Impact of Two Methods of Listening to Music During Exercise on Perceived

Exertion and Overall Physical Activity

Uha Reddy, M.D.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

Benefits– Improved Cardiovascular Health– Glycemic Control– Cancer prevention and treatment (breast,

prostate)– Smoking cessation– Decreased risk of symptomatic gallstones– Psychological well-being

Exercise Guidelines

For healthy adults under age 65– At least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the

week

How many people in the U.S meet this goal?– Less than 50%

Why?

Common reasons given for not exercising– Lack of time– Boring or monotonous nature of exercise routine– Discomfort associated with exercise (fatigue,

muscle aches, etc. . .)

Music

How music helps?– Reduces sensations of fatigue– Improves mood state– Influences psychomotor arousal– Encourages synchronization

Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

RPE is a rating of how heavy or strenuous an activity feels

Ranges from 6 – 20 – 6 is no exertion at all– 20 is maximal exertion

Listening to music while exercising reduces the RPE

Synchronization

Moving in synchrony to the beat of the music (stepping, pedaling, etc. . .)

Beats per minute (BPM) of the song For example

– Power walking (115-139 BPM)– Jogging/running (147-160 BPM)– Stair climbing (124-128 BPM)

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous

Asynchronous: exercising while passively listening to music, not moving to the beat

Very few studies have been done comparing synchronous to asynchronous exercise

Our study

Goal– to evaluate the effect of synchronous vs.

asynchronous exercise on RPE and overall physical activity in adults who participate in regular exercise (over a 6 week course)

Hypotheses

Synchronous exercise with music will reduce the RPE and improve affect compared with asynchronous exercise with music

Instruction in synchronous exercise with music motivates the participant to exercise more frequently than with asynchronous exercise

Inclusion Criteria

Plan to enroll 46 participants Adult employees of Georgetown University

(20-55 years of age) Engage in regular physical activity of at least

2 exercise sessions per week (80 mins per week) of light to moderate exercise

Listen to music while exercising

Exclusion Criteria

Major medical condition which prevents regular exercise

Use of Beta Blocker medication Participation in varsity sports

Study Set-Up

6 week study Testing/Monitoring:

– Exercise stress test (Georgetown Cardiology department)

– Supervised exercise sessions weekly (on elliptical machine for a 50-55 minute session each week)

Heart rate monitor RPE at 15, 30 and 45 minutes Post-session questionnaires

Study Set-Up

Kenz Lifecorder Plus Accelerometer (advanced pedometer)– Records steps, when there is an increase in

activity, activity time and calories

Post-Session Questionnaires– Physical Activity Affect Scale (PAAS)– Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI)

Control Group

Introductory lecture (60 mins) Encourage patients to exercise as frequently

as they would like with a minimum of once per week

Exercise diary – Duration, RPE during the last 10 mins

Intervention Group

Introductory lecture and instruction on synchronous exercise

MP3 music player– 28 playlists with a variety of songs (45-55 mins

duration)– Laminated cards of each playlist with instructions

(BPM, location of the beat – drum, guitar)

Intervention Group

Encourage patients to exercise as frequently as they would like with a minimum of once per week

Exercise diary – Duration, RPE during the last 10 mins

Primary and Secondary Outcomes

Primary– Change in RPE from baseline at 6 weeks– Comparison between groups

Secondary– Difference in total activity time between groups– Difference in heart rate– Difference in affect, interest/enjoyment

Stay Tuned

Kick-off September 2008 (rolling admissions) Last group of participants will likely complete

study in November/December 2008 Then, Data Analysis. . .

Thank you!

Stephen Clement, MD Eileen M. Pelayo, RN

References

Anshel MH, Marisi DQ. Effect of music and rhythm on physical performance. Research Quarterly. 49:109-113, 1978.

Bernardi L, Porta C, Sleight P. Cardiovascular , cerebrovascular and respiratory changes induced by different types of music in musicians and nonmusicians: the importance of silence. Heart. 92:445-452, 2006.

Karageorghis C, Terry P. The psychological effects of music in sport and exercise: A review. J Sport Behavior. 20: 54-64, 1997.

Manini Y, Everhart JE, Patel KV et al. Daily activity energy expenditure and mortality in older adults. JAMA 296:171-179, 2006.

References

Physical activity guidelines for healthy adults under age 65. http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7764 (accessed 25 Aug 2008).

Smoll FL, Schultz RW. Accuracy of rhythmic motor behavior in response to preferred and nonpreferred tempos. J Human Movement Studies. 8: 123-130, 1982.

Szmedra L, Bacharach DW. Effect of music in perceived exertion, plasma lactate, norepinephrine and cardiovascular hemodynamics during treadmill running. Int J Sport Med. 19:32-37, 1998.

Peterson, DM. Overview of the benefits and risks of exercise. http://www.uptodate.com (accessed 25 Aug 2008).

Any Questions?