Effects of Inner Monologue Swearing on Physical Performance

There is compelling evidence that verbalizing swear words out loud increases physical performance. However, from a practical standpoint, verbal swearing may not always be feasible in public settings. One potential alternative is the use of inner monologue swearing (i.e. verbalizing in one’s mind), which could extend the utility of swearing to environments where vocalizing profanity is restricted. This study investigated whether inner monologue swearing enhances physical performance using a randomized crossover design. Forty-two physically active individuals were recruited for the study. Each participant completed two separate visits, spaced at least 72 hours apart to allow for recovery. During each visit, participants repeated, using inner monologue, either a swear word or neutral word every five seconds while completing three exercise tests in sequence: 1) grip strength, 2) wall sit time to exhaustion, and 3) plank time to exhaustion. Results indicate no significant difference in grip strength between swearing and neutral word conditions (p = 0.998). However, inner monologue swearing significantly improved wall sit (p = 0.008) and plank (p = 0.008) time to exhaustion compared to the neutral word using condition. These findings provide novel evidence that inner monologue swearing may enhance muscular endurance. However, the absence of a similar effect on grip strength suggests that this benefit may be task specific. These results have important practical implications, suggesting that inner monologue swearing may serve as a viable strategy to enhance physical performance in public settings where vocal swearing is not an option.