Effects of audiovisual stimuli on psychological and psychophysiological responses during exercise in adults with obesity.

The present experiment sought to further understanding of the effects of personalised audiovisual stimuli on psychological and psychophysiological responses during exercise in adults with obesity. Twenty-four participants (Mage = 28.3, SD = 5.5 years; MBMI = 32.2, SD = 2.4) engaged in self-paced exercises on a recumbent cycle ergometer and three conditions (sensory stimulation [ST], sensory deprivation [DE], and control [CO]) were administered. Perceptual (attentional focus and perceived exertion), affective (affective state and perceived activation), and psychophysiological (heart rate variability) parameters were monitored throughout the exercise bouts. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare self-reported and psychophysiological variables (main and interaction effects [5 Timepoints × 3 Conditions]). The results indicate that ST increased the use of dissociative thoughts throughout the exercise session (ηp2 = .19), ameliorated fatigue-related symptoms (ηp2 = .15) and elicited more positive affective responses (ηp2 = .12) than CO and DE. Accordingly, personally-compiled videos are highly effective in ameliorating exertional responses and enhancing affective valence during self-paced exercise in adults with obesity. Audiovisual stimuli could be used during the most critical periods of the exercise regimen (e.g., first training sessions) when individuals with obesity are more likely to focus on fatigue-related sensations.

Efeitos psicofisiológicos da música motivacional durante corrida de 5 km: Um estudo piloto / Efectos psicofisiológicos de la música motivacional durante la carrera de cinco kilómetros. Estudio piloto / Psychophysiological effects of motivational music during the 5km run: A pilot study

Objetivo: Investigar os efeitos da música motivacional durante 5km de corrida. Método: Treze corredores amadores foram submetidos a dois condições experimentais aleatórias durante 5 km de corrida. Análises de espectroscopia funcional de infravermelho foram usadas previamente em uma tentativa de investigar as características motivacionais da música e sua ativação no córtex pré-frontal. Durante o exercício proposto, avaliações psicofisiológicas (desempenho; percepção subjetiva de esforço e frequência cardíaca) foram usadas durante cada uma das 12.5 voltas (400 metros). Resultado: As músicas escolhidas foram capazes de ativar a área do córtex pré-frontal (diferenças positivas superiores a 0.5ua.miM). A música motivacional aumentou parâmetros relacionados com o desempenho (Condição controle - 27.02±0.35min vs Música motivacional - 25.31±0.31min; melhorou em 6.33%). Maior tamanho do efeito foi identificado durante as primeiras voltas (Cohen's d) (0.99 - 1 volta; 0.62 - 2 volta; ɑ ɑ 0.55 - 3ɑ volta; 0.61 - 4ɑ volta). A frequência cardíaca foi superior para a condição música motivacional, considerada uma resposta advinda ao maior trabalho físico realizado. Conclusões: A música foi capaz de ativar a região do córtex pré-frontal e alterar parâmetros psicofisiológicos e de desempenho

Objetivo: Investigar los efectos psicofisiológicos de la música motivacional durante 5km de carrera. Método: Trece corredores aficionados fueron sometidos a dos condiciones experimentales aleatorias durante 5km de carrera. Análisis de espectroscopia funcional de infrarrojos fueron utilizados previamente para investigar las cualidades motivacionales de la música y su activación en el córtex prefrontal. Durante el ejercicio propuesto, los cambios psicofisiológicos (rendimiento; percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo y frecuencia cardiaca) fueron usados durante cada una de las 12.5 vueltas (400 metros). Resultado: Las canciones escogidas fueron capaces de activar el área del córtex prefrontal (diferencias positivas superiores a 0.5 ua.miM). La música motivaciónal aumentó los parámetros relacionados con el rendimiento (Control - 27.02±0.35min vs Música motivacional - 25.31±0.31min; mejoró en 6.33%). El mayor tamaño del efecto fue identificado durante las primeras vueltas (Cohen's d) (0.99 - 1ª vuelta; 0.62 - 2ª vuelta; 0.55 - 3ª vuelta; 0.61 - 4ª vuelta). La frecuencia cardíaca fue superior para la condición música motivacional, considerada una respuesta derivada del mayor trabajo físico realizado. Conclusiones: La música fue capaz de activar el área del córtex prefrontal y alterar parâmetros psicofisiológicos y de rendimiento

