Why?

 

Why?

                                Roger Federer, Wimbledon 2009

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Until I wrote my recent ‘Grunt and Sigh’ post, I’d never thought about why people do it, particularly the former. Boud came nearest the explanation when she commented, ‘Grunting helps strengthen your core.’ It certainly does have something to do with the core.

Rising from sitting requires abdominal and hip muscles to work, and a degree of core engagement. With age, muscles weaken, the body strains more, and the effort is expressed in a grunt or groan. Sometimes, people involuntarily hold their breath when making a physical effort, like standing up, and the air released at the end of the action comes out as a grunt.

The grunt is an involuntary reflex, a minor form of Valsalva manoeuvre. The Valsalva manoeuvre is a breathing technique used to slow down heart rate, or clear blocked ears. Basically, it is performed by holding the nose and breathing out while keeping the mouth closed. Air is forced into the eustachian tubes and the ears ‘pop,’ equalising the pressure in them.

Grunting becomes habit.

Tennis players, champion grunters, have several reasons for making such a racket. (Note the pun on words!)

Sports scientists have shown that players who grunt serve faster, and complete their groundstrokes faster. Grunts also release tension and improve the timing of strokes. The noise ‘synchronises breathing precisely with hitting the ball.’

Other reasons for grunting probably come under the heading of gamesmanship. Grunts can be distracting to an opponent, and can affect how quickly they react to a shot. If they cannot hear the ball on the racquet, they cannot judge its speed and direction as effectively.

Grunting has spoilt my pleasure in watching tennis on television. If only there were a way to screen out the noise, just leaving the commentary, the crowd reaction, and the umpire’s calls . . .