Study says reggae bad for running pop or heavy metal good

Trying to get a new personal best? Study reveals runners should AVOID reggae tunes and listen to pop or heavy metal if they want to go faster

It‘s something many of us do without thinking. We lace up our trainers, plug in our earphones and take to the streets.

But would you change the music you listen to while out running if you knew it could impact your performance?

A new Australian study has revealed that pop music is the best type of music to listen to while running. This is closely followed by heavy metal.

On the other hand, opera and reggae are detrimental to your pursuit of a new personal best.

‘It‘s really interesting when we looked at different genres and the effect different types of music had on our running,‘ psychologist and fitness coach, Leanne Hall, said of the experiment.

‘Part of it comes down to personal preference… but really it comes down to the feelings that that kind of music elicits.

‘For example, classical music tends to make us feel really calm – and the research does show that.

‘Pop music is a really, really interesting one.

‘Part of me thinks that that‘s because with pop music – particularly the stuff we hear on the radio – we kind of know the words. It gives us something to focus on.‘

Electronics company, Jaybird, conducted the experiment with Leanne Hall and fellow fitness coach, Tanya Poppett, over the course of five days.

They tested out heavy metal/rock, classical, reggae, opera and pop on separate days in order to see how they influenced training.

‘I think the beat [of the music] is really important and often, if it matches our cadence, or is close to matching our cadence, that is a really big thing,‘ Ms Hall said.

‘If we listen to music with a slow beat, we‘re more likely to run a little slower. Pop music tends to be a little more pacey, as does heavy metal.

‘That type of music probably makes us run a little quicker than reggae or classical.‘