The present study examined the effects of self-selected music on exercise tolerance and related physiological responses during endurance cycling. Recreationally active adults ( N = 29) completed two time-to-exhaustion (TTE) trials at ∼80% of peak power output under counterbalanced conditions: music (self-selected, 120–140 bpm) and no-music. Participants cycled longer with music ( M = 35.61, SD = 14.01 min) than without ( M = 29.80, SD = 11.47 min), t (28) = 3.62, p = .001, dz = 0.67. Heart-rate (HR) analyses ( N = 27) showed greater cumulative cardiovascular load under music (AUC +15.4% vs no-music; t (26) = 2.40, p = .024), and a small isotime HR increase (+2.9 bpm, ∼+1.9%; t (26) = 2.75, p = .011). Music also extended the time participants tolerated suprathreshold effort, both in absolute ( p .15). Qualitative data contextualized the participant experience. Results support the notion that self-selected music may facilitate tolerance of sustained effort consistent with altered tolerance of effort rather than improved metabolic efficiency. • Self-selected music increased cycling time-to-exhaustion by ∼20%. • Music increased time spent above anaerobic threshold without higher RPE. • Cardiovascular load was higher with music, but end HR and VO 2 were similar. • Energy cost per minute was unchanged; extra work came from longer duration. • Findings support a decision-based rather than capacity-based limit to tolerance.
Danso et al. (2026) studied this question.