Abstract
Background: Listening to fast-tempo or motivational music before exercise may improve maximal pedaling performance, but the role of lyric comprehension remains unclear. This study tested whether self-selected music with familiar language lyrics perceived as motivational improves sprint performance and psychophysiological responses. Methods: Fourteen healthy young men (age: 19.7 ± 1.7 years; height: 171.2 ± 3.1 cm; weight: 65.8 ± 7.1 kg; body mass index: 22.4 ± 2.1 kg/m(2)) who exercised regularly (≥3 sessions/week) participated in a within-subject crossover design, completing a 20 s maximal pedaling test across 3 randomized conditions: control (Con; no music), music with unfamiliar language lyrics (UM), and self-selected music with familiar language lyrics (FM). All participants completed all three experimental conditions in a randomized order. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and paired t-tests (α = 0.05). Relative peak and mean power outputs were recorded. Motivation, arousal, and pleasant emotion were assessed at rest, after listening to music, after warm-up, and after exercise. Prefrontal hemodynamics and autonomic nervous system activity were recorded continuously. Results: Relative peak power was higher in FM (8.42 ± 0.61 W/kg) than Con (8.23 ± 0.58 W/kg; p < 0.01; d = 1.05); mean power did not differ across conditions. FM showed higher motivation and arousal after music compared with Con and UM, and higher pleasant emotion throughout. No significant differences across conditions were observed in prefrontal hemodynamics or autonomic nervous system activity. Conclusions: Listening to self-selected music with familiar language lyrics perceived as motivational during subsequent maximal pedaling enhanced peak power and psychological responses. Lyric comprehension and language familiarity likely play an important role in the ergogenic effects of music before high-intensity exercise.