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Canadian study shows benefits of music on interval training

Urban Jogger Checking Running Time

Urban Jogger Checking Running Time

Music may be great for boosting not just your mileage runs, but also your intensity during interval training.

There has been plenty of research done on how music affects exercise, but most of that has been done on steady, aerobic exercise like riding a stationary bike or running on a treadmill. The new research, done at McMaster University in Hamilton, looked at how music alters high intensity interval training.

The researchers had 20 “moderately healthy” young adults between the ages of 18 and 26 who had never done interval training complete three workouts on a stationary bike. They pedalled as hard as they could for 30 seconds, four times with four minutes of recovery between each interval. They had their power output tracked and were asked how difficult the work felt.

They returned a few weeks later to do the same workout again, this time listening to their favourite music, and then later again they did the workout a third time, again without the music.

Interestingly, the perceived effort during all the workouts seemed to be about the same. No one found the workout particularly easier with or without the music, though while the music was playing the cyclists produced more power. They didn’t realize it, but they were pedalling harder. Also, all 20 participants told the researchers that, if they were to take up interval training, they listen to music while they workout.

So if you don’t already, consider adding some of your favourite tunes to your next workout. It may not seem that way, but you may be working harder.

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