Do you listen to music while running? If not, then start at once. A new study found that listening to music while running helps in improving people’s performance when they feel mentally fatigued.
The study by a group of researchers at the University Of Edinburgh is the first of its kind to look at the effects of listening to music during running and how it affects the performance when mentally fatigued. The Researchers used two tests on eighteen fitness enthusiasts.
INTERVAL RUNNING
In one of the tests, the researchers looked at the effects on interval running capacity. They analysed between high intensity running and lower intensity jogging with a group of nine physically active exercisers and the other on a 5 km time-trial with a group of nine trained runners.
The groups went through a 30-minute computer based cognitive test that put them in a mentally fatigued state before completing high intensity exercise. The runners were tested with and without self-selected motivational music.
MOTIVATIONAL SONGS
The songs that the participants listened to included Everyday by A$ap Rocky; Addicted To You by Avicii; Run This Town by Jay-Z; Power by Kanye West; No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age; and Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. The scientists recorded the heart rate and measured the rating of perceived exertion at multiple points.
RUNNING CAPACITY
The study found that the interval running capacity among the mentally fatigued fitness enthusiasts was moderately greater with music. This was the same when the participants were not mentally fatigued.
The study pointed out that the positive effects of music could potentially be because of altered perception of effort when listening to the tunes.
Mental fatigue is a common thing and can negatively affect day-to-day activities. The researchers say that listening to self-selected motivational music will help to improve the endurance running capacity and performance when mentally fatigued.
The study says that further studies will help to look into the affect of music in a larger and different group of people, in different settings.
Human Sport and Exercise journal published the findings.
