Have you ever been in the middle of a workout and encountered a moment when there is no other way to lift weights or cross the finish line than to curse loudly? Well, according to a new study, a strange form of swearing may boost athletic performance--three Hail Marys to the F-word.

According to a mini-review published this November, swearing has a positive effect on muscle strength, power, and endurance during brief, high-intensity exercise.

Yes, dropping the F-bomb, whether it's muttering it under your breath or loudly enough for the whole world to hear, can enhance your workout and help you squeeze out a few extra reps, whether you're hitting the squat rack or curling your best adjustable dumbbell. It might help.

Highlights of the study include.

The original study was published by Frontiers in Psychology, but I stumbled across this study through the newsletter of Arnie's Pump Club, of which Arnold Schwarzenegger is a member. The study was conducted as a mini-review designed to examine the effects of swearing on physical performance.

It found that swearing or using certain “taboo words” “improves physical performance during short, intense tasks that require the development of muscle strength and power.” In other words, using them before or during exercise can literally increase muscle strength and power for short periods of time during exercise.

You are probably wondering how. Scientists reviewed about 20 studies that looked at how swearing affects performance and combed through existing research.

Studies have shown that swearing modulates physiological (think heart rate and blood pressure), psychological, and nociceptive (pain threshold, tolerance, and perception) responses.

In this study, the “amount” of swearing was also varied, including the type, frequency, amount, and intensity of the words used. The use of profanity causes physiological and psychological changes - referred to as “emotional arousal” in the study's results - and, perhaps because of the taboo nature of the language, “higher emotional and humor ratings compared to neutral language.”

Having episodes of ranting during high-intensity training seems to improve pain tolerance and thresholds, making it possible to work harder for shorter periods of time.

This makes sense. The emotional response to swearing can release adrenaline, get the heart pumping, and keep the autonomic nervous system in a sympathetic state, recharged for high-intensity efforts. In this state, concentration and energy are heightened.

However, this is not the first time similar topics have been studied. For example, one 2014 study observed that “verbal grunts” increased power by up to 26% when tennis players hit tennis balls; a 2012 study found that hand grip strength increased by up to 7% in martial artists after shouting.

This makes sense as a personal trainer. In my experience, clients who are able to express themselves and vent their emotions generally perform better or work harder during a set. Just as we coaches teach proper breathing techniques during exercise, there is something about making noise that helps.

However, this study does not extend to “more natural, real-world settings outside of the laboratory.” Nor does the study, so far, limit its benefits to brief, intense efforts. Think of explosive powerlifting, for example. In other words, while it may still feel good to mutter a cuss word during a hundred Pilates exercises, the effect seems to be most powerful when the body is up against it.

Nevertheless, all of the more strenuous tasks, such as grip strength tests and push-ups, show improved results after swearing. As for whether swearing can really help increase push-up reps by up to 15%, I'm all for it. I would like it to, but I don't expect it to. I will, however, let out a few curse words and see where that takes me.

Needless to say, only try it when you feel comfortable. Just like many of my colleagues use pre-workouts before their workouts.

If you're not comfortable using swear words, try yelling, grunting, or screaming. Although this study focuses on swearing, it appears that the emotional release caused by making noise may benefit exercisers. Just say it with your chest out.