Background/Purpose This study assessed the independent and combined effects of music and feedback on running performance, and the perceptual and affective responses to running.
Method A repeated measures experimental design was employed, with 13 active male and female participants performing a 2-mile run on a treadmill under 4 different conditions: music only (MO), feedback only (FO), music and feedback (MF) and a control condition (C) with no music or feedback. Runners provided their own music and were instructed to run at their preferred pace. Feedback, provided using the Nike + iPod system, consisted of time, distance and current running pace. During the run participants rated their current perceived exertion (RPE), feeling state (FS), and felt-arousal (FAS). Immediately after the run the participants also rated their perceived enjoyment of the run and the perceived usefulness of the run for their training purposes.
Analysis/Results Results of separate RM ANOVAs indicated the following: The control condition was perceived as the least enjoyable and least useful run. The MF condition was the most enjoyable, while the MO and MF conditions were the most useful. There was no effect of condition on running performance, although there was a trend (p = .06) for faster running pace in the MO and MF conditions.
Conclusions These findings imply that both listening to music and receiving performance feedback play an important role in the perceptual and affective responses to running.