Today’s article looks at the effect of music tempo on exercise performance and recovery
What’s the deal?
Many people listen to music during exercise, with upbeat party anthems thought to raise performance. Is there any basis for this and can we use music to enhance recovery?
What did they do?
Twelve participants performed 20 minutes of self-paced treadmill running, listening to either fast-paced music or static noise, followed by recovery listening to either slow-paced music or static noise.
What happened?
Listening to fast paced music increased the self-selected treadmill running speed and runners said they did not feel they were trying significantly harder. No surprises so far, but the big surprise was that listening to slow-paced music during recovery led to a faster return to resting heart rate levels and a lower blood lactic acid concentration. High lactic acid during exercise is associated with muscle cramping, general fatigue and slower recovery.
What can you tell me about the people?
There were 7 males and 5 females aged 22 on average, with healthy BMI. Participants were regarded as recreationally active.
What else should I know?
Fast-paced music was 125-145 beats per minute and slow-paced music was 60-80 beats per minute. Scientists provided a collection of music from which participants could choose.
What will I do differently?
I love exercising in a group setting with high-energy music. It feels like you’re all in it together and you can easily push each other to go the extra mile. I don’t tend to listen to music when I’m exercising alone though, just out of personal preference. I will now consider listening to slow-paced music after exercise though!
Acknowledgements
This research was published in January 2016 by S Lee and DS Kimmerly from Dalhousie University, Canada.
This article highlights our personal take on their research, but there is so much more information available! Check it out here and see what you think!
Abstract Athlete 