Ballet training optimizes muscle coordination

A new article in Journal of Neurophysiology reports that professional ballet dancers have more control over their muscles than individuals with no dance training. Researchers from Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology found that ballet training optimized muscle coordination not only for dancing but also everyday movements. Ballet dancers had better balance and used their muscles more effectively and efficiently. "Identifying how long-term training affects construction, storage and execution of movement may provide valuable insight into unknown mechanisms of motor coordination and motor learning that could guide future rehabilitation efforts," the research team wrote.

The article "Long-term training modifies the modular structure and organization of walking balance control" is published in Journal of Neurophysiology. It is highlighted as one of this month's "best of the best" as part of the American Physiological Society's APSselect program.