Science suggests your next workout might benefit from a few well-placed expletives. A recent study bolsters the growing
evidence that swearing can unlock hidden reserves of strength, seemingly by helping individuals overcome mental blocks.
According to Richard Stephens, a psychology researcher at Keele University in the UK, people often unconsciously limit
their physical output. Swearing, he suggests, provides an easily accessible method to feel more focused, confident, and
less inhibited, encouraging greater exertion.
Stephens and his colleagues at Keele and the University of Alabama aimed to determine if swearing's
performance-enhancing effects, previously observed in their research, stemmed from immediate psychological shifts,
particularly concerning the release of inhibitions.
The first experiment involved 88 participants, aged 18 to 65, all physically capable of exertion. Recruited from a
university campus, each participant chose a swear word they might use after an injury and a neutral word to describe a
Participants then performed a chair push-up, holding themselves suspended above the seat using only their arms. During
this exercise, they repeated their chosen word – either the swear word or the neutral word, depending on random
The researchers instructed participants to maintain the pose for as long as possible, up to 60 seconds, while
maintaining eye contact with the researcher via Microsoft Teams.
Following the exercise, participants completed a questionnaire assessing their level of state disinhibition, measuring
feelings of freedom from consequences. The researchers predicted that these measures would be higher during the
swear-word sessions compared to the neutral-word sessions, specifically in areas like humor, psychological flow,
self-confidence, social desirability, and distraction.
A second experiment, mirroring the first, involved a separate group of 94 participants recruited similarly. The same
measures were evaluated, but this time researchers included factors potentially decreased during swear-word sessions:
bystander apathy, behavioral inhibition system, cognitive anxiety, and negative emotion.
Both experiments indicated that swearing improved physical performance, with participants holding the chair push-up for
longer durations while repeating swear words. Positive emotion, humor, distraction, and novelty scores also increased
during the swearing tests. This suggests that using strong language may facilitate a shift into more action-oriented
states, potentially making workouts more enjoyable.
Stephens and his team concluded that swearing encourages psychological states that maximize effort and overcome internal
However, the study's evidence regarding swearing's direct impact on inhibitions was inconclusive. Further research,
involving more profanity, is necessary to confirm or refute this aspect.
Stephens notes the prevalence of swearing and explains, "Swearing is literally a calorie-neutral, drug-free, low-cost,
readily available tool at our disposal for when we need a boost in performance."