The Performance Enhancing Effects of Music

As a child, there were few video games I completed without the use of some cheat code or walkthrough guide. As an adult constantly striving for improved physical performance, I find myself latching on to tidbits of nutritional and supplemental information that I know will help me reach the 'edge' I'm looking for.

An Unlikely Ergogenic Aid?

It is no small coincidence that Henry David Thoreau wrote - "when I hear music, I feel no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe." Much has already been written on the stimulatory effects of music on athletes.

For example, Terry, Karageorghis, Saha & D'Auria (2012) found music provided ergogenic, psychological and physiological benefits in their study on treadmill running among elite athletes. The researchers found that time-to-exhaustion was 18.2% and 19.2% longer when the athletes ran in time to motivational music and neutral music, compared to no music. Furthermore, both music groups were associated with better running economy in the context of oxygen consumption and blood lactate concentrations. Similarly, Rendi, Szabo & Szabo (2008) wrote that their results indicated that fast music acted as an external 'psyching-up' stimulus in brief and strenuous muscle work.

Fast forward to a 2013 study from sports scientists at Brunel University, who found that music had an ergogenic effect on the swimming times of their athletes.

The Study

In order to determine whether swimmers react positively to music, they provided each athlete with a waterproof MP3 player and asked them to swim 200m as fast as they could.

Playing in their ears was either 'Sexy and I Know It' by LMFAO OR 'Howl' by Florence and the Machine. The researchers found that the former song was motivational due to it's simple rhythm and positive lyrics.

On the other hand, the song 'Howl' was more complex and rated 'oudeterous' (neither motivational nor demotivational).

Both songs had the same tempo (130bpm). The scientists commented that this beat was ideal for performance enhancement.

The Results

Swimmers improved their times by an average of 2% when listening to music, when compared with the control who swam in silence.

In line with prior findings, it would appear that the beat rather than the lyrics is where the magic occurs. However, it should be noted that 70% of the participants advised that they preferred to swim to LMFAO than Florence and the Machine.

The Take Away

A 2% increase in performance may not seem like much. However, it is the often the kick that an individual may require to boost them to the next level of physical performance. For example, take a bodybuilder who is dead-lifting 150kg - that would equate to a performance increase of 3kg and may just provide that additional kick required to transfer that individual from stagnation to further progression.

References:

Karageorghis, et al. (2013). Psychological, psychophysical and ergogenic effects of music in swimming. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14(4), 560 - 568.

Rendi, M., Szabo, A., & Szabo, T. (2008). Applied research performance enhancement with music in rowing sprint. The Sport Psychologist, 22(2), 175-182.

Terry, P.C., Karageorghis, C.I., Saha, A.M., & D'Auria, S. (2012). Effects of synchronous music on treadmill running among elite triathletes, 15(1), 52 - 57.