What to listen to

The number of steps per minute should also be taken into account, advises Frank Hofmann, editor in chief of Runner's World magazine. A runner who manages 180 strides in 60 seconds should run to music with between 45 and 90 bpm.

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Finding out the bpm of a tune isn't as easy at it first might appear. While there are iPhone Apps available to measure bpm, generally the technology is only available in DJ programs.

"As a rule, the music should have a constant rhythm, preferably in three-quarter time," recommends Moriabadi, who believes bpm should track stride rate. She feels that between 130 and 150 bpm is the rate to run to although "130 bpm is probably a little slow and 150 a tick too fast."

Athletes wanting to run faster while also maintaining the same ratio of bpm will be left listening to the likes of heavy metal, music played to a rhythm that is likely to cause more damage than benefits, according to the experts.

"If the music is too fast for the natural running rhythm, then the runner will attempt to follow the music for a while, which leads to an increased pace, faster heart rate and heavier breathing," says Moriabadi, adding that this can quickly lead to over-exertion.

Hofmann agrees that listening to music may not always be beneficial, especially when it comes to high-performance training.

Obviously, personal musical taste plays a role with Loellgen of the view that, as a rule, music tends to bring a welcome distraction from the boredom of running.

Light, friendly music with major keys is preferred to darker, sometimes sad minor keys, says Moriabadi.

Hofmann points out that listening to music helps block out general surrounding noise. "A person should still be able to hear this noise though," he says, citing the example of an approaching car. "This rules out listening to music requiring complete immersion."

Moriabadi, meanwhile, recommends leaving the music at home on some days. "It is important some days to concentrate entirely on the body and feel everything while running," she says.

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