PARKER, S.B., B. F. HURLEY, D. P. HANLON, AND P. VACCARO. Failure of target heart rate to accurately monitor intensity during aerobic dance.Med. Sci. Sports Exerc, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 230–234, 1989. Fourteen untrained females (age 19 ± 1, range 18–21) were studied to examine the heart rate-&OV0312;O2relationship during a single aerobic dance training session. These findings were used to help explain the changes in &OV0312;O2maxresulting from an aerobic dance training program. &OV0312;O2manand body composition were determined before and after an 8 wk training period. In addition, the heart rate-&OV0312;O2responses to an aerobic dance training session were monitored and compared to the heart rate responses of treadmill jogging performed at the same &OV0312;O2. The aerobic dance session elicited a significantly lower oxygen pulse than did treadmill exercise (7.2 ± 0.3 vs 8.1 ± 0.8 ml·beat-1;P< 0.01). There were no significant changes in percent body fat, whereas &OV0312;O2maxincreased by 11 % (34.4 ± 0.9 vs 38.1 ± 0.8 ml·kg-1·min-1;P< 0.05). No significant changes in any of the parameters tested were observed in 10 untrained controls. These findings indicate that the heart rate elicited from aerobic dance represents a lower relative exercise intensity (&OV0312;O2) than that of running. Therefore, the assumption that aerobic dance training produces the same cardiovascular adaptations as running training when performed at the same target rate may be unwarranted.