Music improves running experience

story by Emily McCann, photos by Maggie Jo Rellihan

Think about walking into a STA vs. Notre Dame de Sion basketball game while silence covers the gym as people mingle about and all you can hear is a background noise. Now picture walking into the gym with loud music blaring and people getting ready to cheer on their team. Most likely, the second scenario is the one that will give you more energy and get you pumped up for the game. Recent studies have shown that the same goes for running.

Playing music at the right beats per minute, or bpm, can help the body perform better.

Senior Hailey Waldenmeyer, a member of the STA cross country team, runs frequently off season and finds that running with music is helpful for her.

“I usually run about four miles,” Waldenmeyer said. “But I find that I can run a lot farther when I’m listening to music.”

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Studies compiled by Runners’ World support Waldenmeyer’s claim.

According to the magazine, “Runner’s World” music reduces your perception of how hard you are working by about ten percent. Music blocks some of the internal stimuli, such as sore muscles and heavy breath, and prevents fatigue-related messages from reaching your organs and muscles.

Waldenmeyer said this is one of the main benefits of running with music for her.

“[Music] helps me get through workouts,” Waldenmeyer said. “Without it, my mind thinks about the workout but when I am listening to music, my mind can wander and I can focus on other things. It helps make the time pass faster.”

In a recent study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 30 subjects were tested while running to motivational music, either pop or rock. When compared to a no-music setting, the motivational music led to a fifteen percent improvement in endurance.

However, these statistics apply mainly to an average, recreational runner. “Runner’s World” says that elite runners and athletes tend to be more connected to their breathing and their bodies and don’t receive as much benefit from a motivational force such as music.

While listening to music provides physical benefits and allows for a more effective workout, there are some drawbacks to tuning into your iPod while on a jog. Waldenmeyer warns that it can make you unaware of your surroundings.

“The whole safety part [of listening to music] is important to remember,” Waldenmeyer said. “There have been times I’ve been running and I’ve crossed a street without being aware and sometimes people actually do get injured. It’s also unsafe to not be aware of people and traffic behind you.”

As long as you stay aware, be ready to run faster and with more endurance as you reap the benefits of running with music.