High proportion of type I fibres in thigh muscle of young dancers.

A previous study showed that adult female dancers have a high percentage of type I fibres in vastus lateralis, similar to that of endurance-trained female runners or female cross-country skiers. It is not known if dancers already at an early age are characterized by a high percentage of type I fibres or develop a high percentage of type I fibres as a consequence of dance training. Furthermore, the muscle fibre composition of male dancers has not previously been studied. Therefore the aim of the study was to analyse skeletal muscle fibre characteristics in 10-year-old and 20-year-old dancers of both sexes. Age-matched boys and girls whose physical activity was average for their age groups served as controls. Muscle biopsies for histochemical analysis were obtained from vastus lateralis using the percutaneous needle technique. The major finding of the present study was that the vastus lateralis of young dancers of both sexes had a higher percentage of type I fibres than that of controls. Moreover, the higher type I percentage was seen not only in 20 year olds, but also in 10 year olds, who had begun their dance training at a professional level only a few weeks earlier. No significant difference in this respect was found between female and male dancers. In conclusion, the muscle fibre type composition in young dancers of both sexes differs from that of the average individual of the same age and is characterized by a high percentage of type I fibres.