Tongue strengthening exercises boost tongue strength in healthy adults

Healthy adults benefit from tongue strengthening exercise (TSE), which significantly boosts tongue strength, and could improve swallowing, in this population, reports a recent meta-analysis.

A total of 12 randomized controlled trials were included in the present study, totalling 388 participants, in whom tongue strength was expressed according to the kPa of maximal tongue elevation peak force. Studies were retrieved from seven online databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, ClinicalTrials.gov, PerioPath: Index to Taiwan Periodical Literature System, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature.

Pooled analysis of all studies revealed that anterior tongue strength was significantly higher in patients who were allocated to the TSE intervention as compared with controls (mean difference [MD], 5.34 kPa, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 3.28–7.40).

A similar and stronger effect was reported for posterior tongue strength, which was assessed in six included studies (TSE vs control: MD, 8.12 kPa, 95 percent CI, 3.45–12.79).

Subgroup analysis revealed that TSE was particularly effective in healthy participants, leading to significant improvements in tongue strength across all age groups. Indeed, older healthy participants (aged ≥65 years) saw the greatest improvement after TSE (MD, 8.01 kPa, 95 percent CI, 4.39–11.64).

“Future research should focus on more assessment of swallowing function and investigation of the clinical rationale for use of TSE in medical patients,” the researchers said.