Does Listening to Music Alter the Running Mechanics?

The Effects of Listening to Music During Running on Ground Contact Forces and Running Mechanics: the "IMPACT Factor" Trial

The purpose of this study is to determine whether in healthy subjects listening to music while running influences the ground pressure forces, the vertical loading and, overall, the running biomechanics.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Running while listening to a traffic audio track; Other: Running with music at moderate volume; Other: Running with music at moderate-to-high volume

Detailed Description

The analysis of the effects that listening to music may exert during exercise has been the topic of a number of scientific articles. Overall, these studies documented how music influences performance and they generally observed positive effects. The majority of the investigations were carried out in the aerobic/endurance domain where music was found to enhance running performance and is also likely to accelerate heart rate recovery after strenuous exercise, albeit not all the authors agree on this point. It has been also reported that loud music not only enhances optimal exercising, but also interacts with music tempo to yield significant additional performance benefits.

Despite such interesting findings, the focus of these investigations was restricted to characterize the physiological responses that individuals exhibit when listening to music during physical activity, mainly running. Thus, the studies ended up with positive results, that is, increased performance, or failed in showing any effect.

Beside the above reported positive effects of music some potentially negative effects should be considered. First, regardless of whether running is included or not in the experimental condition, exposure to high levels of noise/sound even for short periods of time can be damaging for the auditory system, possibly resulting in hearing loss or impairment. This topic has been scrutinized by a number of studies, with a specific attention to adolescent populations who are exposed to high risk of hearing problems due to the massive usage of listening devices. Although this is a crucial issue, such source of hazard can be adequately controlled for by firmly sticking to the guidelines on the recommended exposure limits (REL), which is recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The REL has been set at 85 decibels (dB) for a maximum of 8 hours. Increasing the volume by rate of 3 dB increases the risk exponentially. For instance, a noise corresponding to an intensity of 88 dB should not exceed an exposure of 4 hours, then 91 dB 2 hours, 94 dB 1 hour, 97 dB 30 minutes, 100 dB 15 minutes, 103 dB 7.5 minutes, 106 dB 3.7 minutes and so on, up to 140 dB, which must not be provided at all.

Surprisingly, to date and to our knowledge, the influence that listening to music with portable devices and earphones may exert on the amount of vertical force upon impact loading during running has not been investigated yet.

Unlike the considerable number of previous works which were focused on the physiological and psychological responses to music during exercise, no references that attempted to address the biomechanical consequences of music listening on impact loading and jogging/running mechanics could be traced in the literature. Therefore, our main goal is to fill this gap in the existing literature.

Considering the universal widespread and popularity of running and that approximately 47 million Americans participated in running activities in the last decade, the findings generated by this research would be highly relevant to the broad field of sports medicine and exercise science.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Manca Andrea, PhD; Phone Number: +39 079228154; Email: andmanca@uniss.it
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Michele Felisatti, PhD; Phone Number: +39 349 8054363; Email: m.felisatti@eserciziovita.it

Study Locations

• Italy
  • Sassari
    • Sassari, Sassari, Italy, 07100
      • Recruiting
      • University of Sassari
      • Contact: Andrea Manca, PhD; Phone Number: +39 079228154; Email: andmanca@uniss.it
  • Sassari (SS)
    • Sassari, Sassari (SS), Italy, 07100
      • Recruiting
      • Department of Biomedical Sciences- University of Sassari
      • Contact: Andrea Manca, PhD; Phone Number: +39 079228294; Email: andmanca@uniss.it
      • Principal Investigator: Franca Deriu, MD; PhD
      • Principal Investigator: Andrea Manca, MSc; PhD
      • Principal Investigator: Pomidori Luca, MSc; PhD
      • Principal Investigator: Felisatti Michele, MSc; PhD
      • Principal Investigator: Cugusi Lucia, MSc; PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Altavilla Giorgio, MSc
      • Sub-Investigator: Zocca Eleonora, BSc
      • Sub-Investigator: Zocca Martina, BSc

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 14 years to 31 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy subjects
• Age 18-35 years

• Level of fitness: Moderate level (ACTIVE) according to the classification of the American College of Sports Medicine depicting "Moderate" as either of the following 3 criteria:

