Should Loud Music be a Contraindication?

Loud music can be fun. It can give energy to the classroom.  

But what if your loud music is actually doing permanent structural damage to your riders’ ears? What is your responsibility to your riders? Are loud classes really better classes?

Is Loud Music a Contraindication?

The guiding principle of ICA is to “Keep it Real.” Our commitment is to use the best science to provide our riders with classes that are safe, effective, and fun.

Safety comes first. As doctors pledge, “First, do no harm.” This is why certain movements are contraindicated in indoor cycling, even if they are popular. We don’t do push-ups on the bike, hovers, or excessive cadence with no resistance because we know from science that they are not biomechanically correct techniques and there are possible long-term risks associated with those movements.

How does this commitment relate to the use of loud music in class?

Loud Music is Popular

The IDEA Health and Fitness Association has long recognized the popularity and risks of loud music in group exercise classes. Their policy statement on loud music says that “…managers and instructors may not be aware that music played at a high volume—coupled with the sound of an instructor ‘shouting’ over the music—may be putting instructors and their clients at risk of permanent hearing loss. Health facilities and fitness instructors have an obligation to their clients to ensure safe music intensity levels during group fitness classes and other functions.” (1)

As indoor cycle instructors, we are at the center of the issue. Researchers from George Mason University found that decibel levels in indoor cycling classes were among the highest of group exercise formats, along with Zumba and CrossFit. Noise levels were measured at 100 to 110 db, which is comparable to a chainsaw or jet engine. (2)

The counterargument is that loud music is motivating to riders. That may be true in some respects. According to audiologist and group exercise instructor Maura Kenworthy of Des Moines, Iowa, research conducted on group exercise participants shows that loud music triggers the sympathetic nervous system (e.g., the “fight or flight” response). (3)

Fight or flight describes the human ability to instantaneously respond to threats. When your body perceives a threat, adrenaline increases your heart rate and respiration, dilates your pupils, and prepares you for immediate life-saving action—fight or flight.

When that reaction is stimulated in a cycling class, it can increase the sense of urgency in the class—participants interpret this as excitement. But it can also result in long-term ear damage that is usually unrepairable.

Loud Music is Harmful

Our bodies are wired to avoid harmful loud noises. Loud music can be irritating or even painful. When your ears are exposed to loud noise, your fight or flight response alerts you to the danger of the noise.

The appropriate response to loud noise is flight since our ears have little ability to protect themselves. If we override that natural response to avoid the noise, we will eventually suffer hearing loss.

Hearing loss occurs when microscopic hairs in the inner ear that transmit sound to the brain become damaged. Continued exposure to loud music can result in lifelong and unrepairable damage to the very structure of the ear.

Audiologist Kenworthy warns, “Because of the gradually progressive nature of the damage, we usually don’t know about permanent hearing loss until it is too late to fix it.”

Kenworthy says that every case is different, but that symptoms of ear damage can include:

• Reduced hearing, especially at higher-pitched frequencies
• Ringing in the ears
• A plugged feeling in the ears, nose, and throat.
• Sensitivity or irritation to the ear from higher levels of noise
• Noises may actually seem louder because of ear damage
• Difficulty distinguishing between the sources of sounds in a noisy environment

In addition to these threats to your hearing, excessively loud noise is also shown to be associated with psychological stress, hypertension, and decreased cognition. (4)

Some groups are more at risk for ear damage than others, according to Kenworthy:

• Pre-existing condition. People with pre-existing hearing loss are most likely to experience additional loss.
• Older persons. Older persons are more susceptible to damage than younger ones.
• Frequent exposure. Persons with frequent exposure to loud noise are significantly more at risk. This includes instructors who frequently teach classes at high volume.  

Loud Music Doesn’t Make a Class Better

But aren’t classes with louder music more fun and therefore better? That is the most common rebuttal to this argument.

Yes, music is crucial to the energy of a class, but sometimes loud music can actually make a class less energetic and engaging.

• Instructions are harder to hear and understand if the music volume is too high. It is not fun for riders to have to strain to figure out what to do in a class. Simply talking louder in a microphone only exacerbates the situation and makes the instructor’s cues even harder to understand.   
• Loud classes can be monotonous. Riders tune out the constant presence of loud music. If you are teaching only at high volume, your class lacks important changes in energy and intensity. I discussed the need for class energy flow in a recent article comparing the production of an indoor cycling class to that of a stage play.
• Not everyone likes loud music. Some, in fact, hate it.

Great classes don’t need excessively loud music. If you feel dependent on loud music, I challenge you to consider whether you might be using it as a crutch. Some instructors rely on volume to make up for a lack of effort in their teaching or a lack of creativity in their class design. Not only that, but many instructors with loud music only use one- or two-word cues that they can shout out over the lyrics and pulsating drums instead of using motivational cues that inspire riders to push themselves through the challenges. If this is you, you may wish to consider turning down the volume and working on other skills.

You Can Help Prevent Loud Music Injuries

• Find out how loud your class is. Download one of the free apps that measure decibels. Measure your sound in various parts of the room—not just next to the speakers. There may be areas of the studio that are a bit quieter due to speaker placement. These can be recommended to those who are concerned about hearing loss. Still, the presence of these areas is not a pass to play harmfully loud music.
• Turn down the volume. Follow OSHA guidelines of an 80–90 db music level for group exercise classes. (5) Remember to consider that your voice will need to be about 10 db louder than the music so you can be heard.  
• Vary your music levels within the OSHA range. This will give your ears a break rather than subjecting them to constant stress, and it can increase the understandability and drama in your class. Resting your ears between exposures to loud noise can also help reduce damage.
• Have earplugs on hand for sensitive riders. Your club may decide to have inexpensive moldable foam or silicone earplugs available at the front desk. These can be provided for sale or some clubs may decide to provide them as a member courtesy. Otherwise, inexpensive earplugs can be purchased at a pharmacy for about  $5–$10. The availability of earplugs is NOT a pass to play your music louder, but some people with existing hearing problems as well as some older riders, may need additional protection, even at 85 db.
• Test your own hearing and use earplugs. As someone regularly exposed to loud music, you may wish to consider having your own hearing tested. You may also wish to use the earplugs described above, or you can purchase custom musician earplugs that limit sound intensity without distortion. They should be purchased through a licensed hearing healthcare professional who will create impressions of the ear to send to the manufacturer. The approximate cost of custom earplugs is $150–$200.
• Advocate for healthy hearing. Speak to your management about the risks of excessive noise.

So, returning to our original question, is loud music a contraindication?

Yes, excessive music should be considered a contraindication. It contradicts our commitment to teach classes that are safe, effective, and fun because it can do lifelong harm to our riders. It can also make your class less effective and fun.  

Turn it down.

---

Resources

There are many free or inexpensive apps that you can download to your smartphone that measure decibel levels. Search for “decibel measurement tools” in the app store. One that I’ve found helpful is Decibel 10.

References:

1. “IDEA Opinion Statement: Recommendations for Music Volume in Fitness Settings.” IDEA Health and Fitness Association. September 1, 2002.
2. “Dangerous Decibels and Exercise Classes,” Lisa Packer, Healthy Hearing, March 30, 2015.
3. “Hearing Protection: Your Body’s Fight or Flight Response Helping You,” Healthy Hearing, June 7, 2010.
4. “Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health.” National Institutes of Health, Mathias Basner, MD, et al.
5. United States Department of Labor, Occupational Health and Safety Administration.