Swearing Might Give You a Real Strength Boost

Dropping a well-timed swear word might be the simplest way to unlock extra strength and focus when you need it most.

Blurting out a swear word when things get tough often brings a sense of relief. Research now suggests it may do more than ease frustration. A study published by the American Psychological Association indicates that swearing can improve physical performance, helping people push harder during tasks that test strength and endurance. The effect appears to come from reducing mental restraints that normally limit how much effort people give.

“In many situations, people hold themselves back – consciously or unconsciously – from using their full strength,” said study author Richard Stephens, PhD, of Keele University in the U.K. “Swearing is an easily available way to help yourself feel focused, confident and less distracted, and ‘go for it’ a little more.”

The research was published today (December 18) in the journal American Psychologist.

Earlier Findings on Strength and Endurance

This new work builds on earlier studies by Stephens and other researchers. Those studies showed that people who swear tend to perform better during a variety of physical challenges. Examples include how long someone can keep their hand submerged in ice water and how long they can support their body weight during a chair push-up exercise.

“That is now a well replicated, reliable finding,” Stephens said. “But the question is — how is swearing helping us? What’s the psychological mechanism?”

Disinhibition and Mental State

Stephens and his colleagues suspected that swearing might place people in a more disinhibited mental state. According to this idea, using a swear word helps loosen social and psychological restraints, making it easier to push harder when effort is required.

“By swearing, we throw off social constraint and allow ourselves to push harder in different situations,” he said.

Testing the Effect in the Lab

To examine this idea more closely, the researchers carried out two experiments involving a total of 192 participants. During each experiment, participants performed a chair pushup while repeating either a swear word of their choosing or a neutral word every two seconds. After finishing the exercise, participants answered questions about their mental state during the task.

These questions measured several factors associated with disinhibition, such as positive emotions, how amusing participants found the situation, how distracted they felt, and how confident they felt. The researchers also assessed psychological “flow,” which refers to a state of deep focus and immersion in an activity.

Why Swearing May Work

The results supported earlier findings. Participants who swore during the chair pushup were able to hold their body weight for a significantly longer time than those who repeated a neutral word. When the researchers combined data from the two new experiments with a previous study, they found that the performance boost could be explained by increases in reported psychological flow, distraction, and self-confidence, which are key elements of a disinhibited state.

“These findings help explain why swearing is so commonplace,” said 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.”

Looking Beyond Physical Tasks

The researchers now want to know whether this effect extends beyond physical challenges. According to study co-author Nicholas Washmuth, DPT, of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, future work will explore situations where success depends on overcoming hesitation.

“Our labs are now studying how swearing influences public speaking and romantic approach behaviors, two situations where people tend to hesitate or second-guess themselves,” he said.

Reference: “Don’t Hold Back”: Swearing Improves Strength Through State Disinhibition” by Richard Stephens, PhD, Harry Dowber, MSc, and Christopher Richardson, MSc, Keele University; and Nicholas Washmuth, DPT, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 18 December 2025, American Psychologist.
DOI: 10.1037/amp0001650

Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.