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MADRID, Feb. 4 (EUROPE PRESS) –
A new study, published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Psychology’, is the first to show that listening to music at a higher rate reduces the perceived effort during exercise and increases its benefits.
These effects were greater for resistance exercises, such as walking, than for high intensity exercises, such as weightlifting. The researchers hope the findings can help people increase and improve their exercise habits.
Many people listen to music while exercising and previous studies have documented some of the benefits. For example, music can distract fatigue and discomfort and increase participation in exercise. However, the “how” we experience music is very subjective, with cultural factors and personal preferences that influence its effects on individuals. The music is multifaceted with various aspects, such as rhythm, lyrics and melody that contribute to the experience.
Until now, researchers did not understand the specific properties of music that affect us during exercise, including what types of music are best suited to improve certain types of exercise. Understanding these details could help unlock the full potential of music as an exercise enhancer.
The researchers set out to analyze the effect of the rhythm of a musical piece on volunteers who performed a resistance exercise (walking on a treadmill) or a high intensity exercise (using a leg press).
Volunteers completed exercise sessions in silence, or while listening to pop music at different tempos. The researchers recorded a variety of parameters, including the opinions of volunteers about the effort required to complete the exercises and their heart rate during the exercise, since a higher heart rate would mean that the exercise was more beneficial for physical fitness.
“We found that listening to high-speed music while exercising resulted in the highest heart rate and the lowest perceived effort compared to not listening to music,” explains Professor Luca P. Ardigò, from the University of Verona in Italy. This means that the exercise seemed less effort, but it was more beneficial in terms of improving fitness. “
These effects were most noticeable in volunteers who completed resistance exercise sessions, compared to those who performed high intensity exercises, suggesting that people who perform resistance activities such as walking or running may receive the greatest benefit when listening high-speed music
Researchers expect these results to provide a simple way to improve physical activity levels. While the current study involved a small group of volunteer subjects, larger studies will be needed in the future to continue exploring the nuances of how music affects our training.
“In the current study, we investigated the effect of the rhythm of music on the exercise, but in the future we would also like to study the effects of other characteristics of music, such as gender, melody or lyrics, on resistance and high intensity exercise “, advances Ardigò.
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