Effects of music in different rhythms on various sporting parameters: A study on Traditional Turkish Archery athletes

The primary aim of this study is to examine the effects of music with different rhythms on sports performance. Music, as a stimulus that influences individuals' psychological and physiological states, has been shown to possess the potential to enhance performance in the field of sports. In this context, the study investigates the impact of rhythmic variation on parameters such as heart rate, movement frequency, shooting duration, shooting accuracy, and drawing biomechanics. The research was conducted using quantitative methods and was based on a quasi-experimental design. The participants consisted of 14 undergraduate students studying at Bayburt University who had been actively engaged in traditional Turkish archery for at least one year and had competed in at least one national tournament in 2025. The athletes were first assigned shooting tasks in a non-musical environment, followed by tasks accompanied by music prepared in different BPM ranges, categorized as low, medium, and high tempo; various biometric and performance-related data were recorded before and after music exposure. During the implementation process, the effects of low-, medium-, and high-tempo music on different physiological responses and performance variables were analyzed. A Polar watch, digital stopwatch, and high-resolution camera were used during shooting, while the Kinovea software was employed for measuring drawing biomechanics. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 software package, and repeated-measures ANOVA techniques were applied. The findings revealed that different musical rhythms produced significant differences in performance variables—including heart rate, shooting duration, movement frequency, and shooting scores—compared to the non-musical condition. High-tempo music increased heart rate, while participants exhibited longer shooting duration and higher movement frequency in the non-musical environment; shooting scores were found to be higher in both non-musical and medium-tempo conditions. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between groups in terms of drawing biomechanics. Keywords: Sporty performance, traditional Turkish archery, music, rhytm.