Talking points of exercise

For years, researchers have debated the pros and cons of conversing during aerobic exercise.

The effort of speaking and listening might cause people to slow down, some argue. Others contend that an engaging talk can enliven and even intensify a workout. The challenge has been to design a study that mimics the rhythms and realities of conversation during exercise.

Physiologists at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania have created such an experiment -- but the results may not settle the issue for everyone.

They measured heart rate and calories burned in 24 college students who carried on conversations while working out on a treadmill. The students exercised at both their maximum exertion, and at 70% of their maximum, a more comfortable pace that experts recommend to sustain aerobic fitness.

In the less intense exercise session, “We tried to simulate a 20-minute conversation, just get people chatting, as they would do in real life, in their own way, during a normal workout,” said physiologist Ronald Deitrick, one of the study’s authors.

The investigators found that jawboning during the run did not cause significant changes in calories burned or heart rate when the students were exercising at the more comfortable pace. Only when participants pushed themselves beyond 80% of their maximum did they find conversation too difficult.

“What this suggests is if you’re a competitive athlete exercising with a friend, then it’s not a good idea to talk when you’re testing your limit,” said Deitrick.

But people are more likely to keep up a workout routine when sharing it with a friend, psychologists find. A good conversation distracts attention from sensations of exhaustion or pain. And for those who are social, working out is more fun when it includes jokes and gossip.

“During normal aerobic exercise, the conversation seems to be a matter of focusing attention, rather than doing a lot more work,” said Deitrick. “You’re burning the same amount of calories, getting the same workout, the same benefits, that you would be without talking.”