title: Beneficial Effect of Preferential Music on Exercise Induced Changes in Heart Rate Variability.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Music is known to reduce pain, anxiety and fear in several stressful conditions in both males and females. Further, listening to preferred music enhances the endurance during running performance of women rather than listening to non-preferred music. In recent years Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has been used as an indicator of autonomic nervous activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of preferential music on HRV after moderate exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an experimental study done in 30 healthy students aged between 20-25 years, of either sex. HRV was measured at rest, 15 minutes of exercise only and 15 minutes of exercise with listening preferential music in same participants. Data was analysed by One-Way ANOVA and Tukey HSD Post-hoc Test. Statistical significance was taken to be a p-value of less than 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low frequency and high frequency component was significantly increased followed by only exercise. Music minimized increase in both high and low frequency component followed by exercise. However, only high frequency change was statistically significant. LF/HF ratio was significantly increased followed by only exercise. Music significantly minimized increase in LF/HF ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides the preliminary evidence that listening to preferential music could be an effective method of relaxation, as indicated by a shift of the autonomic balance towards the parasympathetic activity among medical students.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Physiology, Saveetha Medical College , Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India .
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Archana
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiology, CSI College of Dental Sciences and Research , Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India .
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mukilan
keywords: Autonomic functions; Medical students; Music therapy; Sympathetic and parasympathetic activity