The psychological, psychophysical and ergogenic effects of music in sport: a review and synthesis

Abstract

[Introduction]: Music has become almost omnipresent in sport and exercise environments. It blares out in gymnasiums, football stadiums and even in swimming pools through underwater speakers. Music is part-and-parcel of the modern-day sporting spectacle, while the advent of the iPod™ has better enabled athletes to cocoon themselves in their own auditory world. Does the use of music in sport actually yield higher performance levels or does it simply make sports participation and training more enjoyable? If music does indeed increase work output or enjoyment of a sporting activity, how can we go about maximising such benefits? These questions will be addressed within this chapter using the authors’ research findings and examples from their applied work with elite athletes.