By Edward Cooper
It’s no secret that the right playlist can turn a good workout into a great one, but can the same be said in reverse? Can a poorly-picked track nuke what was once a promising session? If a recent study by fashion site Pour Moi is to be believed, it’s certainly possible.
In an effort to find a correlation between music and running speed, the study analysed data from 60 runs of varying lengths, where the runners were listening to a different artist each time they laced up.
The result? Best-selling artist Drake may not be the best choice for your running playlist, as the Toronto gigacelebrity was found to increase the runner’s time by six per cent on average, adding up to 15 minutes to each run. Similarly, artists such as BTS, Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj were found to have a similar impact. On the flipside, Beyoncé helped the runners in the study shave an average of two minutes and 45 seconds off their time, equating to 33 seconds per kilometre. Other run-boosting artists included Kanye West, Cardi B and Rihanna.
But, running at a slower pace doesn’t mean your session is void. Much the opposite, in fact. Exercising at a slower, more steady state — known in fitness circles as lower-intensity steady state (LISS) exercise — has plenty of benefits. Keeping your heart rate at a consistent, sustainable pace throughout your workout will give your endurance a boost, promote better blood flow, and you’ll be able to recover quicker, too. Plus, you won’t be sweating for another half an hour once you finish your session. Maybe listening Drizzy isn’t so bad after all…
Ed Cooper is the Deputy Digital Editor at Men’s Health UK, writing and editing about anything you want to know about – from tech to fitness, mental health to style, food and so much more.
This article first appeared in Men’s Health UK.
