Further ‘Evidence’ Eminem Improves Swim Performance

A University of Lethbridge (Alberta, Canada) student believes his class project has successfully bridged a connection between listening to music with underwater headphones and improving one’s swimming performance. (CBC)

Spencer Smikin, a digital audio arts program student, conducted a small study of 5 swimmers aged between 12 and 20 that consisted of the athletes swimming 400m while listening to 4 different songs. Each song was associated with a different tempo and Smikin documented the stroke rates of swimmers during each track to note increases or decreases compared to ‘non-music’ swimming.

“Music synchronicity is being used in other rhythmic sports like running and rowing, but no one was talking about or using it for swimming,” Simkin said. “I came up with the idea of using underwater headphones to work with the swimmers and have them swim to the rhythm of songs.” (CBC)

The study included 4 different songs, one each week, which included ‘The Indiana Jones’ theme song, Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’, Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ and ‘Code Name Vivaldi’ by The Piano Guys.

“The study showed promising results. We did see a boost in the stroke rate, which is great,” Simkin said.

According to his recorded observations, Simkin noted a jump in the number of strokes per minute when swimmers listened to music, whereas the stroke rates were lower when no music was involved. The average stroke rates with music was ‘to the tune’ of 42 to 43 strokes per minute, whereas the swimming without music pace was more in the 37 to 40 strokes per minute range. (CBC)

Also noted within the non-scientific study was that the older swimmers of the project saw a maximum stroke rate of 55, while the younger swimmers tapped out at a 46 strokes per minute mark, but were unable to sustain that tempo after 200 meters.

“I have a better understanding now of what is going on musically that these athletes can use. The best part of this research was finding out that music does play a role and you can use music to help improve performance,” Simkin said.

This isn’t the first time that rapper Eminem’s music has been cited as improving swim performance.  In October we reported how 36-year-old Ben Hooper, a British swimmer, was involved in a study, which evaluated the physiological effects of different types of music ahead of his 2,000-mile Atlantic swim slated for December.

In that study, Eminem’s hits in particular were found to boost an athlete’s performance and speed by approximately 10%, according to the results of the experiment. Specifically, the ever-popular “Lose Yourself”, “Not Afraid” and “Without Me” were shown to ‘significantly increase both power and endurance during prolonged and intense exercise.’