The Smiling Assassin

At a massive invite-only track and field even called the Weltklasse Zürich in 1995, Haile Gebrselassie’s amazing performance broke the 5,000m race world record. Gebrselassie blazed across the finish line in 12 minutes and 44 seconds, maintaining a slightly over four-minute mile pace for more than three consecutive miles. When asked how he did it, the Ethiopian athlete gave all the credit to the catchy hit song “The Scatman.”

“It’s nice music, it’s fast written, that’s why I could break a world record, by that music.”

— Gebrselassie

World records are the result of unique performance, but more, they are the result of carefully dedicated life training. Over 20 years ago music helped “The Smiling Assassin,” Haile Gebrselassie, rewrite the record books. He attributed this accomplishment to the tempo of the music. The Genote™ Company finds inspiration from incredible stories like this one, and our organization is committed to studying music’s complex power in accelerating the healing process and amplifying athletic performance and recovery. Gebrselassie demonstrated music’s ability to improve athletic performance, but he may not have realized the extensive role music took in his training and recovery. Indeed the fundamental assumption increase athletic performance is strictly linked to the balance given between work and recovery. The find of new non-invasive methodologies to improve the balance between these two areas of training is the goal of Genote™ research.

The fast tempo was the single musical element Gebrselassie recognized when crediting music with his victory. He later admitted that for longer distance races he replaces “The Scatman” so he can focus on other aspects of his running. Recent studies indicate that there could be essential musical components that affect different elements of athletic performance.

Genote™ collaborates with high level, international athletes in the areas of running, swimming, and cycling; research has found music to aid in recovery, sleep and health. By marrying music to other therapies or training programs, overall well being will be enhanced both in medical institutions, the home and even the competitive world.

Learn more about how music can improve your life at http://www.genotelab.com/.

3 Powerful Ways Health Music Can Enhance Athletic Performance

What if I told you that listening to expertly selected music compositions, in specific moments of your physical exercise could  improve your health, recovery and physical results?

Music is made up of both many individual components and, especially,relationships between those components. Like in chemistry, where different components create chemical reactions, in music, different  elements, such as tempo, rhythm, instrumentation, can trigger different reactions from people like modify breathing patterns, generate positive emotions and many other effects on psychophysiological parameters.

I want to share with you some tips on how integrating Health Music in your daily physical exercise routine will improve your health and recovery. Whether you are an amateur or a professional, you can witness real change. Each of the therapeutic areas described below can be found in Genote with a variety of Health Music protocols to tackle and improve your training and personal health.

We can summarize that major psychophysiological mechanisms, dedicated to  increasing physical performance  are linked to music’s ability to regulate arousal, and direct and increase our capacity to focus while increasing positive emotional responses and feelings.

Stress Reduction

Practice, strenuous training, and physical activity are often associated with physical and mental stress related to fatigue, change of habits or pressure by competitions and required improvement. However, even if there is a positive side of stress, like cold eustress that allows us to be more reactive and ready to perform, having high levels of continued stress might cause serious health issues. Listening to music can decrease stress and anxiety, cortisol levels, heart rate and blood pressure in people of all ages. Genote Health Music is the largest collection of therapeutic sound and music protocols made available for health, and it is so powerful in reducing stress and anxiety that is currently incorporated both in medical interventions and mental health institutions.  

Sleep and Recovery

Recovery is one of the basic principles of training methodology (Rushall & Pyke, 1990). Athletes work hard to prepare and perform successfully. Unfortunately, many ignore or forget the performance benefits and the injury protection derived by including recovery within their daily training programs.  Listening to music after intensive exercise has been proven to decrease  the time needed to recover (Eliakim et al., 2013). Additionally, the College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia discovered  how music was found to decrease anxiety related to illness and medical procedures by increasing the speed and the quality of physical recovery.

Supercompensation theory, showing the role of recovery in athletic performance.

Focus and Motivation

Because music stimulates the reward system, changes mood and enhances focus, it is no  surprise that it has been used to attend  important competitions and performances. In a study conducted by Dr. Karageorghis and Priest a,b, in 2012 they showed how music lead a range of positive effects, in lowering the perception fatigue, increasing motivation and enhancing perceived energy levels of athletes during physical exercise. Studies also show how music can increase visual perception and visual attention in patients with damage in areas related  to perception.   

The Yerkes–Dodson law originally developed by psychologist Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson in 1908, dictates that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point.

Training is a matter of balance, motivation and consistency. It is important to keep in mind the direct effect of your routine in the efforts of enhancing your athletic performance. Recovery is a key aspect in building athletic performance. Optimized recovery allows high intensity training and better focus in the execution.

The Great Balancing Power of Music

When individuals feel down, they naturally turn to music for consolation. They attempt to drive away their negative feelings with songs expressing their personal mood and situation. But sad music doesn’t necessarily transform a sad person; rather, it can reinforce those emotions and skew perspective through emotional connections. Seeking to understand how music influences emotions, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience published a study that may change the way you use music to regulate your mood.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is the portion of the brain associated with regulating emotions. Scientists at Aalto University monitored brain activity in the mPFC to determine the effects of different kinds of music on males and females. The study found when women listened to music as a diversion or distraction from negative feelings there was increased emotional regulation. Conversely, when men used music to reinforce negative emotions, their emotional regulation decreased, suggesting that sad music can help propel a person into a downward emotional spiral, or at least be ineffective and brightening someone’s mood.

In a nutshell, the study suggests that people are using music every day to combat or compliment their emotions, but improper use of music may only amplify their emotional concerns.

Aalto University’s study reinforces the notion that music has a profound influence on individuals’ lives. Music can be extremely beneficial when used in the correct way, but incorrect use can have adverse effects. Understanding music’s potential is just the beginning. That is the community of music and medicine is diving deeper into previously neglected areas of music research to discover how best to utilize music’s valuable capabilities.

With deeper knowledge and understanding of music’s influence on our lives, we can regulate our emotions with cognitive control. To learn more about extensive Genote™ Health Music discoveries, visit http://www.genotelab.com/.

Thinking Aloud with Classical89

When Classical89 asked if they could feature us in their show, Thinking Aloud, we were excited and a little hesitant because, frankly, being interviewed on the radio can be really scary.

Fortunately, between the three of us, we could help each other out. We think the program turned out pretty well. Give it a listen.

We were particularly delighted by our experience with Marcus Smith, the host of Thinking Aloud, because he grasped on to what we were trying to communicate very quickly. We could tell he lived for music, and was a strong believer in the power it might have on our lives.

When we talk to people about the Genote™ method, including our research studies, there is always a distinguishing moment recognizable on their faces when things start to click. It is one of the best parts of spreading the news: watching people’s cautious optimism about music’s effect on the mind and body be solidified into something a little more concrete. Usually when a person realizes the gravity of what we are saying, the eyes expand ever so slightly and the mouth opens just a little wider. For us, seeing the Genote™ moment happen to others is so resonant because it reminds us of how the project started in the first place.

Most of all, we were grateful to Marcus because he understood our big picture message: Genote™ music is a scientific, research-validated, quantified approach to music and medicine.

After the interview, we stayed for quite some time chatting off the air, talking about important music moments in each of our lives. He even showed us the impressive Classical89 library, an experience we won’t soon forget.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Thinking Aloud, go over to their website and give the show a listen. It is definitely worth the time.

To learn more about our science, method and music, visit http://www.genotelab.com