Effects of preferred music on internal load in adult recreational athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

When exercising to preferred music (PM), participants found more satisfaction and less typical exercise-related fatigue, which made it easier and more enjoyable to maintain the physical activity (PA) until the exercise goals were achieved. The purpose of this review and meta-analysis was to determine whether changes on internal training load in adult recreational athletes were modified by listening to PM and non-preferred music (NPM), during different PA.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A music-focused search was performed on the Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant articles to this topic published after 2000 to investigate the effects of PM on psychophysiological responses to PA.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative analysis. The research studies' sample sizes varied from ten to twenty-five participants. Heart rate (HR) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) on internal training load were the selected indicators. The use of different kinds of music had mostly, non-significant effects on HR and RPE toward the ability of music to allow participants to dissociate from the intensity level they are experiencing.

CONCLUSIONS

The meta-analysis confirmed that preferred music had no significant effect on HRmean or RPE. The results of this review contradict the idea that listening to music improves exercise performance.

Immersive Virtual Reality Decreases Work Rate and Manipulates Attentional Focus During Self-Regulated Vigorous Exercise

To determine the effect of immersive virtual reality use on finishing time of a vigorous-intensity self-regulated exercise task, and on relevant psychological variables. Healthy untrained adults (N = 21; 10 men/11 women; age = 22.9 ± 7.2 years; BMI = 24.0 ± 4.5 kg/m2) completed 1500-m exercise bouts on a rowing ergometer in a counterbalanced and randomized order, with and without use of a headset-delivered virtual reality fitness program. Heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, affective valence, and attentional focus were collected every 300 m, in addition to finishing time. Data were analyzed with repeated measures as appropriate. Intensity of both exercise bouts was considered vigorous according to heart rate results (>77% maximal heart rate). Finishing time was faster in the control condition (449.57 ± 82.39 s) than in the virtual reality condition (463.00 ± 91.78 s), p = .007. Compared to the control condition, the virtual reality condition was characterized by a more external attentional focus (52.38 ± 18.22 vs. 38.76 ± 17.81, p < .001). No differences were observed for remaining variables as a result of condition (p > .05 for all). When a headset-delivered VR program was used during a self-regulated vigorous-intensity exercise task, participants were 13.6 seconds (~3%) slower than in a control condition. Attentional focus was manipulated to be more external with VR use, which may have ultimately distracted from the exercise objective. Recommendations for selecting an appropriate virtual reality experience for a given exercise task are discussed.

Effects of Fast-Tempo and Binaural Beat Therapy Music during Warm-Up on Repeated Sprint Ability Test Performance among Young Soccer Players

This prospective crossover study aimed to investigate the effect of binaural beat therapy music on soccer player performance. Between July 2023 and December 2023, 45 athletes (31 females/14 males, mean age = 20.47 ± 0.99) wore Bluetooth earphones through which one of the following was given during initial 20 min warm-up exercises before undergoing repeated sprint ability tests: no music/fast-tempo music/fast-tempo music with background binaural beat therapy music. Heart rate change after warm-up exercises/repeated sprint ability (RSA) tests and the time to finish RSA tests were recorded. Despite no significant difference in heart rate increase after warm-up between the two genders regardless of intervention, larger increases after RSA tests were found in males following any of the three interventions (all p < 0.01) with the most notable difference observed after fast-tempo music (p < 0.0001). A significant effect size (r = 0.2) correlated with fast-tempo music during warm-up in either gender. Binaural beat therapy music during warm-up reached a significant effect size only when all participants were considered, suggesting limited benefits.

