Effects of auditory stimuli during exhaustive exercise on cerebral oxygenation and psychophysical responses

Asynchronous music has been commonly used to reduce perceived exertion and render the exercise experience more pleasant. Research has indicated that in-task asynchronous music can reallocate an individual's attentional focus to task-unrelated signals and increase the use of dissociative thoughts. Nonetheless, the brain mechanisms that underlie the purported benefits of music during exercise remain largely unknown due to the severe motion-related restrictions of popular neuroimaging techniques. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) represents a noninvasive imaging method that is particularly suited to exercise-related protocols given its high tolerance to motion artifacts. With use of fNIRS, the purpose of the present study was to determine the point of onset of cerebral oxygenation decline during exercise, and how this is influenced by the presence of asynchronous (ambient) motivational music. A continuous-wave fNIRS system was used to record the prefrontal, motor, and parietal hemodynamic responses of 36 participants (M _age = 23.1 years; 17 females, 16 males) who performed a cycle ergometry exercise protocol to the point of volitional exhaustion. Results indicated that asynchronous music did not engender any significant changes in cerebral hemodynamics, exercise endurance, or subjective measures, when compared with audiobook and silence control conditions. A nonsignificant trend emerged, suggesting reduced medial prefrontal cortex activation and slightly improved endurance with music. The present findings highlight the complexities associated with the influence of music on exercise-related brain activity. Further research employing more homogeneous samples and alternative exercise protocols is warranted to elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie the effects of music during exhaustive exercise.