Effects of piano music of different tempos on heart rate and autonomic nervous system during the recovery period after high-intensity exercise

Purpose The present study attempted to explore the effects of different tempos of piano music on heart rate and autonomous nervous system during the recovery period after high-intensity exercise. In addition, the study analyzed the influence of different tempos on the recovery period of athletes to devise methods for accelerating fatigue recovery through piano music. Method A total of 57 college students majoring in physical education were selected as experimental subjects and were divided into three groups, namely Lento group (n = 20), Moderato group (n = 20), and Allegretto group (n = 20; only 17 students completed the experiment). Results Under the same high-intensity exercise regimen, the three groups did not differ significantly in the body composition, high-intensity exercise ability, and time-domain variation indices, namely heart rate (HR), heart rate variability index parameters (p > .05). The time-domain variation analysis in the recovery period revealed significant differences in HR frequency domain indices among the groups exposed to different rhythms (p < .05). Conclusion Moderate-tempo piano music was the most effective in facilitating HR and autonomic nervous system recovery during the recovery period.