Music and Sports
If there’s anything ‘Spotify Wrapped’ has taught, it’s that music largely dominates life–so much so that the average person spends around 21 hours a week listening to it. Music is an endless medium that connects, evokes emotion, and stimulates the mind, so how does it translate to athletes?
There are a few things to keep in mind. While some preliminary research has hinted at benefits listened below, these should be affirmed and explored further with more nuanced research. Additionally, the type of music listened to has distinctly different effects. For this article, classical and uplifting music are being applied.
Music and sports have a much stronger correlation than what may be expected
General/Psychological Benefits:
Research has shown that listening to music poses many psychological benefits through both cognitive and behavioral aspects. In fact, the stimulus provided by listening to music improves learning capabilities and memory retention by making listeners more motivated and engaged. This was demonstrated in one study, where when two groups of people were tasked with reading and subsequently recalling a short list of words, those listening to classical music performed better than those working in silence. While these benefits may seem more directly applicable in terms of academics, these skills are essential for athletes as the building blocks of a strong sports foundation, especially in team dynamics.
Furthermore, music has an immense effect on mood, from lowering anxiety, aiding with symptoms of depression, elevating mood, and reducing stress. This is a result of a multitude of factors:
Its ability to alter production of hormones
Boost dopamine (feel-good hormone), uplifting mood and increasing energy
Decrease cortisol (stress hormone) levels, aiding against anxiety and depression
Music is processed in the amygdala, the main center for processing emotion
Helps regulate/process emotions
Feel stimulated mood
These all play a critical role in sports, where elevated moods stemmed from music help the brain associate athletics with a more positive and approachable experience. They also reinforce motivation and resilience to combat the “pain” of exercising, which in turn promotes effort and enjoyment. For sports performance, decreased levels of anxiety help combat performance decline, as indicated through the Yerkes-Dodson Law. More can be read about it here.
Physical Benefits:
Listening to music also significantly improves endurance and efficiency:
Listening to music distracts/dissociates the brain, reducing perception of fatigue and intensity of pain
With music, body has a higher fatigue threshold (exhaustion limit) and can recover faster as a result of the released endorphins
Music tempo modulates heart rate and muscle activation, making it easier to conduct certain exercises
Beat of music echoes to rhythm while exercising, aiding in efficiency, including oxygen intake
With these effects, athletes are able to participate in longer workouts while pushing their bodies further to the limit – the formula to enhancing performance.
Star Spangled Banner unifying athletes at sporting events
Building Comradery:
Lastly, an effect on sports often overlooked is its ability to connect athletes and spectators, instilling a sense of solidarity, pride, and camaraderie. For those in the United States, this is clearly demonstrated at sporting events with the “Star Spangled Banner.” It evokes emotion shared across individuals, transcending divides between teams and status, creating a profound sense of unity.
Conclusion:
Through these various aspects, it is clear that music has a strong relation with sports. So what are you waiting for? Go and make your workout playlist!
Sources:
Hinley, Liz. “Music and Sports: Why Do Both?” Alfred Music Blog, February 6, 2018. https://www.alfred.com/blog/music-and-sports-why-do-both/.
Waxman, Olivia B. “Here’s How Standing for the National Anthem Became Part of U.S. Sports Tradition.” Time, September 25, 2017. https://time.com/4955623/history-national-anthem-sports-nfl/.
Stanborough, MFA Rebecca Joy. “The Benefits of Listening to Music.” Healthline Media, April 1, 2020. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-music.
Andrews, Cailen. “The Biopsychosocial Model in Medical Research: The Evolution of the Health Concept over the Last Two Decades.” Patient Education and Counseling 53, no. 2 (May 2004): 239–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0738-3991(03)00146-0.
NorthShore. “9 Health Benefits of Music.” Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.northshore.org/healthy-you/9-health-benefits-of-music/.
DLMDD. “The Unifying Power of Music in Sports — DLMDD.” Accessed December 15, 2024. https://dlmdd.com/article/the-unifying-power-of-music-in-sports/.
Academy, U.S. Sports. “Music in Sport and Exercise : An Update on Research and Application.” The Sport Journal, July 7, 2008. https://thesportjournal.org/article/music-sport-and-exercise-update-research-and-application/.
Matthew, Michael. “18 Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument,” n.d. https://stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/18-benefits-of-playing-a-musical-instrument.pdf.