Exploring the Effects of Swearing on Aerobic Endurance: A Preliminary Investigation

Ballmann CG, Jiannine L, Washmuth NB. Exploring the Effects of Swearing on Aerobic Endurance: A Preliminary Investigation. JEPonline 2024;27(4):43–51. This study determined the impact of swearing on aerobic endurance and psychological responses to exercise. In a randomized crossover design, 14 males (n = 5) and females (n = 9) completed 2 exercise sessions under the following counterbalanced conditions: (a) Neutral word (NW; Control); and (b) Swear word (SW). Participants self-selected a swear word that they would use if they “accidentally hit their head or stubbed their toe.” For the NW condition, a non-offensive neutral word with a similar sound and syllables was chosen by researchers. For each condition, the participants completed a maximal aerobic endurance test (Bruce protocol) on a treadmill. During exercise, participants were instructed to vocalize either their NW or SW every 3 seconds for 10 repetitions at the onset of each stage during the Bruce protocol, and to progress as far as possible until volitional fatigue. As a psychological measure, mood was assessed pre- and post-exercise via Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. All visits were separated by a minimum of 48 hours. Findings revealed no differences in time to exhaustion (P = 0.747). NW resulted in a worsened total mood disturbance score (TMDS) (P = 0.041) while comparatively, SW attenuated changes in TDMS from pre- to post-exercise. Overall, SW improved depression ratings post-exercise (P = 0.016) while NW caused no change. The NW resulted in worse post-exercise fatigue (P = 0.049) while the SW attenuated these changes. No other differences were noted between the conditions (P > 0.050). These findings indicate that the SW does not improve aerobic performance, but it may prevent decrements in mood due to intense exercise.