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Jokes aside, this is actually a very interesting study. We all know that physical characteristics are developed specifically by different activities (endurance

Jokes aside, this is actually a very interesting study. We all know that physical characteristics are developed specifically by different activities (endurance for runners, strength for weightlifters). But I think most people would think this is due to local effects at the level of the muscle or specific neural circuits for different movements. This study suggests that a more general physical adaptation is at play, since the tongue isn't involved in running or weightlifting.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
Yeah, this is neat. I suppose it does make sense - running is going to have an effect on the whole cardiovascular system, the legs being just a part of that, and weightlifting will affect the whole of the CNS's ability to recruit muscle fibers, so it does stand to reason their would be systemic changes. The body becomes better in totality at what it practices, and it's neat to see evidence of this.
- ahi 8y ago
  There may also be some self-selection when it comes to people who choose to be weightlifters or runners. Tongue strength differences may be a genetic correlation with particular body types rather than a result of training.
  - mr_overalls 8y ago
    Exactly what I was thinking. Did the study control for genetic effects? The study compared "weightlifters" and "runners" - people who have presumably already been pursuing the activity for some time, instead of of being randomly assigned to such an experimental condition. So we might expect that genetically stronger people (with stronger tongues) would gravitate toward weightlifting, with the same trend for self-identified "runners" and endurance.
notacoward 8y ago
It's not entirely true that the tongue isn't involved, because of breathing patterns. If differential tongue strength/endurance is just an incidental effect of different breathing patterns, I'm not sure there's much further to go with this.
- scott_s 8y ago
  Not just breathing patterns, but during the brief but intense period of a lift, the muscles of your tongue are engaged in a way they are not normally.
abledon 8y ago
According to yogis and qigong teachers I’ve met The tongues energetic circuit connects to the heart and actually runs down the spine and ends at the anus . I could totally see how exercising one part frees up and strengthens another through reflexology
- posterboy 8y ago
  Hard to confirm without studies on anus strength cross correlation.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago

Yeah, this is neat. I suppose it does make sense - running is going to have an effect on the whole cardiovascular system, the legs being just a part of that, and weightlifting will affect the whole of the CNS's ability to recruit muscle fibers, so it does stand to reason their would be systemic changes. The body becomes better in totality at what it practices, and it's neat to see evidence of this.

ahi 8y ago
There may also be some self-selection when it comes to people who choose to be weightlifters or runners. Tongue strength differences may be a genetic correlation with particular body types rather than a result of training.
- mr_overalls 8y ago
  Exactly what I was thinking. Did the study control for genetic effects? The study compared "weightlifters" and "runners" - people who have presumably already been pursuing the activity for some time, instead of of being randomly assigned to such an experimental condition. So we might expect that genetically stronger people (with stronger tongues) would gravitate toward weightlifting, with the same trend for self-identified "runners" and endurance.

notacoward 8y ago

It's not entirely true that the tongue isn't involved, because of breathing patterns. If differential tongue strength/endurance is just an incidental effect of different breathing patterns, I'm not sure there's much further to go with this.

scott_s 8y ago
Not just breathing patterns, but during the brief but intense period of a lift, the muscles of your tongue are engaged in a way they are not normally.

abledon 8y ago

According to yogis and qigong teachers I’ve met The tongues energetic circuit connects to the heart and actually runs down the spine and ends at the anus . I could totally see how exercising one part frees up and strengthens another through reflexology

posterboy 8y ago
Hard to confirm without studies on anus strength cross correlation.