Effects of auditory stimuli on electrical activity in the brain during cycle ergometry

Abstract

The present study sought to further understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie the effects of music on perceptual, affective, and visceral responses during whole-body modes of exercise. Eighteen participants were administered light-to-moderate intensity bouts of cycle ergometer exercise. Each exercise bout was of 12-min duration (warm-up [3min], exercise [6min], and warm-down [3min]). Portable techniques were used to monitor the electrical activity in the brain, heart, and muscle during the administration of three conditions: music, audiobook, and control. Conditions were randomized and counterbalanced to prevent any influence of systematic order on the dependent variables. Oscillatory potentials at the Cz electrode site were used to further understanding of time-frequency changes influenced by voluntary control of movements. Spectral coherence analysis between Cz and frontal, frontal-central, central, central-parietal, and parietal electrode sites was also calculated. Perceptual and affective measures were taken at five timepoints during the exercise bout. Results indicated that music reallocated participants' attentional focus toward auditory pathways and reduced perceived exertion. The music also inhibited alpha resynchronization at the Cz electrode site and reduced the spectral coherence values at Cz-C4 and Cz-Fz. The reduced focal awareness induced by music led to a more autonomous control of cycle movements performed at light-to-moderate-intensities. Processing of interoceptive sensory cues appears to upmodulate fatigue-related sensations, increase the connectivity in the frontal and central regions of the brain, and is associated with neural resynchronization to sustain the imposed exercise intensity.

An Analysis of Variability in Power Output During Indoor and Outdoor Cycling Time Trials

“…Indeed, the visual exploration of environmental challenges in a relatively more unpredictable setting outdoors may have increased the attentional effort, something that would be reduced during an indoor task (Lacaille et al 2004). In contrast, reallocation of attention towards novel stimuli outdoors, whilst increasing the cognitive demand, has been shown to reduce the sensation of effort during repetitive tasks, such as cycling (Bigliassi et al 2017), which is supported by a reduction in RPE noted in our study outdoors. The relation between the cognitive demands of cycling and central control strategies warrants further investigation.…”

Effects of mindfulness on psychological and psychophysiological responses during self‐paced walking

“…This could have occurred due to the fact that the exercise intensity employed in the present study was extremely light (see Figure b). The physical task was also easy to execute through the use of a reflexive control of the musculature (Bigliassi et al, ; Leisman, Moustafa, & Shafir, ). Therefore, given the low demand imposed by the physical task, the present authors hypothesize that the brain was able to process more sensory information and execute other cognitive tasks in tandem with the exercise (Hutchinson & Tenenbaum, ; Rejeski, ).…”

“…Razon, Basevitch, Land, Thompson, & Tenenbaum, 2009). This strategy has been frequently used as a means to increase the use of dissociative thoughts (e.g., daydreaming) and facilitate a more automatic/unconscious control of working muscles during the execution of repetitive physical tasks (see e.g., Bigliassi, Karageorghis, Wright, Orgs, & Nowicky, 2017;Hutchinson, Karageorghis, & Black, 2017). Consequently, when individuals exercise in the presence of such external influences, they may naturally become less aware of their physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions (i.e., reduced exercise consciousness; Rejeski, 1985).…”

Psychological and Psychophysiological Effects of Recuperative Music Postexercise

“…First, the relative dearth of research on the moderating influence of gender during recovery from exhaustive exercise requires further exploration across a range of modalities that afford greater ecological validity (i.e., everyday training or competitive settings [3]). Second, other proxies of recovery, such as HR variability and electroencephalography, would help to elucidate the psychophysiological implications of recuperative music (45). Systematic attention of the underlying mechanisms that might explain the psychophysiological responses to music could facilitate the endeavors of future researchers.…”