The art of music has been utilized by humans for tens of thousands of years. Although it is still uncertain exactly how the brain works and why music affects us exactly the way it does, there have been many studies that have shown evidence of music improving performance specifically in the sports world.
Have you ever wondered how and why music makes you feel the way you do?
Within the sports world at Penn High School, music is played around every corner, whether it be in the locker room before practice, echoing through the weight room, and setting the mood before games. Exploring deeper, this short article aims to uncover what exactly is happening inside the complex human brain.
Music activates just about all parts of the brain and that includes the major brain regions that are critical for athletic performance. Sports psychologist Dr. Karageorghis has spent over 25 years studying how music can improve sports performance and he has found that music is able to reach parts of the brain that are difficult to stimulate.
One of the regions that turns on when music is played is the parietal lobe and inside of it is the motor cortex. The Buckingham Browne & Nichols’ STEM Magazine reports on the function of the parietal lobe, “The motor cortex is responsible for helping us coordinate our legs and arms while running or helping us throw a ball straight.”
This is significant because every sport requires coordination through the arms and legs. Another part of the brain that responds to music is the temporal lobe. According to the report, “In this part of the brain, the stress hormone cortisol is released; since music can activate the temporal lobe, it helps regulate stress by reducing cortisol levels.”
Because music affects this part of the brain, it can help calm an athlete‘s mind before a big game or a race, thus having a positive effect.
Penn Track Athlete Collin Smagala said, “Music really hypes me up before a race.”
The frontal lobe and cerebellum, which regulate emotion, are also activated by music. As stated by the magazine, “In the frontal lobe, music taps into the brain’s secretion of natural chemicals, like dopamine and natural opioids, to help block our perception of pain and fatigue.” In other words, music can distract an athlete from pain because the brain is diverted by the music. As seen through this report, music is a superpower that can easily be utilized to help with coordination, stress levels, and pain levels, all of which can help an athlete train harder and perform better.
Penn Track Athlete Kohen Turner shares his top five playlist below:
- “Law and Order” by Luh Tyler
- “Come Through and Chill” by Miguel
- “Language” by Paper Boy
- “Broken Clocks” by Sza
- “Free Mind” by Tems
Wu, Allison. “Does Music Improve Athletic Performance?” Current Happenings Across STEM Magazine, 28 Mar. 2021, https://bbnchasm.com/2021/03/28/does-music-improve-athletic-performance/.
