Effects of crescendo rythmic auditory stimulus on motor performance

Abstract

Introduction: Music affects positively on men and women, increases performance, improves physical fitness, provides an effective method of prescribing exercise and improves the motivation and the psychological state of athletes. The aim of our study is to test the effect of listening to a special kind of music on the vertical jump. Objective: Testing the impact of a rhythmic crescendo sound on the values of a vertical jump. Method: Twenty-one men and twelve women were recruited to participate in this study. The average age was 20±1.43 years for the male subjects and 19±1 years for the female subjects. The vertical jump was evaluated in two conditions: 1) control without crescendo and 2) at the end of a fifteen seconds crescendo. The sequence resembles to a heartbeat where at the end a signal sound "Go" encourages the participant to jump. For all subjects in the study, measurement of vertical jump were performed using the Myotest® and a cardio-frequency meter POLAR S610i©, took place in both conditions to measures the heart rate. Results: No improvement of the vertical-jump in female subjects, but a significant improvement in all parameters of the jump in male subjects. Conclusion: Music-like crescendo can be an effective technique used to improve the performance of simple motor tasks for adolescents. Synchronization between the music and the vertical jump is obvious especially among groups of men.