Recovery effects of slow-tempo preferred music on brain activity, physiological and psychological responses following high-intensity interval exercise in healthy male adults

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of slow-tempo preferred music (PF) as a recovery intervention after high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE), focusing on brain activity, physiological, and psychological recovery in healthy young adults. Key outcomes included theta/beta ratios (TBR), auditory P300 event-related potentials (ERPs), heart rate (HR), salivary cortisol, feeling scale scores (FSS), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Methods: Fifteen male university students (age: 21 ± 1 years) completed a 30-min HIIE session, involving alternating 1-min intervals at 60 % and 90 % V̇O<inf>2peak</inf>. Post-exercise, participants completed 15 min of passive recovery in one of three randomized conditions: PF, non-preferred music (NF), or no music (control; CN). TBR and P300 ERPs (via EEG) were measured before and after intervention. HR, RPE, and FSS were recorded at baseline, before intervention, after intervention, and after recovery. Salivary cortisol was measured at baseline, before intervention, and after recovery. Results: Listening to PF significantly increased TBR across cortical areas, with the largest effects observed in the central (ηp² = 0.392, ∆% = +39 %), left anterior (ηp² = 0.392, ∆% = +31 %), left posterior (ηp² = 0.534, ∆% = +39 %), left anterior (ηp² = 0.341, ∆% = +27 %), and right posterior (ηp² = 0.432, ∆% = +41 %) regions. Additionally, PF led to faster HR recovery (ηp² = 0.130, p = 0.05), greater reduction in cortisol (ηp² = 0.271, ∆% = −27 %), and higher FSS scores (ηp² = 0.127, p = 0.05) than NF, with no significant differences in RPE between conditions. Conclusion: Slow-tempo preferred music produces improvements in neural, cardiovascular, hormonal, and mood recovery markers following intense exercise, supporting its use as a simple, practical recovery strategy for athletes, exercisers, and broader populations.