Yahoo News A scientist says he's created the perfect running song
From finding the perfect running shoes to making sure you eat the right thing beforehand, gearing up for a half marathon, or even a regular pavement pounding session, can take serious prep – but nothing is more crucial than co-ordinating a motivational playlist. Thankfully, a professor in sport and exercise psychology from Brunel University, says he's developed the ultimate running song, using his 25 years of experience.
Professor Costas Karageorghis worked with music producers to develop the 3 minute and 40 second-long track, named Run With Me, and focussed in on a few key areas: the beats per minute (BPM), lyrics and rhythm. Research also found that the track can boost a runner's mood by 15%, when compared to running in silence.
It's also believed to help you feel like your run is easier than it is (ideal), by offering a happy distraction from your aching legs and burning feet. “It gives you an outward focus so you're not [fixated] on internal fatigue-related symptoms,” Professor Karageorghis told The Telegraph. “In doing so, it reduces perceived exertion by about 10%.”
When it comes to tempo, there is, of course, a science to it, too. “At a low-to-high intensity of running, there's a sweet spot of tempo which is between 120 and 140BPM,” explains Professor Karageorghis. “Given that in a race scenario, people will be running relatively hard because they'll be striving to achieve personal bests, we went for the upper range, from 130BPM to 140BPM."
Lyrics to the dance-pop anthem include "Run with me, see the world beneath our feet and know I will always be there. The sun is rising over the valleys of our utopia" and "It's only you, like a hurricane running through my veins". To be fair, we could also imagine bopping about to this one on a night out, as well as on the treadmill or when smashing out a 10K.
“The lyrics conjure heroic imagery and we can feed this positive imagery into our own physical endeavours. The lyrical content of the music can promote positive self-talk," says Professor Karageorghis. "When we're striving to overcome adversity, or even to achieve a personal best in running, the powerful inner voice that we each have can be seminal to our performance. Having something that reinforces positive messages can also feed into your performance.”
The song was created as part of Running Channel and AIR:RUN's mass participation event taking place in London on the 31 May.
Run With Me is available on Spotify and iTunes:
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