There have been numerous studies into how exercising to music can help people enjoy a better workout, but it seems some people can’t even set foot in the gym without their trusty headphones to get them in the zone.

As many as one in ten gym users will abandon a workout if they forget to bring their headphones with them, according to new research. The findings suggest that having rental or disposable headphones available in a health club may help to drive business – particularly in studios which charge on a PAYG basis. There is also scope to explore what impact music can have on boosting wider physical activity participation.

Audio visual equipment specialists AVonics asked 750 fitness fans about their workout habits to find out what makes for the perfect training environment. According to the respondents, one in three favour their own personal playlist at the gym, while – as any class teacher would tell you – the overwhelming majority agreed that music tempo can impact the level of effort people put into their workouts.

“Some members just aren’t going to appreciate loud music or any number of channels you put on, so you need to make sure they are comfortable, just as much as other members who need some tunes to keep the adrenaline pumping,” said John Marsh, managing director at AVonics.

“You can do this by installing colour changing lighting, switching loud, thumping music for high quality sound, and ensuring that your AV equipment is tailored to cover different parts of your gym space.”

Curated workout playlists, particularly those that can automatically match your workout tempo, are proving to be a major trend in 2015. Having launched in May, one of the frontrunners has been Spotify Running, which uses a smartphone’s accelerometer and gyroscope to calculate a suitable selection of on-tempo songs.