Monica is an experienced runner. she runs better when someone else is present on the track.

Since the invention of the walkman, there’s been an ongoing debate about headphones and training, not just within the running community, but between all athletes, coaches, and experts. For some of us, running with headphones is a must to drown out distractions or maintain motivation. Meanwhile, others would rather run without electronics to avoid being distracted.

To help you decide whether to tune in or tune out, we spoke to experts and dug into research to piece together some positives and negatives of running with headphones. Here’s the case for running with or without headphones.

The Case for Running With Headphones

Beyond keeping you entertained, running with headphones can help you better maintain motivation and pace. Plus, you can learn a thing or two about running if you listen to a run-centric podcast or audiobook.

Here are all the ways you can benefit from tuning in while you run:

1. You get pumped for runs

Every runner experiences a day (or many days) where training for that 5K, 10K, half, or marathon is the last thing you want to do. For those days when you need a little extra motivation, your favorite playlist may be exactly what you need.

Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., a sports and exercise psychologist who studies music’s positive influence on athletes, agrees that compelling tunes can help get runners into an optimal mindset to tackle that dreaded training run.

“Music elevates positive aspects of mood such as excitement and happiness, and reduces negative aspects such as tension, fatigue, and confusion,” Karageorghis said in a Runner’s World running with music debate.

Research from The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research backs this up, finding that listening to music before a training run or 5K will help get you fired up and better prepare you for what’s ahead.

Tip: Listening to the right music while you are running is important: the last thing you want is for a slow song to come on right when you start trudging up a hill.

2. You learn to keep a consistent pace

Many runners prefer to run without music so they can focus on essential cues, such as their breathing and foot strikes to help them control their pace. Music or podcasts distract from that, right? Not necessarily.

If done correctly, music can actually help runners with pacing while training. In a study published in PLoS One, runners performed better when the beat of the music matched their cadence, compared to when they ran without music.

Karageorghis suggests listening to fast-tempo sounds exceeding 120 beats per minute (bpm) for high-intensity workouts and music with less than 120 bpm for workouts requiring less effort—like your weekend long run. (Another bonus: The right music can actually help you recover from a hard workout.)

Tip: Try Podrunner or a Spotify running playlist to help you match your music to your pace.

3. Your runs could feel easier

Training for any race is difficult enough as it is, so why not make it a little bit easier on yourself if you can.

According to a study conducted at Keele University in England, playing your favorite tunes while you are running reduces exertion levels and increases your sense of “being in the zone.” Another 2020 study in Frontiers in Psychology also showed that listening to music at a higher tempo reduces the perceived effort of endurance exercise.

How it works: The external stimulus of music is actually able to block your internal stimuli like fatigue, which is trying to tell your brain how tired you are starting to get in the middle of a run. When a runner’s perception of how hard they are running is reduced, they feel like they can run faster for longer. Maybe they’ll even better find that coveted runner’s high.

Tip: If you need some extra motivation to complete your hardest workouts, kick up the tunes in your music player of choice. A recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that when subjects were doing a strenuous cycling workout, they produced more power and had a stronger turnover rate when listening to their favorite music.

The Case Against Running With Headphones

Here are a few reasons why you should ditch the headphones and opt for some positive self-talk while clocking miles, instead of motivational tunes.

1. You’re blocking out your surroundings

One of the main reasons to leave your headphones at home is for your own safety. Even around Runner’s World headquarters, there’s barely a run we don’t come across distracted drivers, cyclists, or oblivious walkers (sometimes with their own headphones in).

If you are consumed in your music on a run, you might not be able to hear approaching cars, people trying to communicate with you, or even bad weather in the distance. In 2020, there were more than 3,000 deaths caused by distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If you know you’ll be on a busy road or packed towpath, it might be best to ignore the headphones for one run.

Tip: If you feel like you must have music, try a set of bone conduction headphones like Shokz OpenRun Pro, which are wireless and don’t plug directly into your ears—allowing you to still hear the environment around you.

2. You could throw off your race pace

While training with music has been proven to be a valuable tool, it isn’t something you want to bring with you on every training run. You don’t want to become dependent on music to get you through a run because on race day, you might have to be your own inspiration.

U.S. Track & Field (USATF) originally banned the use of portable devices for all runners in its sanctioned events in 2007. It later amended the ban to only apply to “those competing in Championships for awards, medals, or prize money.”

It is always a good idea to check the rules and regulations associated with each race in the early stages of your training. Even though the original ban has been relaxed, some race directors still strongly discourage the use of portable music devices, especially in crowded fields.

In addition to potentially becoming reliant on music to get you through a run, it can also throw off your pace during a race. Jim Denison, Ph.D., sports sociologist and professor at the University of Alberta, used the example of a runner surging up a hill because they passed a band during a race. “It is inefficient to run a race unevenly like this, and it will come back to haunt you,” Denison told Runner’s World.

Tip: To guard against this, Denison suggests using your watch and checking your splits early in the race to get a read on your pace. This will help you know exactly how your race pace should feel when you’re not depending on music.

3. You impair the running experience

In today’s society, distractions from technology are everywhere, and a person without a phone in their hand is a rare site.

Running is a way for many to clear their heads and get away from these distractions, and Denison believes music negatively effects that experience.

“The ability to be at peace and be calm is something we’ve lost in our culture; we’ve lost it in favor of multitasking. I would argue that listening to music—or podcasts or audiobooks—while running is a form of multitasking,” Denison said. “It keeps us too plugged in and prevents us from enjoying the running experience.”

While there are days you might feel like you need the extra motivational boost from your favorite tunes, there is something special about being alone and running with only your thoughts and nature.

Tip: Unplug those earbuds every now and then and listen to the world around. It’s good for your soul.

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