Music can be used during physical activity for a variety of psychological and physiological benefits. It may be beneficial to incorporate music into a rehabilitation setting to help patients improve their performance while reducing fatigue, thus improving rehabilitation adherence. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music preference on muscle fatigue and performance in individuals who suffered a previous knee injury. Males and females who volunteered to participate in this study completed three days of testing. On the initial session, participants completed a music preference questionnaire in which they ranked their most preferred (PFM) to least preferred (NON-PFM) genres of music. The three days of testing (PFM, NON-PFM, and no music) were randomized. During every session, participants first warmed up on a cycle ergometer for five minutes before getting strapped into the Biodex dynamometer machine and performing the Thorstensson fatigue test that measures quadriceps strength and quadriceps fatigue. No statistically significant results were found in quadriceps strength or fatigue between preferred music, non-preferred music, and no music. Rehabilitation practitioners should consider that music may not be the most effective strategy to increase strength or reduce fatigue in a rehabilitation setting, and should explore other techniques to address these variables and improve rehabilitation adherence.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amber Shipherd

Department of Health and Kinesiology