Run the pain away
Science also backs up music as being a distraction from pain. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport showed that when runners synced their steps to the beat, listening to music reduced:»Time to exhaustion: By 18 percent with motivational music and almost 20 percent with neutral music»Rate of perceived exertion: Lowest with neutral music»Oxygen consumption: Lower by 1 to 0.7 percent»Blood lactate concentrations: Lowest with motivational music
Put some spring in your step
We asked a few of Chatt’s runners to share their favorite workout track. Their choices may surprise you.Elizabeth Petty Vice president of communications, Chattanooga Track Club“Run the World (Girls)” – BeyoncéRandy WhortonDirector, Wild TrailsSymphony No. 3, Op. 36 “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” – Henryk GóreckiLaryssa Martinovich Marketing coordinator, Front Runner Athletics“I Made It” – Kevin RudolfJennifer Bardoner Executive editor, Get Out Magazine“Alive” album – Daft Punk» Want to hear more?With the help of Front Runner Athletics, we created a Spotify playlist of some of Chattanooga runners’ favorite songs. GO TO: tinyurl.com/GetOutRunningPlaylistto see if you can find new beats for your next workout!
Safety First
As great as music is, headphones on the road or trail can be a safety hazard. To remain aware of your surroundings, consider listening with only one earbud or with your device on speaker at a volume that will not disrupt others.
Even when he isn’t running with headphones, Ed Rusk always has a song playing in his mind.
Rusk’s whole life has been shaped by music and exercise. His father taught at the U.S. Navy School of Music in Washington, D.C., and Rusk himself later became a musician. He is also former president of the Chattanooga Triathlon Club and current member of the Big Sexy Racing team, a nationwide cohort of elite amateurs. Though he no longer plays the piano or french horn, his upbringing taught him that music can be useful beyond artistic expression.
For Rusk, like many runners, music and exercise have become symbiotic. When running, music can serve as a pleasant distraction from the pain or a safeguard against boredom. But for Rusk, its usage is more intentional, with his selection changing based on his workout.
During speed sessions when he’s trying to push his pace, Rusk picks music with a hard, driving beat from artists like Evanescence or Linkin Park. Songs like these serve as an accelerant and motivator, he says.
During longer runs meant to build endurance, he prefers more relaxed classical pieces – opera music or country love songs, for example.
“[It] helps keep my pace slower and more relaxed,” he explains.
Interestingly, there’s actually quite a bit of science behind that seemingly simple statement.
A 2013 study by researchers at Ghent University in Belgium revealed that music can affect the human motor system and alter a runner’s speed.
The observation was made after researchers had 18 participants walk in an open field while listening to playlists from a selection of 52 songs. Each song had a tempo of 130 beats per minute, and participants were instructed to sync their stride to the beat.
The researchers found that most walkers took 130 steps per minute, but that they consistently walked faster to some songs and slower to others.
After further analysis, these songs were split into two categories: “activating” music and “relaxing” music.
“Activating” songs caused walkers to take longer strides and thus cover more distance. These songs had little variation, short repetitive notes and were consistently loud over several measures, often due to strong bass. Examples included pop-techno music.
“Relaxing” songs led to shorter strides. This music had more variation, longer melodic phrases and more fluctuations in volume. Examples included jazz-reggae.
Studies like this give runners a chance to get the most out of their music by being deliberate about their song choices.
You can build your own activating playlist to help you push past your personal record. Or compile relaxing rhythms to help you go the distance. Or you could pick from the list we collected of local runners’ favorites. The choice is yours.