WINTER 2023��������
Runners have many schools of thought
on their training patterns and how to
push their training further. For some
runners, the silence creates a meditative
experience during their runs, but other
runners need a beat and improve their
speeds and training persistence with
headphones on and music playing.
Many athletes and trainers have posed
the question:
Does listening to music while running
improve your speed and endurance,
and does the genre or artist matter?
Th is article will explore the relationship
between running and music and how it
could help you improve your training.
Using these insights, consider picking
up a set of sports headphones or pairing
your music device to ensure you can get
more out of your time running.
ENDURANCE AND MUSIC
Listening to music as you run can
help with endurance. Th e mind is
a powerful tool when focused on
a task, but sometimes, distraction
through music can help us stay on
track. In a study on the eff ect of music
interventions on emotional states and
running performance from the Journal
of Sports Science Medicine in 2011,
Andrew M. Lane and his colleagues
found that music increased pleasant
emotions during running, which helped
them to run longer. Th e music had a
high motivational eff ect that made the
running more enjoyable and allowed
them to ignore the negative emotions
they might experience from being
short of breath or other factors during
training. With an improved attitude
during running, it became easier for
participants to stay motivated when
running and push their training further.
MUSIC REDUCES STRESS
Exercises like running can reduce stress,
and music can have the same eff ect.
Music can aff ect areas of the brain that
control our emotions and help to reduce
stress hormones. When you go for a run
while listening to music, you can feel
happier and more refreshed than if you
were running on your own without a
soundtrack.
MUSIC HELPS YOU RUN FASTER
Based on studies done for Ergonomics
in 2006, Judy Edworthy and Hannah
Waring saw a diff erence in playing
fast and loud music while people were
exercising. Participants on the treadmill
who were listening to loud and fast
music felt a more positive eff ect. Th is
type of music can be played to enhance
the exercise and lead to an optimal
training experience.
MUSIC HELPS WITH PACE
As well as motivating you to improve
your pace, a song with a specifi c beat or
a playlist with the same BPM will help
you control your breathing and speed.
Running for endurance and improving
your training will often require a
rhythm. When you listen to music,
you can get into a rhythm by breathing
every few beats of a song, maintaining
a stride for every few notes, or fi nding a
tempo that works well for keeping your
pace. Experiment with diff erent genres
or artists, or build a playlist to keep
your speed on track and improve your
breathing as you train.
MUSIC REDUCES BOREDOM
If you are training for endurance or a
marathon, your training sessions can
sometimes require a lengthy run. If you
are preparing on a treadmill, putting
on your headphones and training with
music can improve your mental health
and help you get through the most
monotonous parts of your run. Based
on a study completed in 2012 on music
and driving, music improved driving
performance rather than impairing
it because the mental eff ort required
to process the music while driving
improved attention rates by keeping the
mind active. Th is can mean that even
choosing electronic music or meditation
music for your runs could enhance your
sessions by keeping you more attentive
and less bored throughout your training
session, such as during a long or
treadmill session.
MUSIC IMPROVES YOUR
ENJOYMENT OF EXERCISE
Based on a clinical study completed for
the Med Sci Sports Excercise journal
in 2015, Matthew J. Stork and his
associates had participants complete
interval exercise training with and
without music. Th e sprint interval
exercise was more enjoyable, and
participants were more motivated to
continue when they listened to music.
Adding music to your runs lets you get
through the more intense portions of
your training and feel more motivated
to continue. Music could help you push
through to the last mile of your run or
help you keep up with your training if
you are new to running.
MUSIC IMPROVES RECOVERY
Having a playlist for running and a
separate playlist for recovery can help,
too. Th e fast-paced music you use
to keep your pace and breathing can
help you run faster and focus on one
part of your workout. Introducing a
recovery playlist, such as slow songs or
meditation music, after your run can
prepare your body to relax and recover
Listening To Music and Running;
Will It Help You Train?
By Staff