Sound, rhythm and the nervous system
Why tempo, rhythm and silence change your pulse and breathing during a round.
Turban Sauna // Journal
25 October 2026 · 4 min read · sound · nervous system
At TURBAN every gusmaster brings their own soundscape to the round. Music sets the mood, and it also reaches the body: tempo and pauses change your pulse and your breathing. Here is what research has measured.
The tempo spreads to the body
An Italian study played six styles of music to 24 people, half of them trained musicians, and measured breathing, pulse and blood pressure. Faster tempi and simple, driving rhythms raised breathing, blood pressure and pulse. Slow and meditative music calmed the body. The musicians’ breathing followed the tempo most closely.
The pause works hardest
The most striking finding came between the tracks. A two-minute silence lowered pulse, blood pressure and breathing to below the level the participants started at. The researchers point out that music may first gather your attention with faster rhythms and then let you relax in the pauses and the slower parts.
What the large reviews show
A Dutch review pooled 104 randomised trials with 9,617 participants. Music lowered stress both in the body and in how people felt. The clearest effect was on heart rate.
Sound in a round
In a SaunaGus, sound and heat work together. A round can build with the steam and settle in the quiet moments where the heat hangs in the room. The silence between waves is part of the music. Read how a gusmaster plans the arc of a round in How a gusmaster builds a round.
Your part
Close your eyes, and let your breath follow the music. Listen for the pauses. If you want to go further, read Slow breathing about what a calm breath does to the heart.
Sources
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