Investigation of the Influence of Body Weight Support and Listening to Different Beats of Music

Music has been an important part of human expression throughout history. With recent technological advancements, it has never been easier for individuals to listen to music while they train. Previous studies have indicated there is a relationship between music and physical activity. The goal of our research project is to examine the relationship between the physiological effects of listening to music while running at different body weight support (BWS). A lower body positive pressure treadmill (Boost) was used to provide BWS. Phase one measured preferred stride frequency and self selected speed. Phase two measured VO2, heart rate, stride frequency, and EMG. In phase two, participants ran three music conditions (fast music, slow music, no music) at each of three BWS (0% BWS, 20% BWS, 50% BWS). Data were collected from a single subject (F, 42, 5’06.0”, 84.6 kg). SF displayed a negative linear relationship with BWS for each music condition. Qualitatively, at 50% BWS, SF was higher for Fast Music (FM) (1.35 strides/min) and No Music (NM) (1.35 strides/min) compared to Slow Music (SM) (1.31 strides/min). These results could imply that lower tempos can influence the rhythm we run at. In regards to Fast Music, the data may indicate some individuals naturally run faster.