Music Designed for Running

High-intensity, cadence-based music designed specifically for running.

Music Product Line Seeks to Increase Runner Speed and Efficiency

San Francisco, Calif. - December 15, 2009 - San Francisco start-up Hella Sound integrates sports research findings with original music, producing 30-minute songs that sync to a runner's stride, improving efficiency and pacing.

There is considerable research suggesting music can be a powerful psychological assistant during exercise. It can act as an ergogenic aid, minimizing negative distractions and providing positive audio cues that improve performance. What’s more, the rhythm properties of music can be an effective tool for optimal pace training. Exercise physiologists have studied the cadence of elite runners—the rhythm at which they stride—and have found striking similarities, suggesting there is an optimal stride rate for runners who are looking to excel. Music that targets this cadence with high-intensity, motivating themes is the ideal for modern headphone-wearing runners.

Hella Sound develops its compositions with this psychological and kinesiological research in mind. Hella Sound running music maintains a consistent tempo throughout, offering the listener a clear rhythmic pattern to match their cadence. When the runner fatigues, the rhythm of the music mitigates the urge to slacken pace, compelling the runner to maintain tempo and speed. The result is a more consistent, effective workout.

As a runner himself, Hella Sound founder John Frenette knows not everyone is an elite-level runner. While elite runners may gravitate towards the same cadence, most runners move somewhere below the optimal stride rate. To accommodate runners of varying physiologies and skill levels, Hella Sound records each 30-minute song at 10 different tempos (measured in beats per minute). Runners may select a tempo they are comfortable with, or choose a slightly faster tempo to help them work on increasing their cadence. Running experts agree that having a faster cadence can improve a runner’s speed and efficiency. Using a faster tempo song can help runners increase their stride rate, and subsequently their running speed.

Hella Sound music eschews the bleeps and bloops of typical techno workout music, instead featuring guitar-oriented sounds with a honed rock edge. With a focus on producing band-oriented music, the Hella Sound catalog currently includes indie, hard rock and metal genres. Each composition evolves through the course of its 30-minute duration, building and changing—much like the soundtrack to a film—all the while maintaining tempo.

At 30 minutes in length, each Hella Sound song is long enough to be used for a whole workout, or can be added to a playlist for longer runs. To help runners identify their tempo and get a good fit, Hella Sound has developed the Stride Rate Finder MP3. In addition, a short video on Hella Sound’s Facebook page demonstrates the concept of running to the beat, and includes a brief interview with the founder.

For more information, visit www.HellaSound.com. For runner reviews, visit http://www.facebook.com/HellaSound.

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Media contacts

John Frenette
Hella Sound
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Phone: (415) 830–3675