For some people, getting to the gym and realising they have forgotten their headphones is enough to ruin the whole session. It might sound like a strange reason to skip a workout, but new research suggests they may actually have a point.

A recent study has found that listening to music you genuinely enjoy while exercising can significantly improve endurance. In fact, participants who trained with their favourite songs were able to keep going for almost 20% longer compared with exercising in complete silence.

The interesting part is that they did not feel more exhausted by the end of the session, and their heart did not appear to be working significantly harder. The music did not make the workout physically easier. Instead, it helped the participants tolerate the discomfort for longer.

More Time in the “Pain Zone”

The “pain zone” refers to the point in exercise where the body approaches or passes the anaerobic threshold, also known as the lactate threshold.

At this stage, the muscles are working at a high intensity and the body struggles to clear lactate as quickly as it is produced. This is where people often feel that familiar burning sensation in the muscles, heavy breathing, and a strong urge to stop.

For many people, this is the point where the workout becomes mentally difficult. According to the researchers, music appears to help mask some of those uncomfortable sensations, allowing people to stay in that zone for longer without feeling like the effort has increased.

The study involved 29 participants who completed high-intensity cycling tests while listening to music they had chosen themselves. Most of the songs selected were between 120 and 140 beats per minute.

Compared with cycling in silence, the participants were able to keep pedalling for almost six extra minutes before reaching exhaustion.

Favourite Music Made a Clear Difference

The participants completed two separate cycling tests at around 80% of their maximum power output. One test was done in silence, while the other allowed them to listen to their preferred music.

When listening to music, the participants cycled for an average of 35.6 minutes. Without music, the average dropped to 29.8 minutes.

The researchers described this as a clear improvement of around 20% in endurance.

Even though the participants exercised for longer and burned more energy overall, their heart rate and lactate levels were similar at the end of both tests. This suggests the music did not reduce the physical demands of the workout. Instead, it changed how well the participants could cope with the discomfort.

A Simple Tool for Better Training

The findings were published in the scientific journal Psychology of Sport & Exercise. Lead researcher Andrew Danso, from the Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, explained that the results may have real-world value for both athletes and everyday gym-goers.

According to Danso, music chosen by the individual does not change their fitness level or make the heart work much harder in that moment. It simply helps them handle sustained effort for a longer period of time.

This makes music a simple, low-cost tool that may help people train harder, stay consistent, and enjoy their sessions more.

Why Music Works

Health and fitness experts have also suggested that music can act as a powerful psychological distraction during exercise.

Listening to fast-paced songs you enjoy, often around 135 to 142 beats per minute, can help shift the brain’s attention towards the rhythm and away from signals of fatigue and discomfort coming from the body.

This can improve mood, boost motivation, and reduce the perceived difficulty of the workout. In simple terms, the right playlist may help you push further without the session feeling harder.

What This Means for Everyday Training

For anyone trying to improve fitness, increase endurance, or stay more consistent with exercise, music may be more than just background noise.

The right songs can help make tough workouts feel more manageable and may allow you to spend more time working at a challenging intensity.

So, next time you train, your playlist might be doing more than keeping you entertained. It could be helping you perform better.