Fired up: The effects of music on athletic performance

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Gyms, jogging tracks, and cycling paths are full of people listening to music via their iPods or other portable music devices. Professional fighters walk to the ring to the sound of their entrance song. Most exercisers agree that music makes them feel less tired during their workouts, but research shows that music has a great impact on athletic performance.

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In 2003, a study explored the effects of music on athletic performance by observing how a group of cyclists responded when listening to fast-paced music while using a stationary bicycle compared to the control group with no music. The results showed that the cyclists who listened to fast, upbeat music cycled faster in the first few kilometers and the final stretch when compared to the control group. Another study done in 2009 explored how tempo affected athletic performance. In this study, a group of cyclists was asked to listen to a set of six songs in three separate trials. In one of the trials, when the tempo was increased by 10 percent, the cyclists pedaled harder and faster, and their heart rates increased. In another trial, when the tempo was decreased by 10 percent, their heart rates fell and their pedaling slowed.

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According to Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., a researcher at the Brutel University School of Sport and Education in London, music can be like "a type of legal performance-enhancing drug." However, the exact reason that music seems to affect athletic performance is not fully known, partly because its effects can be both psychological and physiological. But most of the existing research on the effects of music on exercise indicates that increased motivation is the reason for improved athletic performance.

Ordinary individuals can reap the benefits of these studies and give themselves a performance boost simply by listening to their favorite songs while exercising.  

Find more articles on the benefits of music by visiting this Mark Begelman blog.