

Phys Ed: Does Music Make You Exercise Harder? - tiffani
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/phys-ed-does-music-make-you-exercise-harder/

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mcav
When running, music seems to keep me energized. The playlist I have now starts
at a fairly quick tempo and increases slightly toward the end. Since I tend to
stay in rhythm with the music, I find myself running faster without realizing
that I'm putting in extra effort.

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gaius
This bit I think is particularly interesting:

 _But there are limits to the benefits of music, and they probably kick in
just when you could use the help the most. Unfortunately, science suggests
that music’s impacts decline dramatically when you exercise at an intense
level. A much-cited 2004 study of runners found that during hard runs at about
90 percent of their maximal oxygen uptake, a punishing pace, music was of no
benefit, physiologically_

Listening to music can get me pumped up for lifting weights, but it's a
distraction when I'm actually doing it.

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tiffani
Writing code to any fast-paced song (instrumentals only, though) tends to up
my mental energy toward coding. Take away my chair and let iTunes pick the
proper song and plenty of stuff gets written. It's a mood modulator for me, if
anything and that helps with code.

