Examining The Effects Of Music On Multiple Measures Of Exercise Performance

PURPOSE: The use of music to motivate exercise performance is common in sport and exercise. Most research has investigated the influence of music on cardiorespiratory exercises. The influence of music on anaerobic agility exercises, power movements, and muscular endurance have been far less investigated. The influence of music is also of interest for individuals needing to control external environments when performing max performance testing. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate if high tempo background music affected performance on upper and lower extremity max effort tests. METHODS: 17 recreational active individuals between 18-25 years old completed the study. Two data collections occurred one week apart on the same day of the week and time of day. One was conducted with no music and one included high-tempo, mixed-genre background music based on Brunel Music Rating Inventory 2 suggestions, with all songs having at least 120 bpm. Investigators did not mention the music, the study purpose was not disclosed to participants, and the session condition order was counterbalanced. Each session included three max effort trials of countermovement vertical jump, 20-yard shuttle drill, grip strength per hand, and 15-second maximum push-up test. A visual analog mood scale (VAMS) to rate how happy, excited, and tired they were was completed prior to and following each session. Paired samples t-tests determined differences in max jump height (in), fastest shuttle time (s), max strength (kg), and average push-ups completed either modified or standard between music and non-music sessions. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to assess main effects for time and condition for each VAMS. Significance was set a priori at p ≤ .05. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between conditions for any performance measures (p > .05). There was a significant increase in happy VAMS (p = .018) and excited VAMS (p = .002) from pre to post testing for both conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that high-tempo background music may not affect performance on certain upper and lower extremity max exercise tests. The lack of influence could be beneficial when the control of background music during testing is variable or not possible. This is further supported with the observed increase in mood post testing for both conditions.