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Listening to certain types of music, such as songs with fast tempos and beats, may naturally increase endurance and help people finish workouts, said Brett Halverson, an alumnus of Iowa State and an A-certified personal trainer at Ames Racquet and Fitness, 3600 Lincoln Way.

“Doing cardio on the treadmill is not fun,” Halverson said. “Listening to music keeps you from focusing on it, so it helps you be more productive.”

Music helps people exercise more effectively because it reminds them of pleasurable experiences they’ve associated with it in the past, and releases adrenaline and endorphins, Halverson said.

According to a scientific appendix in the Journal of Music Therapy, many scientific studies confirm that stimulative music can increase the listener’s heart rate and pulse rate.

The type of music that can get someone going varies from person to person, he said.

“The weight lifters usually listen to heavy metal,” Halverson said. “I listen to Rob Zombie all the time when I work out, but someone else might listen to country.”

This variation in music taste can cause problems in public settings, he said.

Doug Arrowsmith, program coordinator of recreation services at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center, said playing music in public areas of sporting facilities could present more problems than benefits.

“I’ve heard the horror stories from other universities,” Arrowsmith said. “It’s extremely difficult to find one type of music that everyone enjoys.”

To address the problem, Arrowsmith and the staff at Lied are considering installing individual satellite entertainment stations where students could enjoy music without bothering others.

“They have different receivers that the students could hook up on and tune into different television or radio channels,” he said.

Arrowsmith said the receiver technology is only a consideration at this point, and any installation will not be done until next spring.

“I encourage students to bring in their own music at this point,” he said.

Erik Anderson, senior in marketing and linebacker for the Cyclone football team, said listening to music helps him be more productive during workouts.

“We have a great stereo system in the weight room,” he said. “The music makes for a much better atmosphere.”

Anderson said many of the players will listen to music in headphones to get pumped up before their games, although music becomes irrelevant on the field.

“It’s a pregame ritual for me,” he said. “But when the game is going on, you’re locked in; the music doesn’t make any difference.”