Welcome back to Just Curious, Strong Women’s weekly series exploring all the random health and fitness questions you’ve always wondered about but never got the answers to.

This week, we’re looking into why some people stick their tongues out when they concentrate. What exactly is the reason?

Our bodies do a lot of weird and wonderful things that are out of our control, but most of them kind of make sense. Eyes watering as soon as you step out of your front door in the summer? Annoying, but an attempt to keep pollen, pollution and other irritants out. Stomach filled with butterflies as soon as you start speaking in a meeting? Inconvenient, but a sign that our fight-or-flight response has kicked into gear and is providing much-needed adrenaline.

But there’s one fascinating phenomenon that really doesn’t seem to make sense – sticking our tongues out when we concentrate. For those of us who do it, it’s an involuntary response to turning our attention to something tricky, like trying to slip a thread through the eye of a needle or attempting a difficult skill in the gym. But where does this response come from? And what does it have to do with concentration? 

To find out more, we spoke to Valerie Stark, a neuroscientist and chief marketing officer at the supplement brand Novomins. It turns out that sticking our tongues out could be more beneficial to our concentration abilities than we realise – here’s what she had to say. 

According to Stark, there are several reasons why someone might stick their tongue when concentrating – but most experts agree it happens simply because it’s a useful way to reduce the number of distractions your brain has to deal with.

“The tongue is a very sensitive part of the body that sends sense information to the brain all the time,” Stark explains. “These inputs are processed in parts of the brain that are connected to the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum, which are in charge of motor coordination and focus. Putting the tongue out in front of you or clamping it between your lips might help block out sensory input so your brain can focus better on the job at hand. Research that shows the tongue’s motor inputs can get in the way of tasks that need a lot of focus backs up this idea.”

A phenomenon called ‘motor overflow’ can also play a role, Stark explains, but this largely occurs in children who haven’t learned how to separate their motor processes. This is why, for example, children sometimes move their lips while reading in silence.  

Last, but by no means least, some scientists suggest this instinct to tick our tongue out when concentrating is actually a biological leftover from when humans learned how to talk.

“People probably used a mix of face expressions and gestures to talk to each other before they started speaking,” Stark says. “Broca’s area, the part of the brain that controls speech, is also involved in some hand moves, which backs up this idea. In this case, the movement of the tongue may be an unconscious holdover from these early ways of talking.” 

The ‘motor overflow’ phenomenon found in children aside, researchers aren’t quite sure why some people stick their tongues out when concentrating while others keep a straight face.

Stark believes it could be down to two key factors: differences in the way people’s brains are wired and interconnected, and good old behavioural conditioning.

“Over time, people may learn to control this behaviour, especially if they hear from others or their parents that it’s not good,” she explains. “As an example, neurosurgeons, cosmetic dentists and other types of medical professionals require a lot of focus and finely tuned motor skills but you never see them sticking their tongues out.” 

Sticking your tongue out may be involuntary, but there are active things you can do to boost your concentration levels and make it easier for your brain to focus.

1. Optimise your environment

In the same way that sticking your tongue out can help your brain to be less distracted, you want your environment to be free of unnecessary distractions.

On top of this, there are a few tools you can use to optimise your environment, Stark says. “Setting up a designated quiet place to work can be helpful, and research has found that music can help people get into an alpha state, which is linked to better focus and attention.”

2. Try cold therapy

If you’re feeling brave enough, a quick dose of cold therapy – whether that’s jumping in a lake or having a cold shower – can help your mind focus on the task at hand.

“Cold plunges have been gaining popularity for their potential mental and physical benefits, including improved focus and concentration and a significant increase in dopamine levels and metabolic rate,” Stark says.

3. Practise regular meditation

If you want to boost your focus levels in the long term, meditation is a great tool to help your brain hone its abilities.

“Even brief daily meditations have been shown to increase focus and productivity as well as emotional regulation, memory and mood,” Stark adds.

4. Take targeted supplements

If you really want to take your concentration ability to the next level, then supplements could provide a way forward. Currently, several supplements have been shown in studies to provide enhanced attention and the ability to focus.

“Lion’s mane, ashwagandha, turmeric and ginkgo biloba are just some examples of the nootropics and adaptogens that have been shown to offer benefits such as regulated stress and improved cognitive function,” Stark explains.  

Images: Getty