Many people listen to music to concentrate better. Music can help improve cognitive skills, especially for work and studies. Others listen to songs to relax while playing online games, betting on sports, or reading their favourite book. Sports players and athletes often listen to music to “get in the zone” and improve their focus on their game. For example, American Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has been reported to listen to hip-hop music before his races to psych himself up.
So how does music affect you when you engage in sports or other physical activity? This article explores the impact of music and how music can help enhance your performance.
Effects of Music on Your Body
While music may have positive effects, prolonged listening using portable devices like MP3 players may cause hearing problems such as tinnitus.
Alternative solutions to help provide tinnitus relief are available. However, you may still have to visit your physician to have your ears checked. Proper ear care includes listening to music in moderation.
Costas Karageorghis, a leading researcher in music application in sports and exercise, explored four areas where music affects a person’s body. These areas are:
Psychological Effects of Music
These effects pertain to how music impacts your mood, emotions, and thoughts. For example, music may trigger an inspiring idea, motivating you to act and start working on an important project.
Psychophysical Effects of Music
Music may affect the sensory responses that influence an individual’s physical effort. Music has certain rhythms, lyrics, beats, and other factors that may affect your perceptions of the amount of work exerted.
Physiological Effects of Music
Music may influence your body’s physiological responses, like breathing or heart rate. For example, various rhythms may cause your heartbeat to speed up or slow down.
Ergogenic Effects of Music
Listening to music may improve physical performance, slowing down the onset of fatigue or increasing your body’s work capacity.
For example, listening to music may inspire you to feel less tired or make you feel like working out more.
Music Criteria to Enhance Sports Performance
You may use the following criteria to determine what songs you may consider a part of your sports and exercise playlist:
Energizing Rhythm
When you prepare a playlist for your following sports or exercise routine, consider playing songs that make you feel energized and pumped up. Music with energizing rhythm may help condition your body for intense physical activity.
While your choice of music may vary, music with upbeat sounds may be a good choice for exercise and sports.
Songs like Guns N Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” or Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” may provide some of that additional energy to pump up your blood.
Positive Lyrics
Lyrics with positive messages may also help you get in the mood to exercise.
Examples of songs with lyrics associated with movement and physical activity include Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” or Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”
Movement Patterns
You may use the timing of the beats to coincide with your movement patterns. You may recognize this idea when watching aerobics shows on TV or Zumba sessions in a dance studio.
For example, when cycling at a rate of 60 revolutions per minute (rpm), you may listen to music that plays at 120 beats per minute (bpm). This way, you can time your pedaling rate at half a revolution for each musical count.
Inspiring Melodies
If you are coming home from a stressful day at work, you may not have enough drive to engage in sports or physical activity. Consider playing music with inspiring melodies to keep you motivated or help you focus.
Inspiring melodies have almost the same concept as energizing rhythms. However, while energizing music keeps your blood pumping, inspirational music is more into conditioning your mind to concentrate on the activity.
Sports Association
Some songs have been associated with sports events. People may start to think of a particular sport when they hear a specific song and get hyped up while listening to that song.
Some examples of songs played in past sporting events include Shakira’s “Waka Waka” or Ricky Martin’s “The Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida)” during the FIFA World Cup.
Another example is the “Space Jam” theme song from the 1996 animated and live-action basketball movie of the same name.
Individual Preferences
A song may have a fantastic rhythm that makes your blood active, relatable lyrics you can sing along while exercising, and an inspirational melody that conditions your mind.
However, choosing to listen to that song still depends on your preference. You may have specific musical tastes that may be similar to or different from that of other people.
If listening to sad songs or classical music makes you feel like getting “in the zone” to engage in sports, you can add them to your playlist.
Conclusion
Music is a significant part of human life and culture. Music may also influence how people perform in sports.
While there are several criteria to help you determine what music may work best, consider your musical tastes when choosing what songs to play.
Consider building up your sports playlist and filling it with music that may help you perform better in sporting events. You may consult with a coach or fitness instructor to find out what songs to include in your playlist.
Effects of Music on Your Body
While music may have positive effects, prolonged listening using portable devices like MP3 players may cause hearing problems such as tinnitus.
Alternative solutions to help provide tinnitus relief are available. However, you may still have to visit your physician to have your ears checked. Proper ear care includes listening to music in moderation.
Costas Karageorghis, a leading researcher in music application in sports and exercise, explored four areas where music affects a person’s body. These areas are:
Psychological Effects of Music
These effects pertain to how music impacts your mood, emotions, and thoughts. For example, music may trigger an inspiring idea, motivating you to act and start working on an important project.
Psychophysical Effects of Music
Music may affect the sensory responses that influence an individual’s physical effort. Music has certain rhythms, lyrics, beats, and other factors that may affect your perceptions of the amount of work exerted.
Physiological Effects of Music
Music may influence your body’s physiological responses, like breathing or heart rate. For example, various rhythms may cause your heartbeat to speed up or slow down.
Ergogenic Effects of Music
Listening to music may improve physical performance, slowing down the onset of fatigue or increasing your body’s work capacity.
For example, listening to music may inspire you to feel less tired or make you feel like working out more.
Music Criteria to Enhance Sports Performance
You may use the following criteria to determine what songs you may consider a part of your sports and exercise playlist:
Energizing Rhythm
When you prepare a playlist for your following sports or exercise routine, consider playing songs that make you feel energized and pumped up. Music with energizing rhythm may help condition your body for intense physical activity.
While your choice of music may vary, music with upbeat sounds may be a good choice for exercise and sports.
Songs like Guns N Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” or Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” may provide some of that additional energy to pump up your blood.
Positive Lyrics
Lyrics with positive messages may also help you get in the mood to exercise.
Examples of songs with lyrics associated with movement and physical activity include Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” or Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”
Movement Patterns
You may use the timing of the beats to coincide with your movement patterns. You may recognize this idea when watching aerobics shows on TV or Zumba sessions in a dance studio.
For example, when cycling at a rate of 60 revolutions per minute (rpm), you may listen to music that plays at 120 beats per minute (bpm). This way, you can time your pedaling rate at half a revolution for each musical count.
Inspiring Melodies
If you are coming home from a stressful day at work, you may not have enough drive to engage in sports or physical activity. Consider playing music with inspiring melodies to keep you motivated or help you focus.
Inspiring melodies have almost the same concept as energizing rhythms. However, while energizing music keeps your blood pumping, inspirational music is more into conditioning your mind to concentrate on the activity.
Sports Association
Some songs have been associated with sports events. People may start to think of a particular sport when they hear a specific song and get hyped up while listening to that song.
Some examples of songs played in past sporting events include Shakira’s “Waka Waka” or Ricky Martin’s “The Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida)” during the FIFA World Cup.
Another example is the “Space Jam” theme song from the 1996 animated and live-action basketball movie of the same name.
Individual Preferences
A song may have a fantastic rhythm that makes your blood active, relatable lyrics you can sing along while exercising, and an inspirational melody that conditions your mind.
However, choosing to listen to that song still depends on your preference. You may have specific musical tastes that may be similar to or different from that of other people.
If listening to sad songs or classical music makes you feel like getting “in the zone” to engage in sports, you can add them to your playlist.
Conclusion
Music is a significant part of human life and culture. Music may also influence how people perform in sports.
While there are several criteria to help you determine what music may work best, consider your musical tastes when choosing what songs to play.
Consider building up your sports playlist and filling it with music that may help you perform better in sporting events. You may consult with a coach or fitness instructor to find out what songs to include in your playlist.
