Sport and music – a real dream team that will take you further!

Music is an integral part of our everyday life. Whether at home, in the car, in local transport, on a shopping spree in the chain stores or at a sports course – the majority of people listen to music in all kinds of situations. Music has become indispensable in the field of sport.

Whether the motivating playlist in the fitness studio or a good track from your own headphones – music simply makes the workout more pleasant and ensures that the training time flies by. In fact, there are some good reasons why sports and music go so well together. You can find out what these are in our article.

This is how music influences your athletic performance

You must have at least one favorite song that will automatically start bobbing your foot. The fact that music and physical expression are closely interwoven is anchored in the most diverse cultures around the world through dancing. Whether traditional belly dance, ballet lesson or Saturday evening in the electro club – the basic need is the same: to move in harmony with the music.

But what about the long-running strength training? Even a workout based on classic repetitions is easier to manage with the right playlist – but why is that? Let’s examine the essential aspects together:

Music increases efficiency

Music is far more than most people might think. Basically, it is even legal doping. There are many studies that show that music has been shown to affect how we work out. However, music has no direct influence on many things.

For example, it does not affect our heart rate or oxygen supply. The effects are more of a psychosomatic nature: emotions are triggered, which in turn lead to changes in physical conditions. Including both the state of tension of the muscles and the posture. In addition, good music bundles concentration and it is easier to get into the flow …

… it gets even more interesting if you have saved memories or emotions with a certain music (for me it’s e.g. Hans Zimmer soundtracks and tracks by Tiesto or Hardwell). Then you automatically conjure up these emotions when you start the music and can benefit from this little push .

In order to be able to benefit optimally from these effects, the respective playlist should of course also fit. According to a Myprotein article, different genres are possible to create your preferred playlist. If necessary, it is advisable to use a mixed playlist with several genres anyway. So it doesn’t get boring in the long run, which can happen when you hear the same songs over and over again.

Music increases stamina and willingness to take risks

We have already clarified that music can have psychosomatic effects. In this regard, the motivating effect should be mentioned above all. Many people listen to music while exercising in order to perform better and not get bored. Both usually work quite well. The motivating effect of the music goes so far that stamina and willingness to take risks increase . This makes it possible, for example, to perform better than usual during running training.

However, you should use this beneficial effect with caution. In rare cases, music can lead to us completely overestimating ourselves and overusing our bodies. This can lead to various physical problems. Both acute and long-term damage are possible. Unless you are a little careful, things shouldn’t happen.

In addition, overexertion and incorrect self-assessment are generally a problem in gyms. Music is hardly the culprit here, but this aspect should be mentioned. After all, there are still many people who do not know their limits. Music can amplify that if necessary.

Music reduces stress

Stress is unfortunately an everyday thing in our modern performance society. It is all the more gratifying that there are ways to counteract this unpleasant phenomenon. Music can relieve stress and thus contribute to an increase in our physical and mental well-being.

This effect also has a self-explanatory effect on our performance during workouts. Especially since this can also help to cope with stress itself. Music makes it easier for us to switch off and concentrate more on sport. And after the workout is finished, the world looks very different anyway.

Music during sport – no must

Music is not a must in sport, but a can. Many enjoy the music while working out to better concentrate and be in the flow.

But it’s also okay to just exercise or jog. To pay attention to your breath, the equipment, your fellow human beings or the nature (when you train in the green). This mindfulness is also important and useful.

You should therefore consciously consider whether you want to use music during training or not. In any case, do it consciously and if you listen to music, then it should also fit your goals and both motivate you and increase your concentration. And trigger a good mood ?

Conclusion

There have been some studies on music and sports, but some unanswered questions still remain. One of them is how music affects certain types of exercise. It is sometimes the case that music is an advantage, especially in endurance sports. On the other hand, when it comes to sports that are motor-demanding, a corresponding effect is not to be expected.

However, it cannot be said whether music has a negative effect on performance. That is one of those unresolved questions that have not yet been scientifically proven. However, it is quite likely that music has a different effect on different types of sport.