Assoc. Prof. Dr. Garry KUAN
Exercise and Sports Science Programme
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Malaysia
Assoc. Prof. Dr Garry Kuan is an associate professor of the Exercise and Sports Science Programme, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Presently, Garry is the Secretary-General of the Asian-South Pacific Association of Sport Psychology (ASPASP), the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Sport Psychology Association (MASPA), an executive board member of the Asian Council of Sports Science (ACESS), and the scientific committee of World Exercise Medicine. In 2019, he was appointed as the chair of the international network of the Young Scientist Network – Academy of Science Malaysia (YSN-ASM) and the sport psychology panelist for the National Coaching Academy of Malaysia. Garry has published over 200 scholarly manuscripts, with over 110 high-impact ISI journals, and has served as an editor for numerous international journals. Previously, Garry served as a senate member of Brunel University, a sports science lecturer and a council member of Victoria University, and a contract sports psychologist with the Australian Institute of Sport. Garry’s research has won numerous awards internationally. He is the recipient of the 2021 International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP) Developing Scholar Award, the 2021 Outstanding Academician of the Year by Asia Awards, the 2020 IFPEFSSA International Eminent Educator Award, the “A-CIPA Young Researcher Award” at the 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology, the International Scholars Award at the ICSEMIS pre-Olympic conference, and the Atsushi Fujita Research Scholarship at the 6th ASPASP conference. In his leadership role, Garry was awarded the Australian Leadership Award (2013) and the Victoria Ambassador Award - Young Person. During his social time, he plays the first violin professionally and teaches communities to play various musical instruments.
The Use of Music for Enhancing Physical Activity, Sports and Health: A New Direction
Music has the ability to improve personal health, physical education and sports performance. Researchers have suggested that music should be carefully selected to match the requirements of activities and characteristics of both individuals and groups, to produce significant impacts on performance enhancement and motivation. Music has also been shown to have psychophysical effects of lowered perceived effort, arousal control, enhanced affective states and synchronisation effects. Certain music can elevate arousal, and increase beta waves, indicating an actively engaged mind. Conversely, arousing music can suppress theta waves that are associated with the daydreaming state, allowing them to ‘pump up’ and avoid tiredness. Soothing music, on the other hand, raises alpha waves that are seen during a state of meditation or relaxation. There is growing evidence to suggest that “right” music can lead to greater frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise, which could then lead to improved sporting performance. This presentation will focus on the present research using the validated and innovative method of incorporating music as a motivator for the enhancement of exercise and sports performance in the applied exercise and sport psychology practices. I will consider issues related to the understanding of how music works, the selection of music and the practical application of integrating music to facilitate relaxation, increase arousal level, or to be in the zone of optimal performance. Then, I will discuss some innovations in using technologies to enhance physical activity, and to help Malaysian national athletes achieve success in the international sporting arena. Finally, I will end by noting how, through all of this research has contributed to new knowledge to enhance the understanding of the ubiquitous integration of music into exercise and sport psychology practices.