FLOW state in dancers: autonomic regulation during performance

Includes bibliographical references (pages 48-53)Dancers are a unique group of athletes that self-report moderate to high levels of FLOW while engaging in their activity (Thomson & Jaque, 2011; Thomson & Jaque, 2012a; Thomson & Jaque, 2012b); this has shown to be indicative of a subjective and positive experience that lends to an intrinsic drive and dedication towards completing their activity (Csikszentmihalyi,1990). Research relating autonomic regulation to FLOW state, especially during dance, is sparse. The objective of this study was to assess the attainment of FLOW during dance performance in relation to autonomic regulation using the Flow State Scale-2 (psychological assessment) and the Vivometrics Lifeshirt (physiological data collection) and Vivologics software. Autonomic parameters, such as heart rate variability (HRV), power spectral analysis of HRV (VLF, LF, HF, and LF:HF ratio), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and pre-ejection period (PEP) were determined using the Vivologics software, Version 3.1 (Vivometrics, Inc., 2007). These parameters, in addition to the calculated variables of cardiac autonomic balance (CAB) and cardiac autonomic reactivity (CAR), were assessed during four different time periods in the performance process: baseline, pre-performance, performance and post-performance. Controlling for the presence of anxiety during the performance process, analyses of variance resulted in significant differences between dancers split into HI-FLOW and LO-FLOW groups with respect to LFn and LF:HF during performance, and the percent change in heart rate (HR) from pre-performance to performance. Using partial correlations (with anxiety as a covariate), significant relationships were found between mean global (total) FLOW, subscales Challenge Skill Balance (CSB), Activation Awareness merging (AA), and Autotelic Experience (AE) and the relative change in CAB from baseline to performance. The Sense of Control (SC) subscale was also partially correlated with the relative change in VLF and HR from pre-performance to performance. These results were indicative of heightened sympathetic modulation in dancers from baseline and pre-performance to performance. This withdrawal of vagal mediation with the increase in sympathetic activity into performance displayed a shift of cardiac autonomic balance (CAB) down the bivariate continuum that facilitated the FLOW experience in dancers