Though exercise accessories for music players are released continuously, ranging from apps that track movement on the iPhone to headphones that claim to be comfortable for running, music might not always be advantageous to everyone’s workouts.
The effects of music on the brain are highly individualized, which can affect how athletes respond to music in both training and competition.
“We do know that (response to music) doesn’t just happen in one part of the brain; it’s actually the whole brain,” said Kamile Geist, chairwoman of Ohio University’s music therapy department. “Nothing’s been shown that’s consistent from person to person, because we’re so different.”
Jessica Schlabach, a first-year graduate student studying music therapy and a board-certified music therapist, said playing certain songs can lead to different emotional responses, depending on the memories associated with the song for the individual.
For athletes and students who exercise, the role of music varies widely.
Sparty Chino, a wrestler, said he uses music for dual purposes. Sometimes he utilizes music as motivation before a meet.
“It definitely pushes you, like in our wrestling room, we play music prior to competition,” said Chino, a freshman studying business marketing. “Before matches, I listen to hip-hop and uplifting songs.”
Playing music in the locker room can better prime athletes for the task ahead. Studies have shown that any type of music produces an increased heart rate, according to an article published by the University of New Mexico. When music is played before a meet, it increases heart rate gradually, which prepares the heart for strenuous activity.
Chino said he also uses music to narrow in on his training.
“It calms me down, kind of calms my mind,” Chino said. “It (helps me) zone out and focus on the task at hand. … There’s kind of a constant beat, and you can focus on that.”
Sensory distractions could cause athletes to feel less pain and feel as though they are putting forth less effort, because the music takes up some of the brain’s function.
“It’s harder for us to experience pleasure and pain at the same time,” Geist said. “Music can enhance pleasure, which will control the pain. We do use music to distract, but it’s physiologically based.”
Juli Accurso, a member of the track and field team, said she listened to music while exercising during high school and summers, but when she amps up her training, she phases music out of her routine.
“As my training became more serious, I had to focus on more of the painful aspects and (begin to) listen to my body,” said Accurso, a junior studying French and linguistics who has achieved all-American status multiple times.
Accurso said that leading up to a competition, there is a timeline where music factors into her preparation.
“If we’re driving to the meet and it’s like a four-hour ride, I’ll use it to calm my nerves and as a distraction,” she said. “About two hours out, I stop listening. … But a lot of arenas play music through speakers now, and that can (help). There was a while that if I heard ‘Ho Hey’ anytime before my race, I would get really excited.”
Accurso added that she is in the minority of runners who don’t play music during their training.
“I think I’m one of the outliers in running,” she said. “My roommate has to listen to music before meets. Just like running is an individual sport, we all have different needs, not just in training, but in competition.”
eb104010@ohiou.edu
