Grunting may help tennis players improve their game, according to a 2014 Hardin-Simmons University study. Players who grunted while hitting the tennis ball made shots travel 5 miles (8.1 km) per hour faster than if they made no noise at all. This is thought to be due to the exhaling that occurs during grunting, which gives muscles more power and stability. Researchers believe there may also be a mental component, as grunting may help players motivate themselves. Grunting may also negatively affect their opponents’ ability to hear the ball and judge its direction; therefore, critics have called to ban grunting in tennis.
More about athletic performance:
- Vision therapy, in which athletes take part in exercises designed to strengthen their eye function, has been found to improve batting performance by baseball players by 10%, according to a 2011 University of Cincinnati study.
- Drinking caffeine before sprinting or other sports movements that last less than five minutes can increase oxygen function by 100%, as reported by the American College of Sports Medicine.
- For every week a person is on bed rest, he or she may lose 10% of their fitness levels.