title: Effects of music during exercise on RPE, heart rate and the autonomic nervous system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the influence of music on RPE during sub-maximal exercise and on the autonomic nervous system before and after sub-maximal exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV) and rates of physical fatigue (RPE) during exercise at 60% and at 40% VO2max with and without music were measured. The exercise protocol consisted of a 30-min seated rest (control) period followed by a 30-min submaximal cycling exercise and a 35-min recovery period. Autonomic-nervous activity was measured before and after exercise. During exercise, RPE was recorded every 3 min and HR was recorded for every minute.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although RPE did not differ during exercise at 60% VO2max, this value was lower during exercise at 40% VO2max in the presence, than in the absence of a favorite piece music (P < 0.05). HR, HFA and LFA/HFA of HRV significantly differed with exercise intensity in the absence (P < 0.05), but not in the presence of music.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggested that music evokes a ''distraction effect'' during low intensity exercise, but might not influence the autonomic nervous system. Therefore, when jogging or walking at comparatively low exercise intensity, listening to a favorite piece of music might decrease the influence of stress caused by fatigue, thus increasing the ''comfort'' level of performing the exercise.
authors.affiliation: Center for Humanity and Sciences, Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Ami, Japan. yamashita@ipu.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akimoto
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kono
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology*; D009146:Music; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values