Are you the type of person who would turn around if you forgot your headphones on the way to the gym? If so, we get it. And actually, science supports it: working out with music can make or break your mood as you log miles or reps.

Tunes have long been tied to exercise. As early as 1911, research found that cyclists pedalled faster while a live band was playing. But these days, the science goes even deeper. Music’s effect doesn’t stop with your mind, but can actually impact your physical performance on a molecular level before, during, and after your workout.

Read on to learn just how much of a difference working out with music can make.

Studies show that listening to music while you work out has significant physical and psychological effects, impacting both your physical performance in the gym and your motivation to return the next day.

Have you ever noticed how jogging suddenly feels easier when your favourite song comes on? It’s not just in your head—studies show that listening to music while exercising both increases your work capacity and delays fatigue.

Not only are you more likely to work out for longer when your headphones are in or a speaker is pumping, but you’re also likely to reach a higher maximum heart rate. Why?

Music serves as a healthy distraction, affecting your perceived levels of exertion and arousal and possibly even improving your metabolic efficiency. With your favourite song in your ears, it won’t feel like you’re working as hard, allowing you to reach new levels of stamina.

Music also acts as a metronome for athletes performing repetitive motions (like runners or cyclists), allowing them to more effectively budget their energy and move at a steadier pace. One study found that cyclists who listened to music used 7% less oxygen than those who didn’t, purely as a result of synchronising their movements to the beat.

Interestingly, according to Scientific American, a 2012 study by music psychology experts deemed music a “legal performance-enhancing drug”. This metaphor was taken so far that USA Track and Field (the national governing body for distance racing) has placed an ongoing ban on headphones for competitive runners vying for money and awards.

The effect of music on your workout starts in the brain. But that psychological impact on your mood and motivation translates into psychophysiological effects like delayed fatigue and dissociation from pain, which in turn help you achieve fitness milestones including a higher capacity to process oxygen, as well as better blood circulation.

Additionally, studies show that listening to music has a significant influence on whether we feel pleasure or displeasure. This can in turn impact our thoughts and actions (as proved by changes in hormone levels after listening to uplifting music). Serotonin (the brain’s “feel-good” hormone) in particular is boosted by listening to “pleasing” music, putting you in a better mood and mindset as you power through your workout.

Not only does music allow you to reach new levels of intensity during your workout, but it also makes recovery quicker and easier. This is because listening to music boosts your body’s natural release of endogenous opioids, which decrease your sensitivity to pain and leave you feeling less exhausted.

This means you’ll stay energised and capable of tackling the rest of your day post-workout, and you’ll be more likely to hit the gym for an equally intense workout the next day. For additional tips to complement your post-workout routine, check out our articles on effective sports recovery techniques and the importance of hydration, each designed to help you optimise recovery and maintain your performance.

When creating a workout playlist, you might want to consider the tempo of the songs you choose. Studies have found that the ideal bpm for cycling is between 125 and 140, while an ideal treadmill tempo is between 123 and 131 bpm.

So, you can use bpm-based playlists to help you improve your pace (i.e. 180 bpm equates to a seven-minute mile, according to Scientific American) or, conversely, have the songs cater to your pace, using apps to select songs that match the speed of your workout routine.

Either way, make sure you’re choosing a workout playlist you genuinely like. According to Forbes, studies have shown that a self-selected playlist for self-paced exercise helps maximise physical and psychological effects.

Ready to fire up the perfect playlist and hit the treadmill or weight room? P.E Nation is here to get you geared up with gym outfits tailor-made for all your favourite ways to exercise—from running to yoga to winter sports. 

No matter your workout routine, having stylish, supportive, and comfortable activewear ready to go means one less thing standing between you and your next playlist-enhanced sweat sesh. Shop our collection of women’s leggings, bike shorts, workout tops, and the rest of our gym clothes today to stock up.

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Sources:  

Scientific American. Let's Get Physical: The Psychology of Effective Workout Music. 

National Library of Medicine. Effect of music tempo on exercise performance and heart rate among young adults.  

National Library of Medicine. The Influence of Music Preference on Exercise Responses and Performance: A Review.  

National Center for Health Research. Can Listening to Music Improve Your Workout?  

Forbes Health. The Benefits of Listening to Music During Exercise.