The Study
The Effect of Verbal Encouragement with Swearing on High Intensity Exercise Performance
This study watched what happened when people yelled swear words during a tough bike test — but it didn’t randomly assign who got which version, so we can’t say swearing caused any change. It just showed that for guys, swearing might have made them slower, while girls weren’t affected. That’s a clue, not proof.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
When someone yells encouraging words with swear words during a super-hard bike sprint, it doesn't help most people—but for guys, it can actually make them weaker if the person yelling is a woman.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 563 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1A 4.2% drop in power during a 30-second all-out sprint could mean the difference between winning and losing in competitive sports for men when exposed to swearing from a female encourager.
- 2Men's power dropped 4.2% when a woman yelled swear words at them during a sprint.
- 3Women's power didn't change.
- 4Men also felt more confident than women before the test, no matter what was said.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Research in Strength and Performance
Year
2026
Authors
Nicholas B. Washmuth, Lia Jiannine, Lindsey Davis, Christopher G. Ballmann
Related Content
Claims (10)
When physically active men perform a high-intensity cycling test, hearing swear words during encouragement reduces their power output by 4.2% compared to neutral encouragement; women's performance does not change under the same conditions.
In physically active adults, using swear words during verbal encouragement does not change power output, self-confidence, or psychological flow during a high-intensity cycling test.
During high-intensity anaerobic exercise, men report higher levels of self-confidence than women, no matter what kind of verbal encouragement they receive.
Using swear words during verbal encouragement during a 30-second all-out cycling test does not result in higher power output, greater self-confidence, or stronger psychological flow in healthy young adults compared to using the same words without swearing.
During high-intensity anaerobic testing, men report higher self-confidence than women before the test begins, even when no verbal encouragement is given.
When people swear themselves during exercise, their performance improves; when someone else swears at them during exercise, performance does not improve and can get worse depending on the social setting.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.