The Impact of Swearing on Pain Tolerance and Physical Performance

There’s that moment when you slam your pinky toe into the edge of a table, or you’re on your fourth rep at the gym and feel like you’re about to explode – and suddenly, a juicy swear word slips out. 😅

But what if we told you there’s no need to feel embarrassed – in fact, that very curse might be the thing helping you push through the pain or finish that final rep?

Scientific studies suggest that swearing isn’t just an emotional outlet – it can actually boost physical performance and increase pain tolerance. So next time you shout something nasty on the bench press, you’re not being crude – you’re optimizing, scientifically. 😄

In this blog, we’ll explore how swearing affects your body and brain – and why a well-timed expletive might just work better than your coach’s motivational speech.

Science Swears Too – Just in a Lab Coat

You might have thought that swearing is just a tool for everyday anger management, triggered by pain or frustration. But those words don’t only echo in gym locker rooms or when you bang your elbow on the kitchen counter – they’ve also made their way into research labs.

Several scientific studies have investigated what happens to the body and the brain when someone swears. And the answer? Surprisingly consistent: swearing has a measurable effect on both pain tolerance and physical performance.

Now let’s take a look at three truly fascinating and insightful scientific experiments that show swearing is more than just a colorful use of language.

The Effect of Swearing on Physical Performance – A Review Study

Authors: Nicholas B. Washmuth, Richard Stephens, Christopher G. Ballmann
Year: 2024
Source: Frontiers in Psychology

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The Experiment

In this review study, Washmuth, Stephens, and Ballmann compiled the findings of previous experiments that examined how swearing affects short-term, high-intensity physical performance. The selected studies involved participants performing various physical tests—such as handgrip strength assessments, cycling sprints, or isometric exertion tasks—while using one of two verbal strategies: either repeating a freely chosen swear word or a neutral, emotionless word.

The results consistently showed that the swearing groups outperformed those using neutral words. They produced stronger grip strength, higher watt output on the bike, and greater endurance under painful or strenuous conditions. Participants also reported feeling less pain and fatigue, without significant differences in heart rate or blood pressure—suggesting that the effect was not merely due to physical arousal.

The researchers proposed that swearing triggers a form of psychological release: reducing self-inhibition and enhancing neural responses associated with aggression or high-effort exertion, thereby boosting short-term performance. Additionally, swearing seems to reframe pain perception, helping participants endure discomfort for longer. The review emphasizes that the effect of swearing is not just psychological impression—it’s a phenomenon supported by measurable, consistent data.

This image is for illustrative purposes only and may not represent the actual experiment.

The Pain-Relieving Effect of Swearing Across Cultures

Researchers: Olivia Robertson, Sarita Jane Robinson, Richard Stephens
Year: 2017
Source: Sciencedirect

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The Experiment

This study explored how swearing affects pain perception, and whether that effect differs between people from the UK and Japan—two cultures with very different norms around swearing. The researchers used a cold pressor task, where participants had to immerse their hands in icy water while either repeating a swear word or a neutral word. In British culture, swearing is a common response to pain, while in Japanese culture it’s rare and lacks a learned “script.” The researchers hypothesized that Japanese participants would be more sensitive to pain, and swearing would not reduce their discomfort due to its unfamiliarity in their cultural context.

Findings

The results showed that Japanese participants indeed reported stronger pain and kept their hands in the ice water for less time than British participants. This was statistically confirmed with significance levels of p < 0.005 and p < 0.05, meaning the observed differences are very unlikely to be due to chance (in statistics, a smaller p-value means stronger confidence in the result—0.005, for example, means 99.5% certainty).

Surprisingly, swearing increased pain tolerance in both groups—this effect was also statistically significant, with p < 0.001, indicating 99.9% certainty that swearing helped. There was no difference in the effect of swearing between the two groups (p = 0.96), meaning the impact of swearing wasn’t dependent on cultural familiarity or habitual use.

The researchers concluded that the pain-relieving effect of swearing is not culturally dependent, but likely based on universal biological mechanisms—possibly involving the brain’s endogenous pain relief systems. In other words, swearing may help anyone deal with pain, regardless of their background, and could be a simple and effective tool in painful situations.

The Relationship Between Swearing and Pain Tolerance – The Role of Daily Swearing Frequency

Researchers: Richard Stephens and Claudia Umland
Year: 2011
Source: https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(11)00762-0/fulltext

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The Experiment

This study investigated whether the pain-relieving effect of swearing is influenced by how frequently people swear in their daily lives. The researchers hypothesized that frequent swearing might reduce the effectiveness of swearing as a tool for coping with pain due to habituation.

Participants took part in a cold pressor test, in which they submerged their hands in ice-cold water. In one condition, they repeatedly said a swear word of their choice; in the other, they repeated a neutral word. The researchers measured how long each participant could tolerate the cold and recorded their subjective pain ratings. In addition, participants completed a questionnaire about how often they use swear words in everyday life.

Findings

The results showed that swearing did increase pain tolerance and reduced the perception of pain overall. However, participants who reported swearing more frequently in their daily lives experienced a weaker pain-relief effect during the test. This suggests that regular use of swearing may diminish its effectiveness as a pain management strategy—likely due to desensitization or reduced emotional intensity.

The researchers concluded that while swearing can be a powerful short-term tool for boosting pain tolerance, its effectiveness may wear off in those who overuse it. To preserve its analgesic effect, it might be wise to use swearing sparingly in daily life.

Swear Smart – Your Brain Would Too

As surprising as it may sound, swearing isn’t just a slip of the tongue or a cultural faux pas — it’s actually a fascinating neurological response that our brain seems to take very seriously. Research shows that when we swear, the limbic system kicks in, pain perception is altered, inhibitory control loosens, and somehow, the body performs better than it would without the curse.

And if you think about it, it makes sense: language isn’t just about communication — it’s also a weapon, a defense mechanism, and a survival tool. Sometimes, a well-timed swear word doesn’t just say, “This hurts,” but rather, “I’m not done yet.”

But don’t go overboard. One of the studies showed that frequent everyday swearing reduces the pain-relieving effect, likely because your brain just gets used to it — like that third coffee that doesn’t even wake you up anymore. And let’s be honest: there are still places where dropping f-bombs every other sentence isn’t exactly charming.

So next time someone asks why you swore during your last pull-up, feel free to say:
“I’m testing verbal pain modulation strategies. Randomized, controlled style.” 😎