EFFECTS OF MUSIC ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND AFFECTIVE RESPONSES TO GRADED TREADMILL EXERCISE IN TRAINED AND UNTRAINED RUNNERS

The influence of music on physiological and affective exercise respons es was studied in 8 trained and 8 untrained runners under three music conditions (''no'', ''sedative'', and ''fast'') during low, moderate, and high intensity exercise. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed increase d respiratory frequency (F-R) during fast music as compared to the no music and sedative music conditions (p < 0.01). Plasma cortisol levels did not differ at baseline across the music conditions; however, foll owing high intensity exercise, higher cortisol levels were associated with fast music as compared to no music and sedative music (music x in tensity interaction, p < 0.01). Affective measures during exercise (FE ELING scale) showed no overall training group differences; however, th ere was a music x group x intensity interaction (p < 0.05) in which un trained subjects reported more positive affect compared to trained sub jects while listening to fast music during low and high intensity exer cise. Data collected at voluntary exhaustion revealed significantly mo re positive affect and higher skin temperature (p values < 0.01) in un trained compared to trained subjects. Collectively, these results sugg est listening to fast, upbeat music during exercise may be beneficial for untrained runners but counterproductive for trained runners.