To grunt and scream or not to grunt and scream, that is the performance question: a Shakespearean Hamlet existential soliloquy for athletes.
There's that yelling in exercise class when an activity is completed. Mostly it is one or two female instructors at the Y doing Woo-Hoos and pumping fists in the air. These are loud and exclamatory. I got to wondering what it was about. I looked up the definition and it says that these are considered traditional exclamations of triumph or vindication.
We're not doing extraordinary work in these classes. We're not competing to win. So what would make someone want to declare 'victory' after a (small) exercise segment is completed? These may be answerable or unanswerable questions, like Hamlet's.
What came up in the article feed that is more interesting is when it comes to grunting and screaming before physical exertion. One article says that a quick yell or grunt before an exercise may increase strength, according to researchers from Iowa State University.
"While the proper technique can only be taught by an expert, forcefully expelling air in the form of a quick yell or grunt may help stabilize your core and have the same affect on force production and strength, Welch says."
Another article says that scientists don't know exactly why a sharp yell or grunt gives people that extra oomph when they do things like lift weights or swat at a tennis ball, but it's probably related to a communication signal from the part of the brain that controls breathing to the part that controls muscle function, said O'Connell.
As for the Woo-hoo's in the gym, my sense is that we're in the age of showing off through loud exclamations.
These are the Lincoln Leapers at the Festival of Arts. They are amazing in performance. Can you imagine us skipping like this in exercise class? It might give rise to grunting and yelling.
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