Effect of Fatigue on Functional Movement Screening Performance in Dancers

OBJECTIVE: Dance is associated with a high risk of injury, with fatigue identified as a contributing factor. Functional movement screening (FMS) has been used to identify alterations in normal movement which may contribute to injury risk, though this test is not normally performed in a fatigued state. The aim of this study was to determine whether fatigue induced by the dance aerobic fitness test (DAFT) results in changes in FMS scores with implications for performance and injury risk. METHODS: Forty-one university dancers completed the FMS before and immediately after completion of the DAFT. Rate of perceived exertion and heart rate were quantified as measures of fatigue. RESULTS: Post-DAFT, the mean FMS composite score (15.39 +/- 1.86) was significantly less (p <= 0.01) than the pre-exercise score (16.83 +/- 1.83). Element-specific analysis revealed that the deep squat, non-dominant lunge, and dominant in-line lunge scores were all significantly impaired post-DAFT (all p <= 0.01). CONCLUSION: The identification of changes in quality of movement in a fatigued state suggests that movement screening should also be performed post-exercise to enhance screening for injury risk. The influence of dance-specific fatigue was FMS element-specific. Specifically, the deep squat and inline lunge were most susceptible to fatigue, with implications for injury risk and performance and reflective of the high level of neuromuscular control required.