We each have our own individual music preferences, and many of us prefer different songs to listen to while running than, say, something like driving. Most people prefer faster music to pump them up during any type of exercise (except maybe yoga). For most of us, it won't be a shock that listening to music while running can improve your performance. Music can motivate you to keep going and distract you from feeling tired.

In his book Inside Sport Psychology, Dr. Coastas Karageoghis claims that listening to music can increase certain runners performance by a whopping 15 percent. According to Dr. Karageoghis, elite athletes, or assocatiors, focus inwardly when running; however, most of us are dissociators, and look for stimulation or distraction.

Scientifically, the right music comes down to the beats per minute (BPM) and for running, the best range is between 120 to 140 beats per minutes. Most dance music and many rock songs fall into that range. Why 120 to 140? This roughly corresponds to the average person's heart rate during a routine workout.

In addition to songs with a high BPM, many people prefer music with rhythm so they can coordinate their movements, even subconsciously. (This may be why most of us reach for the heavy metal over the free-form jazz.)

How can you find the BPM of your favorite songs? Use the BPM Calculator for Windows and BPM Assistant for Mac.

I think that matching your music BPM to your personal heart rate is all well and good. I haven't actually figured out the BPM of each of my favorite running songs. However, there is something to be said for songs which are simply motivating. Personally, I find inspiring songs much more beneficial than ones matching a particular beat. But, then again, maybe I'm just an extreme dissociator.

What do you think? What is your favorite song to listen to while running? Do you prefer songs with lots of beats or songs that inspire you?

 

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Music is a powerful tool used by many athletes to help get them into the perfect mindset for training and competing. The question is, just how powerful is music to an athlete’s performance? The answer for many athletes is VERY.

In recent studies, music has shown to help athletes reduce feelings of fatigue, increase their tolerance to pain, and improve their mood and motivation. In addition, athletes who tap into the right music find it easier to block out feelings of panic and worry and in some cases redirect their focus to feelings of confidence and success.

Recently, coaches have started using music more in their training programs as a way to improve the experience of hard and often monotonous physical training. One effective way to enhance team performance is for the coach to use inspirational or upbeat music for high intensity workouts and softer music for recovery periods. Music must be updated consistently and the athletes should be surveyed to see what music they like. A more effective approach for coaches is to have each athlete create and listen to a play list of their favorite music for specific parts of their training and visualize the impact that each song will have in those moments.

Is music always the solution to improved training and performance? No. Research has shown that music can decrease an athlete’s attention when learning new skills. Also, the benefits of music depends on how athletes associate themselves with their environment. Some athletes prefer to associate themselves with everything in their environment while others prefer and in many cases need distractions or ways to separate themselves from many of the things in their in environment. Science has shown that athletes who need to dissociate themselves from the environment (and in many cases, their perceptions of their environment) tend to benefit the most from music.

Overall, music is something that I encourage all athletes to explore when evaluating their thoughts and feelings about their training and competition experiences.

Patrick Alban B.S., M.S.
SPMI President

To read more from Patrick Albán B.S., M.S., visit goSPMI.com.

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