Did you know that there is a link between listening to music during training and improving sports performance? Indeed, being able to control the music listened to during physical activity will stimulate motivation, increase satisfaction, and create a more positive emotional state.
But these are not the only benefits of melodies in our training sessions: listening to music, fast or slow, before exercises boost the emotional state, perceived effort, and performance of athletes. Music would finally have an ergogenic effect: it improves muscular work.
A recent study by Indiana University, published in May 2023 in the International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, compared the effects of listening to songs chosen by athletes, compared to music chosen by the establishment where they practiced their sport. Based on 183 participants, research then found that self-selected music during a workout increased athlete motivation more than music selected by the gym.
In addition, choosing his music also affected emotions: songs chosen by the participants themselves and endowed with a strong motivation have a positive effect on the emotional state of the practitioners. Another important fact: choosing your music has improved the overall exercise experience. Indeed, “the degree of musical enjoyment a gym user experiences while exercising at their own pace is directly correlated to overall satisfaction rates for that workout.
While it is important to be able to choose the songs that accompany the training yourself, the type of music would not really have an influence on the performance, unlike the fact that the music is listened to before or during the activity. Indeed, in a study, published in May 2023 in Music & Science, scientists studied how athletes reacted to fast and slow music before their workouts, here before performing a thirty-second session on a rowing machine.
The team asked participants how they felt while listening to the music and whether they felt prepared to perform – aka “how ‘eager’ they were. And participants performed better in both areas after listening to the music. Whether the music was fast or slow, it had a positive preparatory effect on the performer compared to not listening to music.