Influence of body posture on energy expenditure in brass and wind instrumentalists.

80% of professional music players develops musculoskeletal complaints during their career. The high physical demands of professional music players can be compared with athletes. Years of experience and literature studies show that postural exercise therapy can prevent and cure those complaints. Sports and fitness can help to prevent these complaints. Experience shows that an optimal body posture in music playing, in which there is a disconnection between the use of the muscles which are used for making music and the basic balance muscles, is more efficient from energetic point of view. Until now there is no evidence based research available proving this hypothesis.


The aim of this research is to try to link body posture in music playing with energy expenditure. Our hypothesis is that a correct body posture in brass and wind players is less energy consuming compared to an incorrect posture.


The research concerns a respiration chamber study. This is a pilot study in a cross-over design. The experimental subjects will be randomized in two groups. Group A starts making music for 1 hour in an incorrect posture, followed by a rest for half an hour, and subsequently making music for 1 hour in a correct position. Group B starts making music for an hour in a correct position, followed by a rest for half an hour and subsequently making music for 1 hour in an incorrect position.


The population consists of 18 musicians who play a brass or wind instrument and who have suffered from complaints of arm, neck and shoulder (CANS) in the near past. They were treated by a postural exercise therapist in the last year and are trained now to make music in the correct body posture. They are still able to make music in the incorrect body posture.


The intervention is the correct music making posture compared to the incorrect music making posture.


Outcome is energy expenditure. This is measured by calculations of O2 en CO2 in the respiration chamber and expressed by using KJoules. A secundary parameter is CO2 production (VCO2; ml/min)

A correct body posture in brass and wind players is less energy consuming compared to an incorrect posture.

N/A

Postural exercise therapy.