Listening to these artists can make you run faster

Virgin Radio

14 Jan 2022, 16:32

Credit: Pixabay

At the turn of a New Year, we often see a spike in people running and exercising, but it can be very hard to get motivated.

Luckily for us, new research by Pour Moi has found the artists you should be listening to if you want to improve your speed and mood when running.

According to them, Beyoncé has the greatest effect on runner’s speed. Listening to Queen B can shorten your run time by as much as 9%, meaning you could run a 5k route 2 minutes and 45 seconds faster than usual.

Harry Styles came in at second place with an improvement of 31 seconds per kilometre Close behind him was Britney Spears, who could help improve your 5K personal best by as much as 2 minutes 28 seconds.

Time to start playing ‘Hit Me Baby Once More Time’ on your jog!

Adele and Taylor Swift were also in the top five and just below them were Shawn Mendes, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo and Justin Bieber.

Top 10 artists that make you run faster and time improvement for 5k run

Beyoncé, -0:24
Harry Styles, -2:35
Britney Spears, -2:20
Adele, -1:35
Taylor Swift, -1:22
Shawn Mendes, -01:20
Rihanna, -01:15
Ed Sheeran, -00:40
Olivia Rodrigo, -00:35
Justin Bieber, -00:25

The study also showed the artists that could potentially slow down your run.

At the top of that list and the artist that could have the most adverse effect on your running speed is Drake.

Particpants of the study recorded a 6% increase in their running time when listening to the hip-hop artist, which means an extra minute and 45 seconds on your 5k running time.

Just below him was Korean pop group BTS. Despite their upbeat hits, the band’s tunes could actually lead to an extra nine seconds per kilometre.

Closely following them was rapper Doja Cat who can make you run 1.4% slower, adding a total of 25 seconds on your 5k run.

Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry also made the slow list with the latter adding a second to every kilometre.

Top 5 artists that make you run slower and additional time for 5k run

Drake, +01:45
BTS, +00:45
Doja Cat, +00:25
Nicki Minaj, +00:10
Katy Perry, +00:05

The study monitored data from over 60 runs and recording the running times of 20 people as they listened to a range of artists. Each participant ran for a minimum of 1 kilometre per kartist and recorded their speed via a smart fitness device.

Pourmoi, a sportswear, clothing and lingerie retailer, analysed the total distance ran (km), overall time, km split time, average pace per km, average pace difference (difference between artists) to calculate the difference in speeds per musician.

To find out more about Pourmoi’s research click here.