Influencia de la música en el rendimiento deportivo

Many sports psychologists recommend listening to music to prepare mentally before a competition, suggesting that music might have an ergogenic effect. The relation between music and sport has aroused interest for many years; however current findings are still contradictory. The utility of music as an aid to learning and improving motor skills and, in the hospital environment, for anxiety and stress reduction in some diseases and invasive diagnostic tests seems to have been demonstrated. All studies seem to agree on the absence of an ergogenic effect of music per se. Several studies support the importance of music's rhythm in increasing sports performance since humans seem to have an innate predisposition to synchronize movements and therefore, a quick rhythm (>100 bpm) could increase the efficiency of motor skills and consequently, improve physical performance. Most studies agree on the ability of music to block out external stimuli, focus the individual's attention on the physical task being performed, and minimize the fatigue accompanying exercise. Also important is the ability of music to evoke non-musical, sports-related associations and the fact that the music need not be familiar to the individual. Few studies in the literature have a similar structure, hampering comparisons among them. Currently, the extent to which music has ergogenic properties remains unclear, although there is sufficient evidence to support its use as a psychologist aid.