Music…a performance-enhancing drug
On the quest of running faster, jumping higher, lifting more, etc…Athletes frequently are in the search for ways of improving their performance. Music help them achieve this…but can music improve athletic performance?
Music can be seen as a stimulant or a sedative by enhancing mood, improving muscle control and also helping the brain to build key muscle memories.
However, music has a significant and an important role it plays in the performance rate of an athlete. Listening to music improves an athlete’s performance by distracting them from the negative thoughts that can consume their mind and hinder their performance.
The positive effect of music on enhancing performance starts from the brain. When the brain is listening to music, it activates several major brain areas which are critical to athletic performance like the parietal lobe (which contains the motor cortex which regulates our body motor function to determine how well we coordinate our limbs when running and also determine how straight we throw a football, etc.), the temporal lobe which helps in releasing a stress hormone called cortisol and by so doing helps regulate stress by reducing cortisol levels, the occipital or visual processing lobe which controls rhythm and coordination in the brain, and the frontal lobe and cerebellum which helps in regulating emotion.
Music helps in enhancing mood and also increase confidence. Different type and kinds of music has its own role and also the kind of message it sends to the listener. Some music send a positive message while some negative. For instance, listening a music like “Run the World” by Beyonce… sends a positive message to the brain about performance which in-turn boosts confidence.
The tempo of music has also another effect on an athlete’s heart rate which thus can improve outcomes such as improved stamina and speed of the athlete. It makes the athlete want to move. Matching the music tempo to your desire to work and thus helps in improving muscle control.
Listening to songs with lyrics that mimic physical movement also helps an athletes brain form muscle memories. The brain plays or acts as a pathway to effectiveness of music on the athlete’s performance. Music can bring to reality the perception of physical effort. Music influences mood, emotion, attitudes, cognition and behaviour in the life of an athlete.
The rhythm, positive lyrics, uplifting melodies and harmonies, style or idiom and tempi of music plays a greater role in enhancing the performance of an athlete.