Effect of Music in Cardiopulmonary System and Heart Rate Variability during Cycling

Abstract

Previous literatures showed that music can affect human automatic nervous system, and under a certain pressure helps decrease blood pressure and heart rate. Therefore, listening music when exercise may increase exercise duration and enhance the exercise performance. PURPOSE: To discuss the effect of music cardiopulmonary system and heart rate variability during progressive exercise during cycling. METHODS: Twelve subjects without any cardiopulmonary system syndrome were recruited in this study. Before testing, the subjects were asked to have a Physical activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR_Q) to make sure the subjects could afford the testing. During the testing, the pulmonary gas exchange system and heart rate detector were attached on the subjects to record the cardiopulmonary parameters during cycling. The subjects were asked to keep at rest for five minutes to record the data as the baseline, and then doing cycling at resistance of 30 W for warm up for four minutes. The major program was set from resistance of 30 W with increase of 1 W for every 2 seconds until the subject fatigued. The pedaling rate is set at 60 rpm. The data recording still continued 5 minutes after cycling. Two conditions, cycling with music and without music were tested. The music could be chosen by the subject at tempo 120-160 bit/min. RESULTS: Subjects doing cycling with music increased the respiratory frequency, ventilation per minutes, VCO2, and heart rate reached significance differences compare with cycling without music. After exercise, significant differences were also found in respiratory frequency, ventilation per minutes, VCO2, VO2, and heart rate when cycling with music. During the rest, subjects with music showed the heart rate variability increased in Low frequency (LF) and the ratio of LF/HF (High frequency), and slightly decreased in high frequency (HF), that expressed the activate sympathetic system when rest with music. The heart rate variability was also found lower value in HF, LF, and ratio of LF/HF after exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Cycling with music did have some physiology effect in cardiopulmonary function and did have some effect in sympathetic system.