H-REFLEXES ARE SMALLER IN DANCERS FROM THE ROYAL DANISH BALLET THAN IN WELL-TRAINED ATHLETES

The size of the maximal H-reflex (H(max)) was measured at rest and expressed as a percentage of the maximal M-response (M(max)) in 17 untrained subjects, 27 moderately trained subjects, 19 well-trained subjects and 7 dancers from the Royal Danish Ballet. The H(max)/M(max) was significantly larger in the moderately and well-trained subjects than in the untrained subjects but smaller in the ballet dancers. It is therefore suggested that both the amount and the type of habitual activity may influence the excitability of spinal reflexes.