What’s the science behind why music helps improve athletic performance?

Most people will agree that music has an effect on our emotional state. Many athletes at all levels listen to music as they train, as they warm up, and in some cases, even as they compete. Pictures of Michael Phelps and his headphones are standard media fare. In 2007, USA Track & Field barred the use of headphones and portable audio players like iPods at its official races. In the end, race organizers could not, and did not, enforce the ban. This came to a head in the NYC marathon where many of the runners did not feel they could run 26 miles without their music. Runners hid their devices, had them delivered by friends and family after the start line, or relied on spectators who blasted music along the way. The general consensus among many of the competitors was that a marathon required music as inspiration and consolation.

Many athletes believe that music also helps them physically. Seven Division I college athletes interviewed about the music they listened to before, during and after a competition described the music as a way to get ready for a competition. They identified strong beats and an upbeat tempo as a way to get warmed up, fired up or moving better. They also identified that music helped them to focus.

But the benefit of music for athletes is not just anecdotal. Numerous research studies have concluded that music can have a significant effect on an athlete’s mind, and hence increase arousal, focus and performance. And although some of this seems simply common sense, scientific studies have found that how fast and how loud the music is correlates loosely with the arousal of the mind and warm up of the body – that is how fired up you are getting. So music can help athletes to get into the right mindset before a competition, either to pump you up or calm your nerves.

Certain physiological studies of elite athletes conclude that music can affect arousal levels before and after a competition, mental focus before competition, and mood control. Studies have also shown that listening to self selected music pre-competition improves an athlete’s self confidence which in turn can improve performance with better mindset and focus.

More quantitative studies of the effects of music on athletic performance also exist. Listening to music with faster, driving beats can increase athletes’ arousal, increase reaction speed, and improve their emotional state. It has also been shown to increase strength during isometric exercises. A study of 54 random tennis players who were given either silence, static or music selected by the researchers to listen to before a competition suggested that it was not just the beat and tempo but the intensity of the music they listened to pre-competition contributed to their reaction times during the competition. The researchers hypothesized that this was related to increased frontal brain activity, which can lead to faster reaction times.

These studies suggest that listening to strong, upbeat music as you prepare in the venue can be a great way to warm up not only your body but also your mind at the beginning of a tournament – especially if you’re feeling tired from a long flight or sleeping on an unfamiliar bed.

Music has other functions for athletes as well. Some studies have shown that listening to calming music before a competition can help with those feelings of anxiety and nerves that athletes experience. This mood relaxing can also help boost performance as athletes feel more confident and ready for the day.

As fencers we are often in a situation of “hurry up and wait,” throughout the competition. We need to be able to stay calm during waiting periods but be fired up on the strip. Listening to different kinds of music throughout the competition may help with these emotional and physical issues common in fencing.