66. Music Makes You STRONGER.

According to the evidence I found, and supported by the U.S. Sport Academy in Sports Exercise Science, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology, I conclude that even though there are multiple researches that support the fact that music has a potential to elicit a significant effect of performance (Karageorghis & Terry, 1997), the statement isn’t accurately expressed. In other words, music definitely plays a role when it comes to being an ideal accompaniment for training, but it doesn’t have any link with physical strength itself. Studies reveal that there is five ways in which music influence preparation and competitive performances: dissociation, arousal regulation, synchronization, acquisition of motor skills, and attainment of flow (Karageorghis, Lee Priest, 2008). Paula Radcliffe, the world record–holding marathoner manifests “I put together a playlist and listen to it during the run-in. It helps psych me up and reminds me of times in the build-up when I’ve worked really hard, or felt good. With the right music, I do a much harder workout.” This is how, it is NOT that music makes you stronger, but enhances your motivation and allows you to have a mental disposition that favors your physical performance. As supported by Bateman, music enhances the positive aspects of mood such as vigor, excitement and happiness, reducing at the same time the negative aspects like boredom, tension, anger, fatigue (2008), and collectively, the benefits impact the adherence to exercise by making the activities more pleasurable. In another study, conducted by Brunel University of London, one of the main demonstrated benefits of music was that it enhances psychological state, which has implications for optimizing pre-competition mental state and increasing the enjoyment of training activities (Karageorghis, Terry, 2008). Bateman supports the same claim: ‘in the domain of sport and exercise, researchers have primarily explored the psychological, psychophysical and ergogenic effects of music. Psychological effects refer to how music influences mood, emotion, affect (feelings of pleasure or displeasure), cognition, and behaviour.’ (Bateman, 2008).

The literature on the subject is wide. In the surgical scenario, for example, and as expressed on the medical article ‘Don’t Rely on Music Alone to Ease Postsurgery Pain, Researchers Say’, specialists confirm that patients who listened to music after surgery tended to report less pain intensity and required slightly smaller doses of painkillers, compared with those who didn't listen to music. However, what music does is to elicit relaxation, but does NOT appear to equal the pain relief of drugs (Hitti, 2006).