Research done by Northwestern University tells that the key to a pump up song is bass.

Everyone knows that feeling you get while listening to a certain song. Most athletes like to listen to these songs before big games. Some artists, listen to these songs to get in the zone. So, what is it about this music that gets our heart racing?

Research done by a team at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business says it’s all in the bass.

The team, led by Columbia professor Adam Galinsky, started off by asking people to listen to certain songs and asked them how powerful they felt afterwards, according to a paper by Dr. Galinsky.

From there, the team had people listen to the songs that made people feel most and least powerful, and asked them to fill in the missing letters: P_ _ ER. Those who listened to the power provoking music were more likely to fill in POWER than PAPER.

The common theme to these powerful songs – bass.

But how much bass?

According to Mr. Ruch, Malvern Prep’s Athletic Director, Inter-Ac league rules indicate that for Indoor games, such as basketball or waterpolo, music can be played for warm-ups, timeouts, and intermissions. No noise makers during play are allowed.

For outdoor games, the Inter-Ac says pretty much anything goes. However, Ruch says that Malvern allows only clean music.

Sophomore and DJ Desmond Papariello agrees he shares in the powerful feeling after listening to a pump up song. “When I listen to a pump up song I feel inspired to make a song that has that same effect in other people.”