Melvin Durai
When I go to my local gym, I’m usually one of the few people who aren’t wearing earphones and listening to music while they exercise. It’s not that I don’t like listening to music — it’s just that I prefer my music in the background, not booming directly into my ears.
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Some of the people in my gym are in great shape. They run on the treadmill for almost an hour, much longer than I do, and now I know why. It’s the music. The music keeps them going. If you think I’m just looking for excuses, you are absolutely right. But unlike other theories of mine, this one actually has some scientific backing. A new study at University of Jyväskylä (JYU), Finland, found that exercisers who listen to their favourite music can improve their endurance by almost 20%, without making the workout feel any harder. “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,” lead researcher Andrew Danso from JYU’s Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain. “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.” Since Danso mentions “ze ro-cost” and “playlist,” it’s worth noting that Spotify isn’t free.
Neither are Apple Music, Amazon Music and other music platforms. A phone and a good set of earphones also cost money. But if you’ve already invested in music and created a playlist of your favourite tunes, there is no additional cost to taking Ed Sheeran with you to the gym. For the study, which was published in the journal Psychology of Sport & Exercise, the researchers put 29 recreationally active adults through two identical high-intensity cycling tests.
In the first test, music was absent; in the second, participants selected their music. While listening to music, they cycled for an average of 35.6 minutes, compared with only 29.8 minutes without music. Six minutes may not seem like much, but it could mean the difference between winning a race and collapsing three laps from the finish line.
Quite significantly, the researchers found that the cyclists, despite exercising longer and burning more calories while listening to music, had the same heart rates and lactate levels in both tests. This indicated that the music helped them “stay in the pain zone” longer without making the pain feel worse. (It’s hard to feel much pain when Ed Sheeran is telling you that he likes the “shape of you.”) The researchers believe that their findings can help athletes, coaches and everyday exercisers. “Many people struggle to stick with hard training because it feels exhausting too quickly,” says Danso. Just picture a woman in the gym feeling exhausted after just five minutes on the treadmill and seeking advice from a personal trainer. Woman: “How can I improve my endurance? I get tired too soon.” Trainer: “Have you tried to ‘Lose Yourself’ with Eminem?” Woman: “No, but I’d love to find myself with him.” Trainer: “Have you tried to ‘Push It’ with Salt N Peppa?” Woman: “No, but I’ve pushed it with Sugar N Chocolate.” Trainer: “Have you tried to get ‘Motivation’ from Normani? Woman: “No, I’m trying to get motivation from you!” Trainer: “I give up.” Woman: “You’re quitting?” Trainer: “No, that’s a song by Caroline Polachek. ‘I give up’ may push you to your limits.” The JYU study makes me wonder if music can push us in other areas of our lives. If it helps us exercise longer, wouldn’t it also help us do other things longer, including working, shopping and eating? If JYU wants to explore the connection between music and food, and is looking for study participants, I’ll be on the next flight to Finland.
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