Can music help elite athletes excel?

Can music aid elite performance in athletics? spikesmag.com caught up with Dr Costas Karageorghis, a leading academic in the area of the psychophysical effects of music, and found out how the stars use block-rockin' beats to climb the medal podium.

Why is music so closely linked with running?
Like many forms of human locomotion, running is very rhythmical in it nature and so particular pieces of music can emulate the rhythmical qualities of running. Music can make running easier and reduce the perception of effort. It improves athletes’ mood and the music has a motivational effect. And with most music it is used as a kind of metronome to regulate stride pattern.

How do you know what the best tracks are to motivate an athlete?
It is not so much about the specific tracks but we have a complex survey structure. We have several people from the same age group as experimental participants. They listen to a large range of tracks and then we have another panel who rate the tracks for their motivational qualities, so it is all very tightly controlled. The way we reach that is very systematic, methodical and complex. This is what people overlook in our research, it is all in the selection just like a good night out in a nightclub it is all about the DJs selection – a good workout is all in the selection.

Can you give an example of a good motivational track to run to?
A particularly good one is Scatman. Haile Gebrselassie has broken several world records by listening to that tune because it fits in with his world record pace. What I don’t like to do so much is say, 'you must listen to this' because music is a very individual thing. What I’m advocating is follow specific guidelines, for example you should listen to the tempo of the music, its rhythmical qualities its harmonic qualities, its melody then you can begin to maximise its potential benefit.

What evidence do you have that music actually aids running and performance?
The traditional work we’ve done in this area is when you are training at 75 per cent of your maximum heart rate, music reduces the perception of effort by 10 per cent. The other thing we found, in our most recent study, is that it was previously thought music only influenced mood up until 75 per cent of your max but we showed that if you carefully select the music it can enhance you right up to exhaustion – even with an elite athlete. So although it won’t impact on how fatigued you feel at a high intensity – it colours your interpretation of fatigue. It makes fatigue more pleasurable.

What evidence do have of athletes supporting this theory?
The strongest athlete is Haile Gebrselassie. Interestingly, Gebrselassie’s manager Jos Hermens was a pioneer of music. Back in 1975 and 1976 he broke two world records for the distance covered in an hour. In each race he prepared a cassette for all of his up tempo tracks that formed the backdrop for the challenge.

Does the style of music used to motivate an athlete differ from event to event?
Yes. What you need to know is the psychological demands of the event. If you are involved in an event such as the shot put or long jump – a very explosive event – as a general rule louder or more stimulating music will have the desired effect. However, there are many instances, even in explosive events, where athletes try to conserve energy and try to overcome anxiety, so they choose a slower but inspiring track.

Is there an ideal beat to run to?
It’s a real good question. If you want synchronicity you should set the tempo of the music slightly above your pace, so it gives you a slight push. The second way relates to a whole body work of work I’ve done over the last five years which assesses the relationship between exercise heart rate and preference for music tempo and essentially the music tempo you listen to should be five beats per minute [BPM] above your expected heart rate. So if you were running with a heart rate of 125 BPM then something like Scatman at 130 BPM would be perfect. However, research has shown there is a ceiling effect in that you begin to increase the music beyond 145 it has a detrimental effect, which means the optimal range of tempo is about 120-135 BPM.

Any forms of music which can act as a de-motivational tool for running?
Generally speaking thrash metal and punk are not particularly good. They can be very aggressive, the melody can be quite minor and explore complex social themes. Having said that if you speak to a weightlifter they love to work out to heavy metal. For the demographic we work with they tend to go for pop, rock, dance and urban.

What would be your perfect three tunes to run to?
The Heat is On by Glenn Frey; Keep on Running by The Spencer Davis Group; I Feel Good by James Brown

Sony Ericsson Run To The Beat is happening on 27 September, 2009 (at O2 Arena, Greenwich). Entries are now open – visit www.runtothebeat.co.uk for further details.