  • 3 or more days of vigorous activity of at least 20 minutes per day OR
  • 5 or more days of moderate-intensity activity and/or walking of at least 30 minutes per day OR
  • 5 or more days of any combination of walking, moderate-intensity or vigorous intensity activities achieving a minimum of at least 600 metabolic equivalents (METs) per week.
• able to run on a treadmill safely and without bilateral or unilateral support.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Past or present diseases of the auditory and vestibular system (as assessed by otolaryngological and audiometric examinations).
• Traumatology/orthopedic conditions that contraindicate treadmill training.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: No music; The participants will be required to run on a treadmill at 3 different speeds (6-8-10 km/h) with no music.
Active Comparator: Traffic audio track; In addition to running on the treadmill, participants will be listening to an audio track resembling normal outdoor noise (70 dB) through earphones connected to a mobile phone.	Other: Running while listening to a traffic audio track; While running three 2-minute sets at different velocities (6, 8 and 10 km/h, respectively) on a sensorized treadmill, each participant will be exposed via earphones to an audio track resembling average outdoor conditions (70 dB).; Other Names: Traffic audio track
Experimental: Music at moderate volume; In addition to running on the treadmill, participants will be listening to music at a moderate volume (80 dB) through earphones connected to a mobile phone.	Other: Running with music at moderate volume; While running three 2-minute sets at different velocities (6, 8 and 10 km/h, respectively) on a sensorized treadmill, each participant will be provided the same music track ("We take care of our own", by Bruce Springsteen from the "Wrecking Ball" album, 2012). The music track will be given at a moderate volume (80 dB).; Other Names: Music at moderate volume
Experimental: Music at moderate-to-high volume; In addition to running on the treadmill, participants will be listening to music at a moderate-to-high volume (85 dB) through earphones connected to a mobile phone.	Other: Running with music at moderate-to-high volume; While running three 2-minute sets at different velocities (6, 8 and 10 km/h, respectively) on a sensorized treadmill, each participant will be provided the same music track ("We take care of our own", by Bruce Springsteen from the "Wrecking Ball" album, 2012). The music track will be given at a moderate-to-high volume (85 dB).; Other Names: Music at moderate-to-high volume

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Average ground pressure force	This outcome expresses the mean amount of impact recorded by the force plates embedded in the treadmill.	It will be assessed for each participant and for each arm of the study during the three 2-minute runs on the treadmill through study completion, an average of 1 year.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Peak ground pressure force	This outcome expresses the highest amount of impact recorded by the force plates embedded in the treadmill.	It will be assessed for each participant and for each arm of the study during the three 2-minute runs on the treadmill through study completion, an average of 1 year.
Average vertical loading rate	This outcome expresses the vertical oscillation of the center of mass and is considered highly linked to the risk of injury.	It will be assessed for each participant and for each arm of the study during the three 2-minute runs on the treadmill through study completion, an average of 1 year.
Stride length	The stride length is the distance between two successive placements of the same foot.	It will be assessed for each participant and for each arm of the study during the three 2-minute runs on the treadmill through study completion, an average of 1 year.
Stride time	It is the time elapsed between the first contact of two consecutive footsteps of the same foot and is expressed in milliseconds.	It will be assessed for each participant and for each arm of the study during the three 2-minute runs on the treadmill through study completion, an average of 1 year.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Università degli Studi di Sassari
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Manca Andrea, PhD, University of Sassari, Department of Biomedical Sciences; Study Director: Franca Deriu, PhD, University of Sassari, Department of Biomedical Sciences; Principal Investigator: Lucia Cugusi, PhD, University of Cagliari, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health; Principal Investigator: Pomidori Luca, PhD, Esercizio Vita Medical Fitness; Principal Investigator: Felisatti Michele, PhD, Esercizio Vita Medical Fitness

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Manca A, Cugusi L, Pomidori L, Felisatti M, Altavilla G, Zocca E, Zocca M, Bussu F, Dvir Z, Deriu F. Listening to music while running alters ground reaction forces: a study of acute exposure to varying speed and loudness levels in young women and men. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2020 Jun;120(6):1391-1401. doi: 10.1007/s00421-020-04371-z. Epub 2020 Apr 10.
• Manca A, Cugusi L, Behm D, Dvir Z, Ferber R, Deriu F. More on "listening to music while running alters ground reaction forces": why women and men pound the ground differently? Eur J Appl Physiol. 2021 Jan;121(1):351-352. doi: 10.1007/s00421-020-04517-z. Epub 2020 Sep 30. No abstract available.

Helpful Links

• NLM Pubmed

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 15, 2018
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 13, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 22, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): April 24, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 30, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 29, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Gait analysis; Running biomechanics; Vertical loading rate; Music exercise
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Exercise; Locomotion; Running
• Other Study ID Numbers: USassari

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No