Enhances Athletic Performance

Music enhances athletic performance because it causes dissociation. Dissociation refers to the possibility of diverting the mind’s attention away from sensations of pain and fatigue. Research has shown that if one’s attention is not focused on feelings of fatigue that their level of work output increases. Dissociation benefits athletic performance because it narrows attention and allows the body to focus on the amount of information it is able to process. Therefore, if an athlete is focusing just on the music she can increase work output. Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas intertwined his “Bangers” playlist to his pregame movements in order to achieve maximum output. Thomas believes that his playlist holds the same importance as his

When you experience a flow state you would feel an intense focus, time passing by quickly, a sense of peacefulness, and a feeling of being able to achieve your goals. Ryan Gregson, an Australian middle distance runner and currently ranked number 5th in the world, uses music to get into a flow state during training. Gregson depends on house music and rap to get him through his intense workouts. Gregson believes that music pushes him to run faster, enjoy his runs more, and make time flyby. There has been research done that proves music can help achieve flow states. A study was done by Pates, Karageorghis, Fryer, and Maynard to evaluate the effects that pre-task music has on three netball shooters performances and to analyze if it promotes flow states. Pates, Karageorghis, Fryer, and Maynard use three college netball players as subjects for test. After the test were finished the result showed that two of the netball shooters said they experienced a boost in their perception of flow. The results also showed that pre-task music had a positive effect on their shooting since all three shooting performances where enhanced when music was used. The three researchers developed a conclusion that interferences including self-selected music and imagery may be able to increase athletes’ performances through activating emotions and cognitions connected to flow. Karageorghis and Deeth went deeper into research by analyzing the effects that motivational music has on flow. Karageorghis and Deeth ran a multistage workout test using the Flow State Scale, which is a scale to measure the presence of flow during an activity. The researchers used the Flow State Scale to show the multiple aspects that are part of the flow experiences which were shown through the factors included in the Flow State Scale. The results of this test showed that motivational music caused an