Shouting your favorite swear word during a tough set at the gym might do more than just vent your frustration. A new study suggests it can actually help you perform better.
Research published in the journal American Psychologist says that using swear words during a demanding physical task can improve performance by helping people drop their inhibitions and push harder.
How the Study Worked
The research was carried out by psychologists Richard Stephens, Harry Dowber, and Christopher Richardson from Keele University in England, along with Nicholas B. Washmuth from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
The team ran two separate experiments to test whether swearing could give people a measurable physical boost:
Volunteers were asked to support their body weight using only their hands on a chair seat for as long as possible.
Each participant picked one swear word and one neutral word.
In different trials, they repeated either the swear word or the neutral word every two seconds while holding themselves up.
The results showed a clear difference: when participants repeated the swear word, they were able to hold the position for longer than when they used the neutral word.
Why Swearing Helps
The researchers argue that swearing acts as a simple mental tool that reduces social hesitation and self-consciousness. By dropping a taboo word, people become less likely to hold back, which helps them commit more fully to the physical effort.
In a second experiment with 94 new participants, the team added another layer: the idea of bystander apathy. They noted that people often worry about how they look while struggling at the gym, even though others are usually focused on their own workouts.
When participants felt less concerned about being judged, swearing appeared to work even better as a way to free up their effort and increase performance.
A Mental Edge
Across both experiments, swearing was linked with longer hold times and a greater ability to push past the point where participants would normally give up. The study suggests that using strong language can help create a more confident, focused “flow” state, allowing people to reach their goals more easily.
In simple terms: if you’re in the middle of a brutal plank, final sprint or heavy lift and a swear word slips out, it might actually be giving you a small but real edge, not just making you sound annoyed.