Participant-selected music listening during pulmonary rehabilitation in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A randomised controlled trial

To evaluate the impact of participant-selected music listening as an adjunct to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in people with COPD. Adults with COPD referred to PR were randomly assigned to participant-selected music listening (intervention group, [IG]) or usual care (control group [CG]) during an 8-weeks PR program. Prior to training, the IG completed an interview with a registered music therapist to identify music preferences. IG participants listened to an individualised playlist; CG participants had usual care. Primary outcomes included end-6-min walk test symptoms (dyspnoea and exertion) and dyspnoea (Multidimensional Dyspnoea Profile [MDP]), measured pre and post PR and 6-months follow-up. 58 participants, FEV1 52.4 (25.9)% pd) were recruited. There were no between-group differences following the intervention (p > .05 for all outcomes at all time points). Within-group differences following PR were significant for MDP sensory quality: IG mean difference [95% CI] -2.2 [-3.3 to -1.2]; CG -1.5 [-2.5 to -0.5] points; MDP emotional response: IG -3.2 [-4.2 to -2.3]; CG -2.2 [-3.2 to -1.3] points). Participant-selected music listening during PR offered no greater benefit to symptoms of dyspnoea or exertion compared to usual care. With the study limited by COVID-19 restrictions, the role of this adjunct remains to be clarified.

The Influence of Music Preference on Countermovement Jump and Maximal Isometric Performance in Active Females

Previous studies have shown that listening to preferred music during resistance and endurance exercises improves performance. However, it is unknown if these phenomena translate to short-duration explosive exercises. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of preferred and non-preferred music on countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), and psychological responses to music during explosive movements. Physically active females (age 18-25) volunteered to take part in the study. In a counterbalanced, crossover design, participants completed three trials: (1) no music (NM), (2) non-preferred (NP), and (3) preferred (PV) music. Participants completed three maximal IMTP tests on a force-plate-equipped IMTP apparatus with an immovable bar. Attempts lasted 5 s and were separated by 3 min of rest. Furthermore, participants completed three single maximal CMJ attempts separated by 3 min of rest on force plates. All attempts were averaged for analysis. At the commencement of IMTP and CMJ testing, participants were asked to rate how motivated and psyched up they felt during the exercise portion using a visual analog scale. For isometric performance, listening to PM resulted in increased peak force (p = 0.039; d = 0.41) and rate of force development at 200 ms (p = 0.023; d = 0.91) compared with NP. For CMJ, there were no differences between conditions for jump height (p = 0.912; η² = 0.007) or peak power during the propulsive phase (p = 0.460; η² = 0.003). Levels of motivation were significantly higher with PM compared with NM (p < 0.001; d = 2.3) and NP (p = 0.001; d = 2.0). Feelings of being psyched up were significantly higher with PM compared with NM (p < 0.001; d = 4.2) and NP (p = 0.001; d = 2.8). Findings suggest that preferred music enhances isometric strength and increases motivation and feelings of being psyched up. Thus, PM may be used as an ergogenic aid during short-duration maximal-effort activities.

Listening to music during a repeated sprint test improves performance and psychophysiological responses in healthy and physically active male adults

BACKGROUND

It is well-documented that listening to music has the potential to improve physical performance during intense physical exercise. Less information is available on the timing of music application. This study aimed to investigate the effects of listening to preferred music during the warm up of a subsequent test or during the test on performance of repeated sprint sets (RSS) in adult males.

METHODS

In a randomized cross-over design, 19 healthy males (age, 22.1 ± 1.2 years; body mass, 72.7 ± 9.3 kg; height, 1.79 ± 0.06 m; BMI, 22.6 ± 2.2 kg m-2) performed a test including 2 sets of 5*20-m repeated-sprints under one of three conditions: listening to preferred music during the test; listening to preferred music during the warm-up; or not listening to music. The assessed parameters comprised RSS performance indices, blood lactate, heart rate, the pacing strategy profile, rating of perceived exertion, and a feeling scale.

RESULTS

For performance indices during set 1 of the RSS test, we found a significant decrease in total sum sequence, fast time index and fatigue index in the listening to preferred music condition compared to the no music condition (total sum sequence: p = 0.006, d = 0.93; fast time index: p = 0.003, d = 0.67; fatigue index: p < 0.001; d = 1.30) and the listening to preferred music during the warm-up condition (fast time index: p = 0.002; d = 1.15; fatigue index: p = 0.006; d = 0.74). However, there was no significant effect of listening to preferred music on physical performance during set 2 of the RSS test. Compared to the no music condition, blood lactate concentrations were higher in the listening to preferred music during the test condition (p = 0.025; d = 0.92). In addition, listening to preferred music appears not to have an effect on heart rate, the pacing strategy profile, perceived exertion, and affective responses before, during and after the RSS test.

