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This article gained some publicity on twitter recently. We had a great time reading it and going through this paper. Language warning: This podcast contains a swear word.

 

 

Effect of swearing on strength and power performance ☆

Richard Stephens, David K. Spierer, Emmanuel Katehis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.11.014

 

Highlights

Shows that swearing can increase performance of a task of physical power.

Shows that swearing can increase performance of a task of physical strength.

Does not find any evidence that autonomic arousal may underlie these effects.

 

Abstract

 

Objectives

Swearing aloud increases pain tolerance. The hypothesis that this response may be owed to an increase in sympathetic drive raises the intriguing question as to whether swearing results in an improvement in strength and power.

 

Design

Employing repeated measures designs, we evaluated the effect of repeating a swear word v. a neutral word on strength and power during anaerobic and isometric exercise through two experiments.

 

Method

Experiment #1 (n = 29) employed the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test (WAnT). Experiment #2 (n = 52) employed an isometric handgrip test.

 

Results

Greater maximum performance was observed in the swearing conditions compared with the non-swearing conditions for WAnT power (Experiment #1; dz = 0.618, p = 0.002) and hand grip strength (Experiment #2; dz = 0.962, p