Lemondrop

We've all heard this one before: Listen to music, get pumped up and have a better workout. But a new study has made headway in understanding exactly how music influences the athletically inclined, and what types of tunes work best.

Dr. Costas Karageorghis, a researcher from West London's Brunel University School of Sport and Education, asked participants to keep pace with the beat of a pre-selected playlist while running on a treadmill. Results (soon to run in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology) showed the music increased the gym rats' endurance by an average of 15 percent.

Why? Because music motivates us and influences our mood. Listening to upbeat, positive music drowns out some of the pain that occurs toward the end of a workout, so it keeps you going a little longer.

Click here to lean more about why it works, and download Lemondrop's exclusive, expert-endorsed run-faster playlist.

Earlier this month, Dr. Karageorghis tested his theory at London's Run to the Beat half marathon. He organized the race's music, with bands scheduled to play certain songs -- by everyone from Madonna to the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- at different points of the race. Runners said the music made the workout more pleasurable and helped them run further and harder.

"Think of music as a legal drug," says Karageorghis. "It reduces the perception of effort by blocking fatigue-related messages to the brain. It elevates positive aspects of mood, like vigor and excitement, and reduces negative aspects, like depression, and this creates the right sporting mindset." He estimates that music can provide a 2 percent improvement in race time.

So what songs should you listen to? Karageorghis recommends anything with 120 to 140 beats per minute and motivating lyrics. Arrange the tracks to progress from slower to faster songs, gradually raising the tempo with special booster tunes for the times when you really start to feel the burn.

The Lemondrop Run-Faster Playlist, approved by music and sports psychology expert Dr. Costas Karageorghis:

Click here to download the playlist from iTunes

1. "Float On," by Modest Mouse

2. "Let It Rock," by Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne

3. "Jessie's Girl," by Rick Springfield

4. "Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex," by CSS

5. "Such Great Heights," by The Postal Service

6. "Can't Stop," by Red Hot Chili Peppers

7. "A-Punk," by Vampire Weekend

8. "I'm So Excited," by The Pointer Sisters

9. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," by JET

Tell us: What workout music gets your heart pumping?