If you ever feel like you need an extra boost to finish an exercise at the gym, try swearing.
Research presented at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society shows that swearing out loud makes you stronger.
The study, conducted by Dr. Richard Stephens, of Keele University, and Dr. David K. Spierer, from Long Island University Brooklyn, involved participants taking part in two exercise-based experiments.
In the first experiment, 29 participants used an exercise bike for “a short, intense period,” once after not swearing and again after having sworn, according to the British Psychological Society. The second experiment, which contained the same swearing and nonswearing parameters, involved 52 participants who completed a hand-grip test.
The results showed people who had cursed produced more power on the exercise bike and had a stronger handgrip.
Despite the findings, researchers have yet to determine why swearing apparently makes people stronger, with Stephens telling the society, “We have yet to understand the power of swearing fully.”
Read more at the British Psychological Society.
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