
Fast-Paced Music and Treadmill Performance
Medium
Does listening to fast-paced music help you run farther on a treadmill? You have ten participants run on a treadmill for ten minutes without any music. The next day, the same group runs again while listening to upbeat songs on an MP3 player.
Each participant warms up for five minutes first. Then they get five minutes to practice on the treadmill before the timed run begins. The treadmill display shows the distance covered.
Participants ran longer distances on the day they listened to music.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that an athlete who listens to music will be able to run faster and farther than one who doesn't listen to music whilst exercising.
Method & Materials
You will select five boys and five girls aged 16 years of age, use a treadmill, a stopwatch, and an MP3 player with earphones. You will have the participants warm up, familiarize themselves with the treadmill, and then run on the treadmill for 10 minutes with and without music.
You will need a treadmill, a stopwatch, an MP3 player with earphones, and fast paced songs.
Results
The results show that the participants were able to run longer distances when listening to lively music. The hypothesis that participants listening to music during exercise will be able to run faster and farther than the participants who are listening to music, is proven to be true.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how music can be used to improve athletic performance.
Also Consider
Variations of this experiment could include using slow or classical music to determine if the results will differ, or repeating the experiment on other kinds of sports like cycling.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related videos
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
Share this Science Project:
Related Science Fair Project Ideas
Train half your runners in slow breathing for four weeks and find out if they hit the wall less often than the control group.
Medium
Drop a soccer ball from two meters onto three kinds of turf and discover which surface keeps it bouncing longest.
Medium
Float golf balls in salt water to find their heavy side, then test whether marking the balance point changes how often putts go in.
Medium
Share this Science Project:
