The Impact Of Music On Recreational Exercisers

The Impact Of Music On Recreational Exercisers

Rachel Rodgers
Gina Gonzalez

Description

Music is thought to have positive psychological effects and is oftentimes used as an aid during exercise. However, it is unclear whether the use of music affects a persons' exertion rate, enjoyment, and performance during moderate intensity running. In order to examine this relationship, a small-scale pilot study was performed to evaluate methods for the full-scale project. Currently, the full-scale study is being conducted and will include 30 participants, ages 18-25, who self-identify as recreational runners, and answer “no” to all questions on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire. Participants will perform two trials of running one mile on an indoor track at a moderate pace, defined as 12-14 on the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale. One trial will be performed with their preferred music and one trial with no music. Data collected will include average running pace at half a mile and one mile, heart rate at rest and at the end of one mile, tempo and genre of the participants’ chosen music, and their score from the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES). Statistical analysis using SPSS version 26 will determine whether there is a difference in pace, heart rate, and PACES score between the two trials (music and no music). Both pilot experiment data and preliminary data from the full experiment will be presented.