Objective: To investigate the psychophysiological effects of motivational music on 5km run performance. Method: Thirteen amateur runners were subjected to two random experimental conditions during 5km run. Functional infrared spectroscopy analyses were used to investigate the motivational qualities of music and its activation in the prefrontal cortex. During the proposed exercise, psychophysiological changes (performance, subjective perception of effort and heart rate) were measused for each of the 12.5 laps (400 meters). Result: The chosen songs were able to increase activation in the prefrontal cortex area (over 0.5 ua. M positive differences). mi Motivational music enhanced task performance to a greater degree than the no-music, control condition (Control - 27.02 ± 0.35min vs motivational music - 25.31 ± 0.31min; improved in 6.33%). A larger effect size was identified during the first laps (Cohen's d) (0.99 - 1st lap; 0.62 - 2nd lap; 0.55 - 3rd lap; 0.61 - 4th lap). Heart rate was higher for motivational music condition, which was considered a derivative response of greater physical work done. Conclusion: The music was able to activate the prefrontal cortex area and alter psychophysiological and performance parameters

Psychophysiological effects of audiovisual stimuli during cycle exercise.

Immersive environments induced by audiovisual stimuli are hypothesised to facilitate the control of movements and ameliorate fatigue-related symptoms during exercise. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of pleasant and unpleasant audiovisual stimuli on perceptual and psychophysiological responses during moderate-intensity exercises performed on an electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer. Twenty young adults were administered three experimental conditions in a randomised and counterbalanced order: unpleasant stimulus (US; e.g. images depicting laboured breathing); pleasant stimulus (PS; e.g. images depicting pleasant emotions); and neutral stimulus (NS; e.g. neutral facial expressions). The exercise had 10 min of duration (2 min of warm-up + 6 min of exercise + 2 min of warm-down). During all conditions, the rate of perceived exertion and heart rate variability were monitored to further understanding of the moderating influence of audiovisual stimuli on perceptual and psychophysiological responses, respectively. The results of the present study indicate that PS ameliorated fatigue-related symptoms and reduced the physiological stress imposed by the exercise bout. Conversely, US increased the global activity of the autonomic nervous system and increased exertional responses to a greater degree when compared to PS. Accordingly, audiovisual stimuli appear to induce a psychophysiological response in which individuals visualise themselves within the story presented in the video. In such instances, individuals appear to copy the behaviour observed in the videos as if the situation was real. This mirroring mechanism has the potential to up-/down-regulate the cardiac work as if in fact the exercise intensities were different in each condition.

HOW MOTIVATIONAL AND CALM MUSIC MAY AFFECT THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX AREA AND EMOTIONAL RESPONSES: A FUNCTIONAL NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY (fNIRS) STUDY.

Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, the present study investigated how listening to differently valenced music is associated with changes in hemoglobin concentrations in the prefrontal cortex area, indicating changes in neural activity. Thirty healthy people (15 men; M age = 24.8 yr., SD = 2.4; 15 women; M age = 25.2 yr., SD = 3.1) participated. Prefrontal cortex activation, emotional responses (heart rate variability), and self-reported affective ratings were measured while listening to calm and motivational music. The songs were presented in a random counterbalanced order and separated by periods of white noise. Mixed-model repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) evaluated the relationships for main effects and interactions. The results showed that music was associated with increased activation of the prefrontal cortex area. For both sexes, listening to the motivational song was associated with higher vagal withdrawal (lower HR) than the calm song. As expected, participants rated the motivational song with greater affective valence and higher arousal. Effects persisted longer in men than in women. These findings suggest that both the characteristics of music and sex differences may significantly affect the results of emotional neuroimaging in samples of young adults.

How does music aid 5 km of running?

This research investigated the effects of music and its time of application on a 5-km run. Fifteen well-trained male long-distance runners (24.87 ± 2.47 years; 78.87 ± 10.57 kg; 178 ± 07 cm) participated in this study. Five randomized experimental conditions during a 5-km run on an official track were tested (PM: motivational songs, applied before 5 km of running; SM: slow motivational songs, applied during 5 km of running; FM: fast and motivational songs, applied during 5 km of running; CS: calm songs, applied after 5 km of running; CO: control condition). Psychophysiological assessments were performed before (functional near-infrared spectroscopy, heart rate variability [HRV], valence, and arousal), during (performance time, heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion [RPE]), and after (mood, RPE, and HRV) tests. The chosen songs were considered pleasurable and capable of activating. Furthermore, they activated the 3 assessed prefrontal cortex (PFC) areas (medial, right dorsolateral, and left dorsolateral) similarly, generating positive emotional consequences by autonomous system analysis. The first 800 m was accomplished faster for SM and FM compared with other conditions (p ≤ 0.05); moreover, there was a high probability of improving running performance when music was applied (SM: 89%; FM: 85%; PM: 39%). Finally, music was capable of accelerating vagal tonus after 5 km of running with CS (p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, music was able to activate the PFC area, minimize perceptions, improve performance, and accelerate recovery during 5 km of running.