Groove Rhythm Enhances Exercise Impact on Prefrontal Cortex Function in Groove Enjoyers

Effect of clapping movement with groove rhythm on executive function: focusing on audiomotor entrainment

BACKGROUND

Groove rhythm, known for inducing the desire to move to music, could enhance the cognitive benefits of exercise, especially in individuals familiar with groove. Audiomotor entrainment and concurrent positive affect are considered key modulating factors in the effects of exercise set to groove rhythm. Clapping movement could facilitate audiomotor entrainment, which may benefit positive affect and cognition. This study aimed to examine the effect of clapping with groove rhythm (CL) on audiomotor entrainment, positive affect, and executive function (EF).

METHODS

Thirty-three healthy university students participated in two experiments. In Experiment 1, psychological responses to 2-minute exercise were assessed across two conditions: CL condition and non-clapping and arm rotation movement with groove rhythm (NC condition). In Experiment 2, participants performed 3-minute CL and NC on separate days, and the color-ward Stroop test and psychological measures were evaluated.

RESULTS

CL increased subjective audiomotor entrainment and positive affect more than NC. However, no effect on EF was observed. Correlation analysis revealed higher subjective audiomotor entrainment and positive affect in the CL condition were associated with EF improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Clapping is a preferable exercise type for subjective audiomotor entrainment and positive affect, but the effect on EF varied among individuals. Subjective audiomotor entrainment and positive affect could modulate the effect of CL on EF.

Prefrontal executive function enhanced by prior acute inhalation of low-dose hypoxic gas: Modulation via cardiac vagal activity

Today, diverse psychophysiological stresses, such as severe time constraints and busy lifestyles, contribute to cardiac parasympathetic dysfunction, potentially leading to mental health issues and declines in critical executive functions. It is essential to develop accessible methods of enhancing cardiac vagal activity (CVA) to mitigate these adverse effects. We previously demonstrated that inhaling low-dose hypoxic gas (FIO₂: 13.5 %) for 10 min acts as a hormetic stressor, inducing a supercompensation effect in CVA post-hypoxia. Since CVA is a key mediator of brain-heart communication in that it influences executive functions by interacting with the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC), increasing CVA may enhance cognitive ability. We hypothesized that acute low-dose hypoxia leads to enhanced executive function via CVA modulation. Twenty-six individuals participated in both normobaric hypoxia (NH; FIO₂: 13.5 %) and normoxia (NN; ambient air) conditions. CVA, measured through heart rate variability, was analyzed three times: pre-hypoxia/normoxia, hypoxia/normoxia, and post-hypoxia/normoxia. Executive function was assessed using the Stroop task before and after exposure, and prefrontal cortex activity during the task was monitored using multichannel functional near-infrared spectroscopy. A supercompensation of CVA occurred concomitantly with a reduction in heart rate following hypoxic gas inhalation. Stroop performance improved with increased task-related activation of the L-DLPFC in the NH condition. Causal mediation analysis revealed that the post-hypoxia enhancement of CVA mediated improvements in Stroop performance and increased L-DLPFC activation. These findings strongly support our hypothesis that the enhancement of CVA following hormetic hypoxic stress contributes to improved executive function, broadening the scope of neurocognitive approaches for effectively enhancing executive function.

High-groove music boosts self-selected running speed and positive mood in female university students

Introduction

Approximately 27.5% of adults worldwide fail to meet the recommended 150 min per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Music is a powerful tool that enhances positive affective responses and exercise adherence. However, little is known regarding which types of music are most effective in enhancing these benefits. Groove, which induces a sensation of "wanting to move to the music" and is associated with positive affective responses, may help make self-paced exercise more active and pleasant. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effects of high-groove (HG) music on self-paced exercise and mood responses.

Methods

Thirty-eight university students (18 males) participated in this randomized crossover study under two experimental conditions. The participants ran on a treadmill for 10 min at a self-selected comfortable speed while listening to HG and low-groove (LG) music playlists.

Results

The HG playlist received higher groove ratings than the LG playlist. Self-selected running speed and positive mood responses (vitality and arousal) were greater under the HG condition only in women. Exercise intensity measured using heart rate and the rate of perceived exertion was comparable between the conditions. The groove ratings for the HG playlist positively correlated with speed (HG-LG) and vitality changes under the HG condition (post-pre).

Conclusion

These results suggest that HG music promotes a positive mood response and exercise adherence, particularly in female students. Moreover, the observed sex difference suggests that individual differences in music perception may also influence exercise behavior. Focusing on groove, a musical characteristic distinct from tempo and volume, our study provides a more comprehensive understanding of music that is compatible with exercise, while also examining potential sex differences in its effects on self-paced exercise and mood responses. These findings contribute to health promotion by encouraging active living via physical exercise.

A review of psychological and neuroscientific research on musical groove

When listening to music, we naturally move our bodies rhythmically to the beat, which can be pleasurable and difficult to resist. This pleasurable sensation of wanting to move the body to music has been called "groove." Following pioneering humanities research, psychological and neuroscientific studies have provided insights on associated musical features, behavioral responses, phenomenological aspects, and brain structural and functional correlates of the groove experience. Groove research has advanced the field of music science and more generally informed our understanding of bidirectional links between perception and action, and the role of the motor system in prediction. Activity in motor and reward-related brain networks during music listening is associated with the groove experience, and this neural activity is linked to temporal prediction and learning. This article reviews research on groove as a psychological phenomenon with neurophysiological correlates that link musical rhythm perception, sensorimotor prediction, and reward processing. Promising future research directions range from elucidating specific neural mechanisms to exploring clinical applications and socio-cultural implications of groove.