The Magic of Music

   A glimpse of a bodybuilder pushing out heavy weights during an arduous workout brings to mind the old rock group Black Sabbath's eerie intro to one of their classic songs. I remember the very first time I walked into the local gym, Black Sabbath's 'Ironman' was blasting forth a hair short of the pain threshold. I also remember that the song seemed to be the force that drove the bodybuilders on and on.
In every gym we hear 'the beat'. It makes you wonder why we are so preoccupied with music. Suggests one national caliber bodybuilder: 'It's the magic of music. Music will give you strength, when nothing else will.'
   A review of musical folklore certainly indicates that the sound of music can significantly enhance and/or impress human performance. Music theory was also an integral part of primitive medicine. Let us not forget the impact that the singing of the sirens had upon seamen, as described by Homer in the Odyssey. Or the Pied Piper of Hamlin, who lured away all the children of the town with his enticing music.
  Of course, the widespread use of music in athletics supports the commonly held belief that music enhances human performance. Is such a belief founded? Is music a true ergogenic aid or is it a myth?
Music Therapy
  In recent years considerable research has been conducted to determine the effects of music therapy - the systematic application of rhythm, melody, harmony, tone and pitch to treat a physical or mental disorder. Many therapists believe that music has a great potential to influence and benefit the mind, and in turn, the body. Music therapy has already been shown to be a viable treatment for treating addictions such as alcoholism and psychiatric disorders such as psychosis. Music can also have a very calming and comforting effect.
  Soothing music seems to lower the levels of the body's catecholamines (stimulatory chemicals such as adrenalin). This soothing action can lower heart rate, blood pressure and the amount of free fatty acids in the blood, leading to reduced risks of migraines, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. It only makes sense that if soothing music can slow your heart and pulse, then stimulation music can speed them up. Most researches feel that music affects the pleasure centers of the limbic system. The limbic system is the part of your body said to govern emotional experiences. It is through these channels that the right type of music can be used to generate feelings of excitement and agitation.
  Neurological studies have shown that rhythmic drumming when presented at certain frequencies can synchronize the brain's rhythms, when measured by an EEG, to those frequencies. In short, an upbeat rhythm may result in upbeat brain rhythm, which in turn can result in feelings of excitement. And, as you know rhythmic drumming is certainly not hard to find these days.