Does Swearing Make You Stronger? the Surprising Science Behind Cursing and Performance

Have you ever let a colorful word slip during your last tough workout? Turns out, your potty mouth might actually be giving you a performance boost. Recent research suggests that swearing—yes, actual curse words—can measurably improve your physical performance during exercise. Let’s explore this fascinating (and slightly taboo) fitness hack.

The Power of Profanity: What Science Says

Scientists have been studying an unusual performance enhancer that’s completely free, requires no equipment, and is already in most people’s vocabularies. Multiple studies have found that swearing can significantly boost your physical performance during short, intense activities.

When participants cursed while performing various exercises, they showed impressive improvements compared to when they used neutral language:

• 8-9% stronger grip strength
• 4-5% more power during intense cycling
• 10% longer endurance in bodyweight exercises
• 12-22% longer time-to-exhaustion in wall sits and planks

These aren’t trivial gains—elite weightlifters typically improve their strength by just 3.5% over an entire year of training. The finishing times between first and eighth place in Olympic sprinting events often differ by only about 1.2%. In other words, the swearing advantage is substantial enough to potentially change competitive outcomes.

How Does It Work?

While researchers are still investigating exactly why swearing provides such a powerful boost, three main mechanisms appear to be at play:

1. Physiological Responses: Swearing may trigger your body’s “fight or flight” response, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline—essentially priming your body for maximum effort.

2. Psychological Effects: Cursing seems to promote a state of disinhibition (a fancy way of saying it helps you stop holding back). It might also increase self-confidence and help you enter a flow state more easily.

3. Pain Perception: Swearing has been shown to increase pain tolerance and threshold in multiple studies. This could help you push through the burning sensation in your muscles during tough exercises.

Think of it like turning off the safety limits your brain normally imposes. Your muscles can actually produce more force than your brain typically allows (a protective mechanism), and swearing might help override those mental governors.

Using Swearing in Your Workouts

Ready to add some strategic cursing to your fitness routine? Here’s how to do it effectively:

Finding Your Perfect Curse

In research studies, participants typically chose words they’d use if they accidentally banged their head or stubbed their toe. The most effective swear words tend to be those with emotional power for you personally.

Interestingly, about 90% of study participants selected either the F-word or S-word as their preferred performance-enhancing expletive. These seem to pack the most punch, but any word that feels emotionally charged to you should work.

Timing It Right

Different approaches have proven effective:

• Repeat your chosen word for 10 seconds before a maximum effort (like before a heavy lift)
• Say it every 2-5 seconds during an endurance exercise (like during a plank)
• Use it rhythmically to help maintain effort during repeated movements

Where to Use It

Swearing appears most effective for:

• Maximum strength efforts (heavy lifts, sprints)
• High-intensity intervals
• Endurance tests to failure (holding positions or completing maximum reps)
• Getting through the toughest part of a workout

Real-World Considerations

Before you start cursing up a storm at your local gym, consider:

• Many fitness facilities have policies against offensive language
• Fellow gym-goers might not appreciate your newly discovered performance technique
• The effect may diminish with overuse (more on that below)

For these reasons, consider whispering your chosen word under your breath, using it only during your toughest sets, or saving it for home workouts.

The Habituation Factor

Here’s where things get interesting: research suggests that swearing’s effects may diminish with regular use. People who curse frequently in everyday life seem to experience less of a pain-relieving effect when they swear.

This suggests you might want to save your workout cursing for when you really need it—like attempting a personal record or pushing through the final reps of a challenging set—rather than making it part of every workout.

The Bottom Line

While it might seem unconventional, the evidence suggests that strategic swearing can give you a genuine performance edge. It’s free, requires no equipment, and can be implemented immediately. Just remember to be mindful of your environment and save your most powerful words for when you need them most.

So the next time you’re struggling through that last rep or fighting to hold a plank for a few more seconds, a well-timed expletive might be exactly what you need to power through.

This article is based on research by Nicholas B. Washmuth, Richard Stephens, and Christopher G. Ballmann, published in Frontiers in Psychology, 2024. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1445175