Does Music Support Cognitive Control and Affective Responses During Acute Exercise? An Exploratory Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Cognitive control, defined as the allocation of mental resources required for goal-directed behaviour, is crucial for exercise participation as it is involved in regulating negative cognitive and affective responses caused by the demands of exercise. Research on both music and acute exercise separately show engagement of cognitive control processes and affective responses, with low-to-moderate exercise intensities reliably influencing cognitive and affective outcomes (e.g., core affect). However, the combined effects of music and acute exercise on cognitive control and affective outcomes remain underexplored. Accordingly, this review and meta-analysis explores how music influences cognitive control and affective outcomes during acute exercise. 10 studies met the inclusion criteria, with nine providing data for effect size calculations across 21 intervention arms. Meta-analyses revealed significant effects of music on attention allocation (g = 1.05, 95% CI [0.03, 2.07]; p = 0.04), inhibitory control (g = 1.87, 95% CI [0.37, 3.37]; p = 0.01), and core affect (g = 0.86, 95% CI [0.24, 1.48]; p < 0.01). Exercise intensity significantly moderated outcomes (p = 0.036), suggesting that higher intensities diminish the effectiveness of music in elevating cognitive control and affective outcomes during acute exercise. Findings were limited by high heterogeneity (I2 > 97%) across study protocols and outcome measures. Due to the aforementioned heterogeneity, the findings of this review must be interpreted cautiously.