For years, a common belief has circulated: the tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body. This notion, often repeated in casual conversation and even some educational settings, paints a picture of our tongues as incredibly powerful, tireless movers. But is there any truth to this claim? The answer, according to experts, is a resounding no. However, the real explanation behind muscle strength and the tongue’s remarkable capabilities is more nuanced and fascinating than you might think. Let’s delve into the science to understand why this myth persists and what truly defines the strongest muscle in our complex anatomy.
The myth surrounding the tongue’s strength is surprisingly widespread. Maureen Stone, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, suggests this misconception might stem from the tongue’s incredible endurance. Think about it – when was the last time your tongue felt genuinely tired? Unless you have a specific medical condition, the answer is likely never. This tireless nature, especially during essential functions like eating and speaking, can easily be misinterpreted as raw strength. Stone explains that the tongue’s resilience comes from its unique muscle architecture. It isn’t one single muscle, but rather a collection of many similar muscle fibers. This redundancy allows different fibers to activate and take over, preventing fatigue and maintaining consistent performance. “It doesn’t fatigue because there’s a lot of redundancy in the muscle architecture. You simply activate different muscle fibers and get the same result,” Stone clarifies.
Close-up of a woman demonstrating tongue flexibility, often mistakenly associated with the myth of the tongue being the strongest muscle in the human body.
Further dispelling the myth, Stephen Tasko, a speech scientist from Western Michigan University, emphasizes that the tongue isn’t even a single muscle at all. Instead, it’s a sophisticated structure composed of eight distinct muscles interwoven together. Unlike muscles like the biceps that are anchored to bones, tongue muscles form a “muscular hydrostat.” This type of structure, also found in octopus tentacles and elephant trunks, provides incredible flexibility and maneuverability. Four extrinsic muscles anchor the tongue to the skull, throat bone, jaw, and palate. These muscles are responsible for the tongue’s gross movements – side to side, back and forth, and up and down. The remaining intrinsic muscles constitute the body of the tongue, enabling its fine motor skills. They allow us to shape our tongue in countless ways – lengthening, shortening, curling, flattening, and rounding – all crucial for speech, eating, and swallowing.
This boneless, all-muscle composition gives the tongue exceptional suppleness and a wide range of motion while maintaining a constant volume. Tasko uses a vivid analogy: “It’s kind of like a water balloon. If you deform it in one place, it’s going to pop out in other spots.” He believes the myth of the tongue’s strength endures because of this very flexibility and tireless activity. “We all know that you can do all kinds of gymnastics with your tongue because it always seems to be going, and it’s highly agile,” Tasko notes. He suspects this agility might be mistakenly interpreted as strength.
Scientists have even developed methods to measure tongue strength using devices like the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument. This device, essentially a pliable air-filled bulb placed in the mouth, measures the maximum pressure the tongue can exert. However, these measurements reveal that we are assessing muscle systems, not individual muscle strength in the way the myth implies. So, if the tongue isn’t the strongest, what is?
Defining “strongest muscle” isn’t straightforward. It depends on how we define muscle strength. If we consider brute force, then size truly matters. Skeletal muscles are made of fibers containing sarcomeres, the force-generating units. “Generally speaking, more muscle tissue means a larger total number of sarcomeres, which means greater maximum force generation,” Tasko explains. By this measure, the largest muscles, like the quadriceps in your thighs and the gluteus maximus in your buttocks, are the strongest due to their sheer size and capacity for force generation.
However, raw force isn’t the only factor. Muscles work by pulling on bones, which act as levers. Consider your biceps curling a dumbbell. The bicep muscle pulls on forearm bones near the elbow, a relatively short lever arm. According to Khalil Iskarous, a linguist at the University of Southern California, this short lever requires the bicep to exert significant force to lift the hand. In contrast, the jawbone is a much shorter lever. This is where the masseter muscle, the main muscle in your jaw, enters the conversation. Due to the jaw’s lever mechanics, the masseter can exert considerable force for biting and chewing, making it a strong contender for the strongest muscle based on force exerted for its size.
Another perspective shifts the definition of “strongest” to “hardest working.” In this case, the heart muscle unequivocally takes the crown. This tireless muscle works continuously, 24/7, pumping blood throughout your body, supplying all other muscles, including the tongue, with vital oxygen and nutrients. Over a lifetime, the heart performs an astronomical amount of work, solidifying its place as the body’s hardest working muscle.
While the tongue might not be the strongest in terms of force or size, strengthening it can still be beneficial. Tasko mentions research suggesting that tongue exercises can help individuals with swallowing difficulties, such as stroke patients. There’s also ongoing, though controversial, speculation about tongue strengthening improving speech abilities and addressing speech pathologies. More research is needed to confirm these benefits.
In conclusion, the tongue, while remarkably agile and tireless, is definitively not the strongest muscle in the human body. The myth likely persists due to the tongue’s constant activity, flexibility, and perhaps a human fascination with superlatives. As Iskarous suggests, “People want to attach some kind of ‘est’ to it. ‘Strongest’ or this or that—and that’s maybe what stuck.” Understanding the true nature of muscle strength reveals a more complex and fascinating picture, highlighting the impressive capabilities of various muscle systems throughout our bodies, from the powerful masseter to the tireless heart and the incredibly versatile tongue.
