Science says swearing can benefit muscle strength and stamina

Researchers find performance improved by use of profanity during hard efforts versus neutral words

Philippe Tremblay May 6, 2017

The accelerative power of profanity has been bolstered by science. A new study suggests that colourful language may help you get up the steep inclines of a hill a little faster or produce the extra power to close a gap in the group ride. Psychologists carried out tests on volunteers who swore before intense sessions on a stationary bike or a test on a squeeze device that measures hand grip strength.

“We know from our earlier research that swearing makes people more able to tolerate pain,” Richard Stephens of the University of Keele who led the study told Sky News. “A possible reason for this is that it stimulates the body’s sympathetic nervous system – that’s the system that makes your heart pound when you are in danger.

“If that is the reason, we would expect swearing to make people stronger too, and that is just what we found in these experiments,” Stephens explained.

The researchers observed significant improvements in performance in both tests in comparison to the use of what were deemed neutral words.

In the first test, 29 volunteers with an average age of 21-years-old, pedalled a stationary bike for 30 seconds while repeating profanity or a neutral word. The psychologists found that the riders peak power was increased by an average 24 watts by swearing.

The researchers did encounter a surprise in the subject’s psychological response. Despite swearing which was thought to trigger the “fight or flight” response, no increase in heart rate and other expected changes were observed in the test subjects.

In the second test, 52 volunteers underwent a hand grip strength test and again were asked to use a swear word or a neutral word while measurements were taken. Grip strength was increased by an average of 2.1 kg.

“Quite why it is that swearing has these effects on strength and pain tolerance remains to be discovered,” Stephens added. “We have yet to understand the power of swearing fully.”