BS athletic training '14; MS exercise, fitness, and health promotion '16; PhD education '20), was published in August was published in August in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

“Girls’ lacrosse is the fastest growing high school team sport in the United States,” said Caswell, executive director of Mason’s Sports Medicine Assessment, Research and Testing (SMART) Laboratory and a professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s Athletic Training Education Program. “There is considerable debate if mandating headgear will lower the risk of concussion but little data has been available to inform decision makers, so we were interested in studying whether mandating wearing headgear use would reduce concussions.”

The primary goal of the study was to examine concussion rates in girls high school players wearing headgear specifically designed for women's lacrosse against those of girls without headgear. Players were monitored across three seasons and included teams from Florida, which mandates the use of approved headgear of all high school girls players.

Caswell said the research shows that girls playing in states not mandating lacrosse headgear had a 59% greater overall incidence of concussions than those required to wear headgear. Caswell said the results "will provide much needed data to inform policy discussions about athlete safety at state and national levels."

He added that as part of a larger study, the research team is reviewing game video to compare the rate of impacts to the head in states with and without headgear mandates. Preliminary findings suggest that in both states with and without a headgear mandate, most illegal hits do not result in a penalty.

"There is an important conversation to be had about the shared roles lacrosse headgear and rules enforcement have in ensuring the game is played safely," Caswell said.

Kara Mupo, head women’s lacrosse coach at Mason, said the study serves as an “important reminder to youth-level coaches, as well as middle school, club and high school coaches, to do their due diligence to help avoid serious contact-related injuries.”

Headgear is not required by the NCAA for college women’s lacrosse, but if it is worn must meet ASTM standards.

“This study is a great opportunity for youth-level coaches to reassess the ways in which they are teaching the sport as the game continues to progress,” Mupo said.

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College of Education and Human Development

Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing (SMART) Laboratory

Research

Podcast - Ep27: Concussion discussion

Damian Cristodero — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 19:53:49 +0000

Podcast - Ep27: Concussion discussion Damian Cristodero Sat, 06/26/2021 - 15:53

In This Story

Gregory Washington

Shane Caswell, co-director of Mason's Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing Laboratory tells Mason President Gregory Washington about his research that could change how concussions are diagnosed and treated, how Mason students are getting hands-on experience as athletic trainers and helping underserved middle schools in Prince William County, and what the latest science says about concussions and CTE.