Study: Listening to Drake will make you run slower
You're better off saving Champagne Papi for your easy days
There’s nothing like a good playlist to get you going during your run, but the songs you choose can have a significant impact on your speed. Recently, apparel brand Poir Moi conducted a study to find out which artists make you crank up the pace and which ones slow you down, and concluded that Canadian rapper Drake could add nearly 15 minutes to your marathon time.
Save Drake for your easy days
The researchers analyzed data from 60 runs in which runners were listening to a different artist each time, and found the chilled-out vibes that make up Drake’s signature sound can add up to 21 seconds per kilometre to your running time. That equals 1:45 over 5K, and 14:42 over a marathon. So if you tend to struggle with running too fast on your easy days, throw on Certified Lover Boy for your next easy run, but maybe leave songs like One Dance and Take Care off of your workout playlist.
Drake isn’t the only artist you might not want on your pump-up playlist. The researchers found the world-famous K-pop boy band BTS slowed runners down by nine seconds per kilometre and American rapper Doja Cat added five seconds per kilometre to running times. Check out the top five slowest artists to run to below:
Artists to pump you up
On the other hand, the researchers also put together a list of the top 15 artists to help you run faster, and it was Beyonce (affectionately referred to as Queen B by her fans) who makes runners pick up the pace the most. In fact, turning on her signature anthems like Put a Ring On It and Who Run the World (Girls) can push you to run up to 33 seconds faster per kilometre. That equals 2:45 over 5K and a whopping 23 minutes over a marathon.
Harry Styles took second place, speeding runners up by up to 31 seconds per kilometre, and Britney Spears rounded out the podium at 28 seconds per kilometre. Take a look at the top 15 to see if any of your favourites made the list:
The best playlist for your next speed session
The researchers at Pour Moi put together a playlist containing songs from all the artists who have been proven to make you run faster, so the next time you’re heading out for an interval session or a long tempo, download the playlist here. And the next time you’re going for a slow, easy run, try putting a few Drake tunes in the queue to help you cool the jets a bit.
Of course, music is very subjective, and what pumps one person up can have the opposite effect on another, so if you don’t like any of the artists on the playlist, don’t fret. Chances are if you really like the tunes you’re jamming to, they’ll help you pick up the pace, and if they don’t, at least you’ll enjoy your run more.
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