Music during anaerobic exercise in physically active adults: task-dependent evidence for repetition performance and...

Music is widely used during demanding exercise; however, its acute effects during anaerobic or predominantly high-intensity exercise remain uncertain, particularly when crossover designs and multiple task-specific effect sizes are considered.

This study aims to evaluate the acute effects of music during anaerobic exercise in physically active adults using analyses that accounted for dependent effect sizes, crossover variance assumptions, task heterogeneity, risk of bias, and evidence certainty.

Eligible effects were assessed at the effect-size level and synthesized using three-level random-effects models with cluster-robust variance estimation (CR2) by study. Sensitivity analyses included one-effect-size-per-study models, plausible within-person correlations for crossover studies, and exclusion of high-risk-of-bias studies where estimable.

The primary dataset included 113 effect sizes from 21 studies. Robust estimates showed uncertain effects for peak power, mean power, velocity, time-based performance, fatigue index, rating of perceived exertion, motivation, and enjoyment. Music was associated with higher repetitions [standardized mean difference = 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.91] and improved feeling scale scores [mean difference (MD) = 0.75, 95% CI 0.35-1.15]. Heart rate was higher in the full robust analysis (MD = 5.33 bpm, 95% CI 1.91-8.75) but became uncertain after excluding high-risk-of-bias studies. Certainty was low or very low across outcomes.

After accounting for dependence, task heterogeneity, and risk of bias, music during anaerobic exercise appears to be most plausibly linked to affective valence and selected repetition-based outcomes, whereas evidence for maximal performance enhancement remains limited and uncertain.

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261336754, identifier CRD420261336754.