Why you SHOULD listen to music when you exercise: Rhythm activates part of the brain that stops you getting tired (and Marvin Gaye’s 'Heard It Through The Grapevine' nails it)

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People should listen to music when they exercise, new research suggests.

A study by Brunel University London found that hearing Marvin Gaye's 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' while being active stimulates the region of the brain associated with easing fatigue.

The study's participants, who only heard that one tune, claimed listening to the 11-minute song made it feel like their exercise routine was over in just 60 seconds, with many adding they found it easier and less boring when the song was being played.

Study author Dr Marcelo Bigliassi said: 'Music is a very powerful stimulus and can be used to assuage negative bodily sensations that usually arise during exercise.'

He worries, however, people are becoming dependent on music in an attempt to 'escape reality', with future generations potentially being unable to tolerate fatigue during exercise without music.

Listening to music while exercising could stop you feeling tired, research suggests (stock)

How the research was carried out  

The researchers had 19 healthy adults, with an average age of 24, perform a handgrip exercise while both listening to 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' and not.

For a total of 10 minutes, the participants grasped a silicone grip for 10 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest.

MRI scans were carried out on the participants throughout the experiment to determine the regions of their brains that were activated. The handgrip test was chosen due to MRI scans requiring a person's head remains still. 

At the end of the task, the participants were asked how exhausted they felt, whether they daydreamed during the exercise and if they had any discomfort in their hands. 

The findings were published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology. 

'Music stimuli can and should be used' 

After performing the task while listening to music, the participants claimed the tune made it easier, with one saying 'it was so boring without music' and another 'I got so distracted with [the] music that it felt like the whole exercise took only one minute.' 

In terms of brain region activation, the findings suggest hearing music activates an area of the organ that is associated with both movement and fatigue. 

Although the music was distracting, results further suggest the song did not reduce the participants' hand pain after the exercise had ended.

The researchers believe this may be due to music taste being very personal and therefore different people may report different results depending on the tune they are hearing, however, all of the participants found the song pleasant.

They added the handgrip test is a light form of exercise and therefore more intense activity may produce different results.

In summary, Dr Bigliassi told PsyPost: 'My view is that music stimuli can and should be used and promoted, but with due care.

'[However] I have some concerns about the exaggerated use of music during exercise. This is because, as humans, we are constantly trying to escape from reality and, also, escape from all forms of physical discomfort/pain.'

He adds people should learn other methods of coping with pain and fatigue during exercise aside from just being distracted by music.