•  
  •  
 

TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY: INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF AUDITORY STIMULI DURING RUNNING

Abstract

Research has shown that listening to music during physical activity can have a positive effect on emotional state, ratings of perceived exertion, and overall performance. However, limited research has investigated the differences between tempo-matched music and metronome pacing on running performance. Many runners utilize metronome pacing to pace a run, improve efficiency, and enhance form. To date, research on the efficacy of metronome pacing compared to music on one mile run time to completion is limited. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of different auditory stimuli (e.g., music, metronome, and silence) on one mile run time in young adults. METHODS: Young adults (n = 11; 21.3 ± 4.1 y) who were free from any previous or existing hearing impairments volunteered for the study. Participants ran one mile under each of the three conditions (music, metronome pacing, and silence), in a randomized and counterbalanced order, and separated by at least 48 hours. The music and metronome-pacing conditions were tempo-matched at 150 bpm. Time to completion was recorded for the one mile run and is reported as mean ± SD. Data were analyzed using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA with an alpha level set at 0.05. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in time to completion for one mile across the three conditions (p = .008; h2 = .38). Time to completion was shorter with music (8.89 ± 1.36 minutes) than silence (9.29 ± 1.41 minutes; p = .002). However, there was no difference between music and metronome pacing (9.15 ± 1.65 minutes; p = .13) or between metronome pacing and silence (p > .99). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that running while listening to music at 150 bpm results in shorter time to completion compared to tempo-matched metronome pacing and silence. This suggests that factors other than the tempo may contribute to performance improvements. The current study was limited to young, healthy adults, limiting the generalizability to other groups such as older adults and runners aiming to rehabilitate gait patterns. Therefore, future research should investigate whether music or tempo-matched metronome pacing is superior for improving efficiency and enhancing form.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS