Drake, Beyoncé, Britney Spears … Your running playlists have more impact than you think. Indeed, some music can speed up or slow down your tempo, according to a study conducted by the ready-to-wear brand Pour Moi.
If you want to speed up, listen to Beyoncé! Indeed, the American superstar arrives at the top of the podium. By playing his titles in their headphones, runners would reduce their average time per kilometer by 33 seconds. If we adjust this data over five kilometers, athletes would gain 2 minutes and 45 seconds this time. That’s 23 minutes less in a marathon … Just that. For songs, no particular recommendation. You can therefore listen to hits such as “A Ring On It” and “Run The World (Girls)”, but also lesser known nuggets.
28 seconds less thanks to Britney Spears
Regarding the rest of the classification, Harry Styles and Britney Spears come in second and third respectively. In terms of time, there are 31 seconds less per kilometer for Harry Styles, or 2 minutes 25 seconds over five kilometers and 21 minutes 42 seconds for a marathon. Finally, Britney Spears would save 28 seconds per kilometer, or 2 minutes 20 seconds over five kilometers, and 19 minutes 36 seconds over the marathon distance. The ranking does not stop there, and lists Adele (19 sec.), Taylor Swift (17 sec.), Shawn Mendes (16 sec.), Rihanna (15 sec.), Ed Sheeran (8 sec.), Olivia Rodrigo (7 sec.), Justin Bieber (5 sec.), Kanye West and Billie Eilish (4 sec.), Lady Gaga (3 sec.), Travis Scott (2 sec.) And finally Cardi B (1 sec.) .
Drake, leading the slowdowns
AT conversely, some music would cause the race to slow down. For example, Drake’s “Hotline Bling” title will potentially add 21 seconds per kilometer to your time. That is 1 minute and 45 seconds in total, and an additional 14 minutes and 42 seconds on the scale of a marathon. In case of physical preparation, the Canadian is therefore to be avoided. Next come k-pop boy band BTS (9 seconds on average), rapper Doja Cat (5 seconds, or 3.5 minutes in a marathon), Nicki Minaj (2 seconds) and Katy Perry (1 second per km, i.e. 42 seconds in a marathon).
To collect this data, the British brand has timed twenty runners and recorded their speed according to the playlist listened to, at the rate of one kilometer per artist. The study is therefore purely empirical, not scientific. The results were then compiled by recording the running times of the twenty runners, measured using a smart fitness device. For each race, Pour Moi analyzed the total distance traveled (km), the total duration, the average pace per km, the average pace difference (between the artists listened to), then calculated the difference in speed per musician. To your sneakers.