THE EFFECTS OF SELF-SELECTED MUSIC ON PERFORMANCE AND RECOVERY DURING REPEATED WINGATE TESTS

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of self-selected music on the performance and recovery in repeated high-intensity anaerobic exercise (Wingate tests). METHODS: 14 moderately active college students (8 male; 6 female), from Gonzaga University, were recruited for this study. Each subject completed three independent testing sessions on a cycle ergometer; the first visit was a familiarization trial, the second and third visits each included two consecutive Wingate tests. In one of these trials subjects were allowed to listen to their self-selected music during the Wingate tests, the second experimental trial included a back-to-back Wingate without music. The consecutive Wingate tests were separated by a rest period of two minutes. Peak power (PP) and mean power (MP) were recorded for each subject. RESULTS: A repeated measures ANOVA determined that the change in MP was significantly different between the music and non-music conditions (M = 21.500 W, SE = 2.051 W vs. M = 17.253 W, SE = 2.165, p = .042). A factorial repeated measures ANOVA, determined that there was a significant difference in the mean rated perceived exertion (RPE), M = 17.321, SE = 0.255 for the non-music trial and M = 16.321, SE = 0.295 for the music trial p = .009. A repeated measures ANOVA determined that the change in mean blood lactate, before and after the Wingate tests were not statistically different between the two conditions, M = 13.471mmol, SE = 0.947 for the non-music trial and M = 13.521mmol, SE = 1.118 for the music trial p = .944. CONCLUSION: The results support that in future research, if aerobic exercise was performed with a later introduction of self-selected music, this may result in music having a greater effect on performance. Self-selected music may improve aerobic exercise performance, due to the decreased rating of perceived exertion. A decreased rating of perceived exertion caused by self-selected music, could correlate to an increase in exercise duration, as athletes psychologically feel less exerted when compared to exercising without the intervention of self-selected music