Nothing boosts your workout intensity in the gym or improves your motivation levels like your favourite tunes pumping in your ears.

There is little doubt that a playlist full of upbeat, fast-paced music can get the heart pounding and will help push you through a gruelling session.

Performance boost

The enhanced performance that music can deliver is a well-known phenomenon, which has led to a great deal of research into the field.

Scientists have been looking at the neurological, physiological and psychological effects that music can have on your workout or sporting performance and have reported some interesting findings.

Specifically, research1 shows music can help increase exercise duration “significantly” and reduce “perceptions of exertion”.

One study2 found that people were able to endure their exercise routines for 15% longer when listening to upbeat, fast-paced music.

The researchers noted that: “During repetitive, endurance-type activities, self-selected, motivational and stimulative music has been shown to enhance affect, reduce ratings of perceived exertion, improve energy efficiency and lead to increased work output.”

Research3 has also shown that the rhythm of music can improve your motor skills as well.

Hitting the high notes

Music has a multifaceted impact on physical performance, affecting both psychological and physiological aspects.

When we listen to music while exercising, our mind tends to focus on the external stimulus and not what we’re experiencing. This means music distracts us from feeling the fatigue or discomfort associated with high-intensity exercise and hard effort.

Music can elevate mood, reduce stress, and increase feelings of pleasure, which can translate to greater motivation to exercise. Music also makes it easier to achieve a state of flow and rhythm, like running.

Music has also been linked to a faster recovery rate. Findings from a study4 conducted at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University suggest that “listening to motivational music during nonstructured recovery from intense exercise leads to increased activity, faster lactate clearance, and reduced RPE and therefore may be used by athletes in their effort to enhance recovery.”

Move to the beat

While engaged in exercise, research5 found that the most positive psychological outcomes were generally associated with fast-tempo music. The findings recommend using unfamiliar, non-lyrical music a fast-to-very-fast tempo of between 130–150bpm.

When you’re running or doing cardio, listen to music that matches your cadence and allows you to keep a comfortable pace.

Maintaining ear health

You should never play your music too loudly, especially when using earbuds, as it can distract you and can also cause long-term hearing damage.

It is also advisable to clean your earbuds regularly or replace the soft ear bud insert or cover to minimise the risk of ear infections.

The right tools for the job

Earphones are unique in their ergonomic design, fit and comfort level. Selecting the perfect pair of earphones is essential for an enjoyable and hassle-free training session.

Dis-Chem stocks a wide range of earbuds ideal for use during exercise and gym workouts. These include:

References:

  1. Thakare AE, Mehrotra R, Singh A. Effect of music tempo on exercise performance and heart rate among young adults. Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol. 2017 Apr 15;9(2):35-39. PMID: 28533890; PMCID: PMC5435671.
  2. Karageorghis CI, Priest DL. Music in the exercise domain: a review and synthesis (Part I). Int Rev Sport Exerc Psychol. 2012 Mar;5(1):44-66. doi: 10.1080/1750984X.2011.631026. Epub 2011 Dec 7. PMID: 22577472; PMCID: PMC3339578.
  3. Saideh Abolghasemi, Reyhaneh Abolghasemi, Hossein Ardalani, The music effect on motor skills of healthy people, a systematic review, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, Volume 40, 2024, Pages 1166-1176, ISSN 1360-8592, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.07.005.
  4. Eliakim M, Bodner E, Eliakim A, Nemet D, Meckel Y. Effect of motivational music on lactate levels during recovery from intense exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2012 Jan;26(1):80-6. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31821d5f31. PMID: 22067237.

L. Jones, C.I. Karageorghis, T. Ker, C.J. Rushton, S.R. Stephenson, I.L. Wheeldon, The exercise intensity–music-tempo preference relationship: A decennial revisit, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Volume 74, 2024, 102644, ISSN 1469-0292, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102644.