Key result
Music during isometric exercise lowers heart rate ~3 bpm vs internal focus without altering muscle activation.
Why the study?
Listening to music directs attention externally, which could enhance muscular efficiency, but its effect on muscle activation during isometric exercise compared to other focus conditions remained unclear.
Does listening to music alter muscle activation and heart rate during light-intensity isometric exercise in healthy subjects?
RCT (n=35)
Randomized and counterbalanced
Does listening to music alter muscle activation and heart rate during light-intensity isometric exercise in healthy subjects?
Listening to music during light-intensity isometric exercise improves psychological responses and lowers heart rate, though it does not alter muscle activation.
Music may modestly lower heart rate during light isometric exercise; extends attentional-focus research without neuromuscular effects.
Listening to music manipulates attention to be more externally focused, which has the potential to improve muscular efficiency. This study aimed to determine the effect of listening to music on muscle activation during an isometric exercise task, and compare this effect to those of other attentional focus conditions. Apparently healthy subjects (n = 35; 16 men/19 women) completed an isometric elbow flexion task for 1 min in three randomized and counterbalanced conditions: internal focus (INT), external focus with a simple distraction task (EXT), or listening to music (MUS). Muscle activation of the biceps and triceps brachii and heart rate (HR) were recorded throughout the exercise tasks. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), affective valence, and motivation were measured at the end of each trial. There was no difference in muscle activation measures among the three conditions. HR during MUS was lower than EXT at 15 s ([89.4 ± 11.8] beats/min vs. [93.1 ± 12.9] beats/min; p = 0.018) and 30 s ([90.6 ± 12.4] beats/min vs. [94.2 ± 12.5] beats/min; p = 0.026), and lower than INT at 60 s ([93.3 ± 13.3] beats/min vs. [96.7 ± 12.0] beats/min; p = 0.016). Overall RPE was higher for INT (13.4 ± 2.2) than for MUS ([12.6 ± 2.0]; p = 0.020) and EXT ([11.94 ± 2.22]; p < 0.001). Affective valence was higher for MUS than for INT ([2.7 ± 1.4] vs. [2.1 ± 1.5]; p = 0.011). Manipulating attentional focus did not alter muscle activation for a light-intensity isometric muscular endurance task, though MUS was reported as more positive and requiring less exertion to complete than INT. Using music can therefore be recommended during light-intensity isometric exercise based on the psychological benefits observed.
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Moore et al. (2024) conducted an RCT in Apparently healthy subjects (n=35). Listening to music (MUS) vs. Internal focus (INT) and external focus with a simple distraction task (EXT) was evaluated on Muscle activation of the biceps and triceps brachii. Listening to music during light-intensity isometric exercise did not alter muscle activation but lowered heart rate at 60 seconds compared to internal focus (93.3 vs 96.7 beats/min; p=0.016).
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