Science & Technology

Swearing can actually make us physically stronger, study finds

By T.K. Randall
December 23, 2025

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) A few years back, we reported on the discovery that swearing can reduce the sensation of pain - but it seems we may only be starting to lift the lid on the benefits that profanity might bring.

In a new study, researchers at the University of Alabama wanted to find out if swearing not only increased physical strength, but also brought about psychological changes as well.

To learn more, volunteers of various ages were tasked with carrying out exercises while uttering either an expletive or an ordinary word used in normal conversation.

The findings indicated that people who swore during the exercise not only saw better performance, but also seemed to enjoy the workout more than those who didn't."These findings suggest that swearing promotes psychological states conducive to maximizing effort and overcoming internal constraints," the study authors wrote.

But does swearing directly affect our inhibitions ? The jury is still out on that one, meaning that more research will be needed to determine whether or not this really is the case.

Still, it seems as though reeling off expletives does have a genuine impact, especially during exercise.

"These findings help explain why swearing is so commonplace," said study co-author and psychology researcher Richard Stephens.

"Swearing is literally a calorie-neutral, drug-free, low-cost, readily available tool at our disposal for when we need a boost in performance."

Source: Science Alert

Tags: Swearing, Strength