The study focused on recreationally active adults cycling at high intensity while listening to music they personally chose. Most of the tracks fell within a tempo range of about 120-140 beats per minute. Compared to exercising in silence, participants were able to continue riding for nearly six additional minutes before reaching exhaustion. endurance by nearly 20 %, highlighting a simple strategy that may benefit both athletes and casual exercisers.
The study focused on recreationally active adults cycling at high intensity while listening to music they personally chose. Most of the tracks fell within a tempo range of about 120-140 beats per minute. Compared to exercising in silence, participants were able to continue riding for nearly six additional minutes before reaching exhaustion.
The findings were published online in the journal Psychology of Sport & Exercise. Lead researcher Andrew Danso from JYU's Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain 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. 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."
