Have you ever wondered why so many hockey players wander around before a match with their headphones on. Is it just a deep love of music which means they cannot get enough of the latest Rudimental tracks? Or have they spent so much time in the company of their teammates that they need to have some time alone?
In fact it is more scientific than that. "Music is a legal drug for athletes," claims Dr Costas Karageorghis, an expert on the effects of music on exercise. The sports psychologist from Brunel University in the UK, claims that listening to music while running can boost performance by up to 15%, and he is not alone in this belief. Many sports psychologists believe that music can help an athlete concentrate, focus and eliminate other distractions.
Olympic sports psychologist Professor Peter Terry said that the effect on athletes' bodies is so profound there is a measurable difference in their oxygen requirements. "We are not sure quite what the mechanism is, but one possibility is that the music has a relaxation response that increases blood flow. Once your body gets in tune with it, music can regulate the efficiency of your physiological system."
And sports people seem to agree. It is not unusual to see a boxer or a gymnast sitting quietly in a room prior to their performance with a pair of headphones on. Footballers are plugged in from the minute they arrive at the ground on match day; tennis players will sit in the changing room listening to inspirational music before entering the court. And hockey players are no different. Members of the team will retreat into their own private world as part of their pre-match ritual, headphones on, shut off from distractions, mentally preparing for the challenge ahead.
But what do these top sports players listen to? Does Tinie Tempah get the adrenalin flowing? Can Ellie Goulding help tune into the game or is it the aggressive lyrics of Eminen that raises the temperature?
It seems that there is no one answer. Hockey players from across the globe have an eclectic taste in music. Where Muse might get the thumbs up from one player, it will be Elvis for another. Even Christmas songs make it onto the playlist. But what is important, says Dr Karageorghis, is that the selection on the play-list matches the needs of the players.
So, when the teams are competing in The Hague in just 95 days time, could it be that behind that match-winning performance lie the lyrics of Doctor Dre, Priyanka Chopra or even Lady Gaga?
