Does Exercise Improve Your Stereo System?
JLeeMD -- Mon, 06/28/2010 - 11:08
Am I going mad? I've noticed lately that when I exercise regularly, my stereo system sounds good and is emotionally satisfying. On the other hand, when I don't exercise much for a few months the music doesn't stir the soul quite as much and the sound seems lacking. Anyone else notice this, or am I going mad?
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What an interesting question! I have no doubt that it does.
Since musical enjoyment depends on auditory perception which is an electrochemical response in the brain to the acoustical energy vibrating the eardrums, and exercise has proven to increase the efficiency of the mind & body as well as serotonin levels which is crucial to emotional response, and music is all about emotional response, there is absolutely no reason why this shouldn't be. Not only do one's senses improve with one's overall health, ALL other factors being equal, perceptual abilities/acuity should be superior for someone who is physically fit over someone who isn't.
All my years of study in the field of Psychoacoustics have pointed towards this as a certainty and I myself have noticed that I enjoy my music more (as well as able to pick out system characteristics easier) on days I feel physically and/or mentally better.
This raises some interesting questions however.
Should Audio Reviewers refrain from doing reviews on “bad” days, and/or do we demand our reviewers be physically (and mentally) fit??
(I think I might have started a controversy!)
Rana N. Kabir
CEO, ENDS Technologies
While it's important to remember correlation does not imply causation, there are documented links between better health and better hearing. A healthy cardiovascular system has been suggested to help delay the effects of presbycusis (age-related hearing loss), by promoting healthy blood supply to the bones and tissues of the inner ear. Diet and lifestyle are also claimed to be connected to cerumen (wax) build-up in the ear. There are also said to be correlations between light exercise and increased levels of serotonin and dopamine, as well as decreased adrenalin/epinephrine levels. More strenuous exercise has noted links with endorphin release.
From all this, it's not hard to extrapolate that someone with a good circulation and packed with happy chemicals from regular exercise might well get more enjoyment out of their music and audio system. They might even hear better than their less-healthy peers, too.
That said, if your exercise regime is accompanied by hours of high-volume iPod use - or you keep physically fit to help you in your day job of firing a Civil War-era 12-pounder Napoleon cannon without ear protection - the audiological benefits of your fitness might be short-lived. In that case, the depressed couch-potato with the cholesterol levels of butter might be spoiling their mood and possibly shortening their life, but their hearing will also probably outlast yours.
Alan Sircom
Editor, Hi-Fi Plus Magazine
London, England
editor [at] hifiplus [dot] com