First Aid for Dancers

With the local competitive dance team season beginning, it is important to understand how to address injuries. Here are the recommendations from the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. These recommendations could be applied to dance team dancers, studio dancers, professional dancers, and other athletes.

Used the acronym "PRICED" to provide first aid to injuries.

P-Protect the injured area from further harm. Harm can include further exercise, dance, massage, or heat on a newly aggravated injury.

R-Rest. Stop dancing and stop moving the injured area.

I-Ice. Apply ice to the injured area for 20 minutes. Repeat every 2 hours. Note: Do not place ice directly on your skin.

C-Compress. Use an elastic bandage to wrap the injured area to help decrease swelling.

E-Elevate the injured area above the heart as much as possible.

D-Diagnosis. Get the injury evaluated by a medical professional so that you understand what to do, what not to do, and what time frames are involved.

This information is a brief synopsis of "First Aid for Dancers," a position paper published by the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science.

Nutrition for Dancers: Focus on Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat

I'm often asked nutrition questions by teenage dancers or parents. Since I am not a registered dietician, providing a meal plan would not be appropriate. However, the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) has published several position papers with guidelines to answer these questions.

Question: How much should a dancer eat?
Answer: 45-50 calories/kg body weight for females and 50-55 calories/kg body weight for males on days of intense training.

Question: How many carbohydrates should a dancer eat?
Answer: 6-10 grams/kg body weight

Question: Is a low fat diet safe for dancers?
Answer: IADMS recommends a diet of 55-65% carbohydrate, 12-15% protein, and 20-30% fat. If these macronutrients are not in balance, the dancer may have difficulty maintaining enough energy to meet the demands of performing and recovering from their activity. Therefore having a diet low in any macronutrient is not recommended.


The answers provided in this post are quoted/paraphrased from "Fueling the Dancer," a position paper created for the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science.