Summary of an article testing the influence of auditory stimulus (sounds) on bench press performance in lifters.
Who
18 (6 females, 12 males) lifters aged on average 26.4±8.2 years with at least 4 years of experience (Italy).
Sound stimulation
- initial countdown
- low-intensity sound (60db) - down phase of the lift
- high-intensity sound (95db) - pressing phase
No stimulation
- no sound stimulation provided
Design
Cross-over study (counterbalance sequence of testing, no randomization)
Outcome measures/tests
- power performance during 1 rep bench press at 90% of the 1 repetion maximum via Sensorize FreePower Training
Main results
- The best (highest) power output trials did not differ between sound-stimulated and no-sound groups.
- Average power output differed between groups however. When the athlete performed bench press (at 90% of 1RM) with sound stimulation, they performed on average better (higher power output) than without sound stimulation.
Take home message
For a clinician & coach
Sound stimulation did not change the peak power performance during a bench press (90% of 1RM), but allowed for improvement in mean strength and variability reduction in performance.
For a parent
Sound stimulation allowed for better consistency in strength performance.
For an athlete
Sound stimulation allowed for better consistency in strength performance.
Original article
Murgia M, Sors F, Vono R, Muroni AF, Delitalia L, Di Corrado D, Agostini T. Using auditory stimulation to enhance athletes’ strength: An experimental study in weightlifting. Review of psychology. 2012 Aug 17;19(1):13-6.
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