Listening to your favourite music can increase endurance during a workout by up to 20 percent.
A new study found that cyclists exercising with self-selected songs had a much better ability to push on than if they rode in silence.
They also felt less exhausted at the end.
Researchers at the University of Jyväskyläsay concluded that music may help people stay in the “pain zone” longer without increasing perceived strain.
The study focused on recreationally-active adults cycling at high intensity while listening to music they personally chose.
Most of the tracks had a tempo range of about 120-140 beats per minute. Participants could add nearly six additional minutes to their routine if they played music instead of exercising in silence.
Lead researcher Andrew Danso said the results could have practical value for anyone trying to improve exercise performance or stick with a training routine.
“Self-selected music doesn’t change your fitness level or make your heart work dramatically harder in the moment – it simply helps you tolerate sustained effort for longer,” he said.
“It may be an incredibly simple, zero-cost tool that lets people push further in training without feeling extra strain at the end. Our findings suggest that the right playlist may make tough sessions feel more doable and more enjoyable.”
The findings were published online in the journal Psychology of Sport & Exercise.
The research involved 29 adults who completed two separate cycling tests at the same high intensity level (about 80 percent of their peak power).
One workout was performed in silence, while the other allowed participants to listen to their own preferred music.
