In a gym, a guttural cry or a swear word released during the last lift often brings a smile. For a long time, this reflex was seen as a simple outlet for frustration. Psychologists, however, show that these insults could also have a concrete effect on the body, by helping the muscles to last a little longer.
A recent study published in the journal American Psychologist adds to several studies showing that swearing improves physical performance during intense efforts. When repeating a swear word during an exercise, volunteers supported their own weight longer than when they said a neutral word. This phenomenon is beginning to be well documented.
Swearing during exercise, a measurable boost to strength
Richard Stephens and his colleagues at Keele University and the University of Alabama recruited 192 adults. Each participant chose a swear word to say after hitting their head, and a neutral word to describe a table, then made a push-up chair : sitting, hands on the seat, he had to lift his body and hold it in the air while repeating the word every two seconds, up to 60 seconds at most.
In both experiments, those who used big words lasted significantly longer than during the session with a neutral word. Previous work from the same laboratory had already shown an 8% increase in
strength grip and 4.5% of cycling power by repeating an expletive. The aggregation of three studies, i.e. 300 participants, confirms that the effect is real, but limited.
A brain temporarily disinhibited to access its full potential
Researchers don’t think insults build muscle in seconds. Their hypothesis is based on the
disinhibition state, defined as the fact of “temporarily tend towards less controlled rather than overcontrolled behaviors“. After the effort, the volunteers who had sworn declared more of a state of full immersion in the effort in progress (psychological flow), more
self-confidence and fewer extraneous thoughts than during neutral trials.
“In many situations, people hold back — consciously or unconsciously — from using their full strength.”said study author Richard Stephens of Keele University in the United Kingdom. “Swearing is an easy way to gain focus, self-confidence, and reduce distractions, and to dare more.”.
From the gym to real life, a mental tool to use with context
The same teams had already observed that swearing increased
pain tolerance during a hand test immersed in ice water, with a less severe sensation of pain. Other researchers have found a benefit from exercises such as core training, push-ups or wall sits.
“These results provide a better understanding of why swearing is so common.”Stephens said. “Swearing is literally a no-calorie, no-drug, inexpensive, easily accessible tool at our disposal when we need a boost.”.
Swearing does not instantly transform the body, but seems to remove, for a few seconds, certain mental brakes that limit effort. Used sparingly and in the right context, this little verbal slip becomes a surprisingly effective psychological tool. Further proof that the brain, sometimes, just needs to let go to allow the body to go a little further.