CONCLUSION

Findings from this study revealed that RSS performances were better (FT and FI indices) in the PMDT compared with the PMWU condition. Moreover, in set 1 of the RSS test, better RSS indices were found in the PMDT compared to NM condition.

Effects of music on psychophysiological responses during high intensity interval training using body weight exercises

The use of music in exercise sessions is considered an interesting strategy as it facilitates, through motivation, an improvement in physical performance, as well as a reduction in the subjective perception of effort and an improvement in mood. Such factors are important for the maintenance of physical exercise programs, however, considering high intensity interval training, the effects of music remain inconclusive. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of music during high intensity interval training sessions using body weight (HIIT-B) on the physiological parameters and mood state of adults.

METHODS

11 CrossFit male practitioners were randomly submitted to three sessions of HIIT-C under the following experimental conditions: preference music (PM), non-preference music (nPM) and without music (WM). The HIIT-B protocol consisted of 20 sets of 30 seconds of stimulus using maximal intensities followed by 30 seconds of passive recovery. The following exercises were used: jumping jacks, burpee, mountain climbing and squat jumping. The following parameters were analyzed: heart rate (HR), lactate (La), total amount of movements (TAM), affective response (AR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and recovery (RPR) and mood states.

RESULTS

although an increase (p< 0.05) of HR, RPE and La reduction of RPR was found after performing the HIIT session, no differences were found between the three conditions to these parameters. The nPM condition promoted lower (p< 0.001) TAM compared to the WM and PM conditions, which also differed from each other. However, for AR, a music effect was found among the protocols (p< 0.0001), indicating that the PM session promoted an increase in pleasure, unlike WM and nPM session which provided pleasure reduction and displeasure respectively. The WM session did not promote any changes. There were no main effects on time for depression and anger, which were different for vigor, fatigue, mental confusion, tension and mood disturbance. Additionally, differences were found after session to tension (p= 0.0229), vigor (p= 0.0424) and fatigue (p= 0.0400) for PM condition, vigor (p= 0.0424), fatigue (p= 0.0400) mental confusion (p= 0.0302) and mood disturbance (p= 0.0129) and vigor (p= 0.0363) and fatigue (p= 0.0468) to WM conditions.

CONCLUSION

Listening to preferred music during an 'all out' HIIT-B session increases exercise performance and elicits more positive affective responses in recreationally active adult males, despite similar HR, blood lactate, RPE and fatigue compared to nonpreferred music or no-music.

Effects of Music Volume Preference on Endurance Exercise Performance

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of preferred versus non-preferred music volume on relative power output, trial time to completion (TTC), heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and motivation during endurance rowing exercise. Physically active females (age 18−25) volunteered to participate. In a crossover counterbalanced design, participants completed two trials: non-preferred (NPV) and preferred (PV) music volume. Participants began with a rowing warm-up at 50% of HRmax for 5 min. Following this, participants completed a 2000 m rowing time trial as quickly as possible. Relative power output, HR, and RPE were documented each minute during the exercise bout. TTC and motivation levels were documented at the cessation of exercise. Results showed that there were no significant differences between NPV and PV for relative power output (p = 0.287; d = 0.17), TTC (p = 0.816; d = 0.01), and HR (p = 0.956; d = 0.08). However, RPE was significantly lower (p = 0.002; d = 0.86) and motivation was significantly higher (p < 0.001; d = 2.14) during the PV condition versus NPV. Findings suggest that while PV does not impart performance-enhancing effects during endurance exercise compared to NPV, it may improve psychological responses related to intensity and effort which could have important implications for enduring intense exercise and training.

