Many of us feel lost when we forget to bring our favorite playlist to accompany an exercise session, and now science is finding proof that our personally selected sounds really do supercharge our workouts. Research undertaken by the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, has found that burning calories along to your favorite beats can boost endurance by around 20%—without the workout feeling more difficult.
For the study, 29 active adults were given two identical high-intensity cycling tests, programmed to challenge each person by around 80% of their peak power. The first test was audio free, while the second test allowed the participants to choose their own tunes.
What Is the Best BPM for Workout Music?
For those looking to put together their own playlists, the self-selected tracks clocked in at around 120-140 beats per minute. That gives you some up-tempo options for upping the intensity like “Hit me with your best shot” by Pat Benatar, “Jump” by Van Halen, or “These Days” from the Foo Fighters.
Okay, but how does curating your own playlist lead to crushing greater workouts? “Self-selected music doesn’t change your fitness level or make your heart work dramatically harder in the moment — it simply helps you tolerate sustained effort for longer,” explained Andrew Danso, who was the lead researcher and is from JYU’s Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain. “It may be an incredibly simple, zero-cost tool that lets people push further in training without feeling extra strain at the end. Our findings suggest that the right playlist may make tough sessions feel more doable and more enjoyable.”
Those who trained while listening to their tracks burned more total energy from the longer sessions, but their heart rate and lactate levels were the same. Music appears to provide the key to maintaining longer sessions. “Many people struggle to stick with hard training because it feels exhausting too quickly,” said Danso. “Our research shows that letting people choose their own motivating music may help them accumulate more quality training time, which could translate to better fitness gains, improved adherence to exercise programmes, and possibly more people staying active.”
