A new research initiative is seeking to gather data on the physical and cardiovascular health impacts of kapa haka.
Launched by Pūtahi Manawa, the $300,000 Te Korowai Pūtahi Manawa Kapa Haka and Cardiovascular Health Research Grant will support a Māori-led research project investigating how participation in kapa haka affects heart health and general wellbeing.
According to Pūtahi Manawa, the grant comes as health researchers seek to address cardiovascular health disparities facing Māori, who statistics show continue to experience higher rates of heart disease and earlier onset of cardiovascular events compared to non-Māori.
Kaihaka detail physical toll on stage
Performers state that the physical strain of a national kapa haka campaign involves high levels of conditioning, with performance brackets running up to 25 minutes on stage.
Te Waka Huia kaihaka Kura Te Ua says the mental and physical preparation required for a campaign places significant demands on the body.
“Well, I liken a kaihaka to that of a high-performance athlete in the sense that everything that’s done in the lead-up to the moment that we hit that stage for 20 minutes has been rehearsed, has been conditioned mentally, physically and emotionally,” she says.
Te Ua describes the energy shifts during a performance as a major test of physical endurance.
“You’re at full spike, full cardiovascular, and a split second you’re down to like a 10% trying to catch your breath back before you split into another 60% energy outburst,” she explains.
Measuring blood sugar and fitness gains
While kapa haka is widely recognised for its cultural role, researchers note that formal scientific data on its exact physiological impacts remains limited.
However, a three-month pilot study led by Dr Anna Rolleston tracked performers from Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Ranginui during a campaign, recording physical improvements among participants.
“Kaihaka had an improvement in their HbA1c, which is kind of a three-month measure of how your body is managing its blood sugars, so it’s a diabetes measure that we use. We also unsurprisingly found that they had a significant increase in cardiorespiratory fitness,” she says.
Dr Rolleston notes that because the pilot was small, larger cohort studies across multiple rōpū are required to establish formal scientific conclusions.
Building evidence ahead of Te Matatini 2027
Pūtahi Manawa timed the grant initiative ahead of Te Matatini 2027 to capture research data during active campaign cycles. The organisation states that establishing baseline data could eventually inform cardiac rehabilitation programs and allow health providers to prescribe kapa haka as part of formal care.
Pou Tikanga Joe Pihema says that while community understanding of kapa haka’s benefits has long existed, formal research data is necessary to inform mainstream health practice.
“Mai anō, mai anō te kitea o ngā painga i tēnei mea te mahi kapa haka engari kāore anō tētahi mahi rangahau kia oti noa e mea ana ae ngā raraunga, anei ngā tatauranga, anei ngā kitenga e kī nei he painga tō tēnei mea te kapa haka.”
Pūtahi Manawa Co-Director Māori, Associate Professor Karen Brewer, says data suggests aligning health interventions with cultural practices improves participant retention.
“Whānau Māori are much more likely to stay in the health programme and benefit from it if it’s a good cultural fit, so the more we can shift the health system to kaupapa Māori initiatives, the better the results will likely be for Māori,” she says.
According to Pūtahi Manawa, the successful research team will gather field data over two years alongside a kapa haka community, with final research findings expected by 2028.
