A new study finds that people who listen to their own choice of music during intense exercise can keep going almost 20 percent longer than when working out in silence. The research, involving cyclists, shows this boost comes without any increase in perceived effort or physical strain.
Twenty-nine recreationally active adults took part in the study, completing two high-intensity cycling tests at about 80 percent of their peak power output. In one session they rode in silence, while in the other they listened to tracks they had personally selected, most falling between 120 and 140 beats per minute. With music, participants averaged 35.6 minutes before reaching exhaustion, compared with 29.8 minutes without it, a difference the researchers described as a clear 20 percent gain in endurance.
