Music Attenuated a Decrease in Parasympathetic Nervous System Activity after Exercise

Abstract

Music and exercise can both affect autonomic nervous system activity. However, the effects of the combination of music and exercise on autonomic activity are poorly understood. Additionally, it remains unknown whether music affects post-exercise orthostatic tolerance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of music on autonomic nervous system activity in orthostatic tolerance after exercise. Twenty-six healthy graduate students participated in four sessions in a random order on four separate days: a sedentary session, a music session, a bicycling session, and a bicycling with music session. Participants were asked to listen to their favorite music and to exercise on a cycle ergometer. We evaluated autonomic nervous system activity before and after each session using frequency analysis of heart rate variability. High frequency power, an index of parasympathetic nervous system activity, was significantly increased in the music session. Heart rate was increased, and high frequency power was decreased, in the bicycling session. There was no significant difference in high frequency power before and after the bicycling with music session, although heart rate was significantly increased. Additionally, both music and exercise did not significantly affect heart rate, systolic blood pressure or also heart rate variability indices in the orthostatic test. These data suggest that music increased parasympathetic activity and attenuated the exercise-induced decrease in parasympathetic activity without altering the orthostatic tolerance after exercise. Therefore, music may be an effective approach for improving post-exercise parasympathetic reactivation, resulting in a faster recovery and a reduction in cardiac stress after exercise.

The Influence of Music Preference on Exercise Responses and Performance: A Review

“…Neurological changes while listening to music may also manifest themselves in peripheral divisions, such as autonomic and somatic nervous system activation. For example, listening to music during cycling has been linked to the prevention of decreased heart rate variability (HRV) following exercise indicating the preservation of parasympathetic stimulation following physical stress [ 53 ]. However, this may be differentially affected by the type of music the individual is listening to.…”

Descriptive analysis of university-student music preferences during different forms of physical activity

“…Thus pleasure is often promoted by accompanying exercise with music and this is consistent with the fact that 96.5% participants listen to music for pleasure. Listening to music during physical activity has been positively correlated with physical activity adherence and performance, reducing rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and encouraging a more positive affective response (Clark et al, 2015; Jia, Ogawa, Miura, Ito, & Kohzuki, 2016; Karageorghis, 2017; Karageorghis & Priest, 2012a, 2012b; Karageorghis & Terry, 1997; Karageorghis, Terry, Lane, Bishop, & Priest, 2012b; Murrock & Higgins, 2009). Specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine whether music selection was associated with the type of physical activity (aerobic, strength training, and leisure activity).…”

CIAFIS – Congresso Internacional de Atividade Física, Nutrição e Saúde

“…A dominant sympathetic activity may change the use of substrates, such as carbohydrates and fats (Nonogaki, 2000). Exercise itself is able to increase sympathetic activity; the use of music also seems to achieve this increase (Jia, Ogawa, Miura, Ito, & Kohzuki, 2016;Nichols, 2015). Although this information may postulate the possible cause of the alteration in the contribution of nutrients, our methodology is unable to affirm that these alterations can be due to the autonomic activity.…”