Effects of Interactive Music Tempo with Heart Rate Feedback on Physio-Psychological Responses of Basketball Players

This paper introduces an interactive music tempo control with closed-loop heart rate feedback to yield a sportsperson with better physio-psychological states. A total of 23 participants (13 men, 10 women; 16−32 years, mean = 20.04 years) who are professionals or school team members further guide a sportsperson to amend their physical tempo to harmonize their psychological and physical states. The self-tuning mechanism between the surroundings and the human can be amplified using interactive music tempo control. The experiments showed that listening to interactive music had a significant effect on the heart rate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of the basketball player compared to those listening to asynchronous music or no music during exercise (p < 0.01). Synchronized interactive music allows athletes to increase their heart rate and decrease RPE during exercise and does not require a multitude of preplanned playlists. All self-selected songs can be converted into sports-oriented music using algorithms. The algorithms of synchronous and asynchronous modes in this study can be adjusted and applied to other sports fields or recovery after exercise. In the future, other musical parameters should be adjusted in real-time based on physiological signals, such as tonality, beats, chords, and orchestration.

Influence of Warm-Up Music Preference on Anaerobic Exercise Performance in Division I NCAA Female Athletes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of listening to preferred versus non-preferred warm-up music on anaerobic sprint performance in Division I NCAA female athletes. Female collegiate athletes (n = 14) were recruited for this study. In a counterbalanced, crossover study design, participants completed two separate visits, each with a different warm-up music condition: preferred (Pref) or non-preferred (Non-pref). During each visit, participants completed a 3 min standardized cycling warm-up at 50 Watts while listening to Pref or Non-pref music. Following this, participants completed 3 × 15 s Wingate Anaerobic Tests (WAnTs) with a 2 min active recovery period in between tests. Motivation to exercise was measured immediately following the warm-up (WU), WAnT1, WAnT2, and WAnT3. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was also measured after each WAnT. Each visit was separated by a minimal recovery period of 48 h. Mean power, total work, RPE, and motivation were analyzed. Mean power (p = 0.044; d = 0.91) and total work (p = 0.045; d = 0.78) were significantly higher during the Pref music condition versus Non-pref. RPE remained unchanged regardless of condition (p = 0.536; d = 0.01). Motivation was significantly higher with Pref warm-up music compared to Non-pref (p < 0.001; d = 1.55). These results show that listening to Pref warm-up music has an ergogenic benefit during repeated sprints in comparison to Non-pref music and improves motivation to exercise. Listening to warm-up music prior to high-intensity repeated exercise may aid in optimizing performance and training in collegiate athletes.

The Influence of Music Preference on Exercise Responses and Performance: A Review

Listening to music has been repeatedly shown to have ergogenic benefits during various modes of exercise, including endurance, sprint, and resistance-based activities. Music is commonly incorporated into training regimens by recreational exercisers and competitive athletes alike. While specific modalities of exercise elicit varying physiological responses, listening to music has been shown to modulate many of these responses (i.e., heart rate, catecholamines, muscle activation) often leading to improved performance. Furthermore, listening to music during exercise may positively impact psychological (i.e., mood, motivation) and psychophysiological (i.e., rate of perceived exertion, arousal) changes, which may allow for favorable responses during an exercise challenge. However, there is mixed evidence regarding music's efficacy, which may be mediated through differences in music selection and preference. Emerging evidence has shown that, whether an individual prefers or does not prefer the music they are listening to during exercise greatly influences their ergogenic potential in addition to physiological, psychological, and psychophysiological responses to exercise. From a practical standpoint, music may be controlled by the individual through headphones but is often played communally over speakers in locker rooms, gyms, and health clubs, which may have consequences on performance and training. The following review will describe the physiological, psychological, and psychophysiological responses to exercise while listening to music and how music preference may particularly alter them. Current knowledge and new evidence on how music preference factors into enhancing performance in various modes of exercise will be further discussed, incorporating practical considerations for individuals and practitioners in real-world applications to optimize performance.