Does Listening To Music While You Run Make You Go Faster? EndurElite Chief Endurance Officer Matt Mosman discusses if listening to your favorite music while you run makes it feel easier.
Can Listening To Music While You Run Make You Go Faster And Seem Easier?
- Researchers took 17 runners and had them do a 1.5-mile time trial at max intensity on two separate occasions
- On one occasion they listened to the music of their choice and on the other occasion they had no music
- The researchers found when the runners listened to music they ran 10 seconds faster and the time trial seemed easier
- Take home point? Rock out with your favorite music and you might faster, easier.
Full Video Transcription:
Good morning, family of fast, Matt Mosman, the chief endurance officer over at EndurElite. Do you ever like to listen to music while you're running? And while doing so does running seem easier? Is it magic? Is it a wizard that cast a spell over you? Or is it science? Well, if it does feel easier it's probably the science, and you actually might be on to something here. A new study came across my desk yesterday from "The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" and it looked at what happened when runners did a 1.5-mile time trial while listening to music. So this is pretty interesting. Let's discuss this study.
The Music And Running Study
So what the researchers did is they took a group of 17 runners. It was 8 males and 11 females, and they had them do a 1.5-mile time trial on two separate occasions at max intensity. So as hard as you can go, complete that 1.5-mile time trial as fast as you can. On one occasion, the runners did not listen to any music, and on the other occasion, the researchers let the runners choose the music of their choice while they completed the 1.5-mile time trial.
So they had them do these two 1.5 mile time trials, one with music, one without, and when they crunched all the numbers they actually found something pretty interesting. They found that when the runners ran with the music of their choice, they on average ran the 1.5-mile time trial about 10 seconds faster. And that also the RPE was lower or the rating of perceived exertion or how hard the 1.5-mile time trial felt.
What Were The Results Of The Running Music Study
So actually pretty interesting, it seems like, well, listening to music of your choice during running can make you go faster, and make it seem easier as long as you're not listening to like chanting monks or Enya or something like that. I mean, go with death metal. You know, that would be the key right there. So probably more uptempo music, and from previous videos you know about the right tempo for music. And improving endurance performance is about 140 to 180 beats per minute. So fast upbeat fun and whatever. So that is all I have for today my endurance friend. Music is probably gonna make you run faster and seem easier.
So Why Does Music Help You Run Faster
Now, before I end this video, actually, let's go back one second. Sorry about that. So why is it? Why do they think music makes you run faster? The answer is I don't think they really know, but here's my theory. I think the music actually provides distraction for your brain so you're focusing on the music instead of suffering in all the pain and the agony you're going through when you're running at max intensity. So, just my theory. That's the end of the video, all right? So if you have a body that listens to music while they run, and they are always like, "Man, that seemed a lot better with music. That was a lot easier," please share this video with them. If you want other videos like this on endurance training, nutrition, supplementations, other random musings, burst in the BS, subscribe to the EndurElite YouTube channel or head on over to the EndurElite blog at www.endurelite.com. Get social with us on Instagram and the family of fast Facebook page. And until next time my endurance friends stay fueled, stay focused, stay fast, and stay informed.
