The Rap God may now also call himself a fitness god. A new study conducted by the Hartpury University Centre in the UK has shown that some of Eminem's music can actually improve athletic performance up to 10 percent.
In particular, the researchers found that the tracks “Lose Yourself,” “Not Afraid,” and “Without Me” helped to increase the endurance and power of the subjects who were put through intense exercises.
According to the study, it is the tempo and the “highly motivational edge” of these particular songs that helped the athletes perform better at sports.
The study was conducted by observing swimmer, Ben Hooper over the course of three months and around 25,000 lengths (a length is equivalent to 25 yards) in an indoor pool as he listened to music from different genres and tempos.
The biggest improvement in Hooper's time was said to come when he was listening to “Without Me” from the rapper's 2002 album The Eminem Show.
The researchers even put together a so-called “Soundtrack for Success” which they found could potentially optimize athletic performance. The playlist includes the three aforementioned tracks by Eminem as well as songs by The Prodigy, Swedish House Mafia, Sash and others.
On the flip side, downbeat tunes by artists like Bob Marley, Massive Attack, and Aerosmith were observed to have the opposite effect on the athletes and were said to be “counter-intuitive to staying active.”
So load up your Spotify playlist with these songs to play while you train and exercise and you may also receive the scientifically proven boosts that the songs will have on your performance:
Lose Yourself – Eminem
Not Afraid – Eminem
Don’t You Worry Child – Swedish House Mafia
Hall of Fame – The Script
Remember the Name – Fort Minor
Stay – Sash
We Come 1 – Faithless
The Day Is My Enemy – The Prodigy
Without Me – Eminem
Back in the U.K. – Scooter
On the other hand, if you want to sabotage your competition, sneak in these tracks into their music list and watch their athleticism suffer.
Three Little Birds – Bob Marley
World Looking In – Morcheeba
Tear Drop – Massive Attack
Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
Kelly Watch The Stars – Air
One Love/People Get Ready – Bob Marley
Fleetwood Mac – Passenger
No Woman No Cry – Bob Marley
You Can Get It If You Really Want – Jimmy Cliff
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
