Swearing at the gym may lead to greater gains, study finds

Sometimes, it's impossible not to curse during a hard workout. We've all been guilty of letting a swearword slip out from time-to-time during a particularly intense gym session, or after biting off more than we can chew with a barbell. But did you know that there's a good chance that being foul-mouthed could be the key to a better workout? It's true!

Indeed, a recent scientific study conducted by researchers collaborating between Keele University in the United Kingdom and Long Island University in the United States has found that swearing can actually improve exercise performance.

Check out Kate Hudson's insane workout video below: 

The study, entitled: "Effect of Swearing on Strength and Power Performance", was published in the 35th volume of the Psychology of Sport and Exercise, a sports-related scientific journal.

As part of their method, Dr. David Spierer and Dr. Richard Stephens asked their participants to suggest a swear word they might use if they hurt themselves, and then to suggest an appropriate word to describe a table.

They found that the participants who swore the most were able to lift heavier weights for longer, while those people who repeated non-profane words wimped out quicker.

Credit: 1931

In the paper's abstract, Dr. Stephens writes: "Swearing appears to be able to bring about improvements in physical performance that may not be solely dependent on a stress response arising out of the shock value of the swearing."

He added: "We know that swearing appears to be handled in brain regions not usually associated with language processing. It is possible that activation of these areas by swearing could produce performance improvements across many different domains."

Take a look at Terry Crews' exercise regime in the video below: 

As a result of their findings, Spierer and Stephens have recently launched a website, swearingmakesyoustronger.com, to extoll the benefits of cursing during exercise. If you visit their online store, you can even pick up some colorful merchandise to help fund more swearing-based research.