Study: Listening to Music Increases Endurance

New research from Brunel University in London reveals what many runners have known for years: Music can help you run longer. The study, due to be published in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, found that carefully selected music can significantly increase a person's physical endurance and make exercise a more positive experience.

Thirty participants ran on a treadmill while listening to pre-selected rock or pop music, including tracks by Queen, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Madonna. They were asked to keep their cadence in strict time with the beat. Reseacher Dr. Costas Karageorghis found that, when carefully selected according to scientific principles, music can enhance endurance by 15% and improve the "feeling states" of exercisers, helping them to derive much greater pleasure from exercise. The exercisers remained positive even when working out at a very high intensity and close to physical exhaustion.

Of course, I can't report on these findings without including a running safety warning. Although running with music can help you run farther, it's best that you only use your iPod or other music listening device while on the treadmill. If you have to listen to music while running outside, keep the volume very low or leave one earbud out, so you can still hear what's going on around you.

Related links:

• Running Music Playlist: Top 40 Songs
• Running Music Playlist: Power Songs
• Running Music Playlist: Hip Hop Songs
• Can I Run With Music?

_{Source: Brunel University. "Jog To The Beat: Music Increases Exercise Endurance By 15%." ScienceDaily 2 October 2008. 2 October 2008.}