Combining rhythmic synchronization (visual metronome) and motivational auditory distraction (non-rhythmic motivational speech) further lowered fatigue-related biomechanical variables during submaximal running compared to rhythmic synchronization alone, highlighting the distinct contributions of each mechanism commonly attributed to music's effects on endurance performance.
Key Findings
Results
Adding motivational auditory content to a visual pacing cue further reduced trunk acceleration in multiple directions compared to the visual stimulus alone.
Compared to VST, VAST further lowered RMS of acceleration by 0.026g in the anterior-posterior direction, 0.028g in the vertical direction, and 0.036g in the resultant direction.
Stimulus condition significantly affected RMS of acceleration in the anterior-posterior (p = 0.011), vertical (p = 0.008), and resultant (p = 0.006) directions.
A linear mixed effect model was used to assess differences between conditions.
Trunk acceleration RMS was measured during each minute of the run.
Results
Both the visual stimulus trial and visual-auditory stimulus trial reduced perceived exertion compared to baseline, but these reductions did not reach statistical significance.
Participants reduced perceived exertion by 0.87 rating during the VST and 0.85 rating during the VAST compared to baseline.
Rating of perceived exertion was recorded during each trial.
Fifteen adult participants completed all three trials.
Methods
The study used music proxy stimuli—a visual metronome and non-rhythmic motivational speech—to isolate rhythmic synchronization and auditory distraction as separate mechanisms.
The visual metronome flashed at a rate matching each participant's self-selected running cadence, isolating rhythmic synchronization.
The motivational speech was non-rhythmic, isolating auditory distraction without rhythmic entrainment.
Three conditions were tested: baseline (no stimulus), visual stimulus trial (VST), and visual-auditory stimulus trial (VAST).
Trials were completed in a fixed order starting with baseline.
Methods
The study measured center of pressure sway during standing before and after each trial as an indicator of fatigue-related postural changes.
Center of pressure sway was assessed during standing before and after each trial.
Participants ran on a treadmill at moderate intensity for up to ten minutes or until reaching predetermined termination criteria.
Sample consisted of 15 adults with mean age 20.9 ± 1.3 years, mean weight 71.2 ± 12.1 kg, and mean height 174.7 ± 11.0 cm.
Conclusions
The authors conclude that their findings are preliminary and should not be directly generalized to real-world music listening conditions.
Limitations cited include the use of musical proxy stimuli rather than actual music.
Run duration was limited to up to ten minutes.
The study was cross-sectional with a small sample of 15 participants.
Results are described as providing 'an approach to investigate the components of music via music proxies' rather than definitive conclusions.
What This Means
This research suggests that two distinct mechanisms—keeping pace with a rhythm and being distracted by motivational content—each play a role in how audio stimuli affect the body during running. The researchers separated these mechanisms by using a flashing visual metronome (to test rhythmic synchronization) and a non-rhythmic motivational speech (to test auditory distraction), rather than actual music, which contains both elements at once. Fifteen young adults ran on a treadmill under three conditions: no stimulus, visual metronome only, and visual metronome plus motivational speech.
The key finding was that adding motivational speech on top of the visual rhythm cue led to measurably smoother running movements, as detected by lower trunk acceleration in multiple directions. Participants also reported feeling slightly less exertion when using either stimulus compared to running with no stimulus, though this difference was not statistically significant. Together, these results suggest that both keeping in sync with a beat and being mentally engaged by motivational content contribute independently to changes in how the body moves during a run.
This research matters because it begins to untangle why music seems to help people exercise—is it the beat, the mood boost, or something else? By testing each element separately using 'music proxies,' the study offers a methodological approach for future research. However, the authors caution that because the study used short runs and artificial substitutes for music rather than actual songs, the findings should be considered preliminary and may not fully reflect what happens when people listen to music during real-world exercise.
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Dreher M, Terterov A, Feistner O, Freiermuth L, Schaps P, Yeager H, et al.. (2026). Effects of visual pacing cue and motivational auditory content on running fatigue and biomechanics.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0345554