Acute High-Intensity Exercise Reduces Performance Anxiety: A Pilot Study in Wind Musicians

4Citations
Citations of this article
24Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Background. Musicians’ sympathetic arousal needed to deal with an extraordinary event (e.g., a demanding concert) can become a neurophysiological alteration known as Musical Performance Anxiety, an important health problem. Objectives. This study aimed to find whether high-intensity interval training (HIIT) might reduce anxiety in musicians after acute training. Methods. Ten young wind instrument musicians (23.00 ± 4.88 years; 78.86 ± 11.46 kg) performed two concerts in one week. Forty-eight hours after the first concert, they underwent a magnetic roller training session to get tested and familiarized, and again 48 hours later, they conducted 2-to-4 bouts of 30-second all-out workouts, interspersed with 4 minutes of recovery, between the two concerts. Self-reporting methods (STAI, CSAI-2R) and physiological methods (Heart Rate Variability) were used to test anxiety reduction. Results. Pre-post-exercise comparisons revealed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in both questionnaires. Regarding heart rate variability, Friedman Anova tests revealed also significant differences in Low Frequency (LF; p < 0.05), Low Frequency/High-Frequency ratio (LFHF; p < 0.01), Root Mean Square of successive normal R-R intervals (RMSSD; p = 0.01), Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA1; p < 0.01) and Sample Entropy (SampEn; p < 0.01) after HIIT. Conclusion. After the training, the HRV indices’ improvement could confirm the hypothesis of parasympathetic reactivation and a better vagal balance as much in the last moment as during the performance. Acute high-intensity exercise may be an efficient solution in the short term for the anxiety problems that musicians suffer in their intense careers.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Blasco-Lafarga, C., Roldán, A., Cordellat, A., & Monteagudo, P. (2022). Acute High-Intensity Exercise Reduces Performance Anxiety: A Pilot Study in Wind Musicians. Annals of Applied Sport Science, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.52547/aassjournal.1094

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free