Many athletes respond to music that inspires heroic imagery. One of Karageorghis’s studies found that listening to “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor (the theme song to Rocky III) helped participants work harder and enjoy themselves more during a strength challenge performed to exhaustion. No doubt part of the song’s power lies in its association with a fighter who won’t quit and its lyrics about rising to a challenge. Recordings of brain activity revealed that the song distracted participants from their effort, allowing them to push past the first signs of discomfort that typically make us quit
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