Abstract
Running in high heat and humidity increases psychophysiological strain, which typically impairs running performance. Listening to synchronous music has been shown to provide psychophysiological benefits, which may enhance running performance. The present randomized, crossover study examined effects of listening to synchronous music on psychophysiological parameters and running performance in hot and humid conditions. Twelve male runners (21.7 ± 2.2 y; 166.17 ± 7.18 cm; 60.32 ± 9.52 kg; 59.29 ± 5.95 ml kg−1 min−1) completed two running trials in simulated conditions (31°C and 70% humidity) with and without synchronous music. Participants ran on a treadmill inside a climatic chamber for 60 min at 60% O2max and continued to run to exhaustion at 80% O2max. Time-to-exhaustion under the synchronous music condition was 66.59% longer (mean = 376.5 s vs. 226.0 s, p = 0.02, d = 0.63) compared to the no music condition. Ratings of perceived exertion were significantly lower for the synchronous music condition at each time point (15, 30, 45, and 60 min) of the steady state portion of the running trials. Small differences in heart rate were detected between conditions. No significant between-condition differences were found in urine specific gravity, percentage of body weight loss, thermal comfort, and blood lactate. Findings suggest that listening to synchronous music is beneficial to running performance and perceived exertion in hot and humid conditions.
Highlights
Listening to music while engaging in physical activity is a common practice for legions of athletes and exercise participants
Pairwise comparisons showed that heart rate (HR) was 1–3 bpm lower for the synchronous music condition compared to the no music condition at each stage of the running trial
The present study investigated effects of listening to synchronous music on physiological, psychophysiological and performance measures under heat stress conditions
Summary
Listening to music while engaging in physical activity is a common practice for legions of athletes and exercise participants. Several studies have investigated the effects on endurance performance of synchronous music, where participants perform repetitive movements (e.g., walking, running, cycling) in time with the rhythmical elements of the music such as the beat or tempo. Time-toexhaustion was 18.1 and 19.7% longer when running in time to motivational and neutral music, respectively, compared to no music. Bood et al (2013) showed that time-to-exhaustion during treadmill running was significantly longer with synchronous motivational music than without. Use of a simple metronome was associated with significantly better performance than no music, suggesting that any acoustic stimuli with a consistent beat that matches the rhythm of the activity may assist participants to synchronize their running stride to the tempo of the music, which seemingly increases effort and improves running economy
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
