Dance-specific Aerobic Fitness Test (DAFT) Heart Rate Variables are not Associated with Lower-Extremity Injuries in Contemporary Dance Students.

This study investigated whether heart rate variables measured during the Dance-specific Aerobic Fitness Test (DAFT)—specifically peak heart rate (HRpeak) and heart rate recovery (HRR)—were associated with lower-extremity injury prevalence and severity in 235 first-year contemporary dance students over a four-month period. Results showed no significant associations between DAFT HRpeak or HRR and injury occurrence or severity across three injury definitions: all-complaint, substantial, and time-loss injuries. However, higher age was significantly associated with an increased risk of substantial and time-loss lower-extremity injuries. The findings suggest that while the DAFT remains useful for monitoring aerobic fitness, it may not be effective as a screening tool for predicting lower-extremity injury risk in contemporary dance students.