When you’re at the gym it can be totally distracting to hear someone grunting next to you. In fact, the annoyance has been known to cause gym violence. But if you’re the one grunting, is it because it’s beneficial?

Despite the general intolerance for people that grunt in fitness classes, it could have some benefits, according to a source detailed by the New York Times, “Dennis G. O’Connell, a professor of physical therapy at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Tex., has conducted studies on the effects of grunting. He found that weightlifters produce between 2 and 5 percent more force when they grunt, in part because the deep breathing grunting entails can help stabilize the spine.”

“I’m not so sure it’s wise to tell people not to grunt,” Professor O’Connell said.

Most people that workout in a public arena, such as a gym, follow the Golden Rule and don’t grunt in an effort to make sure that they don’t disturb their fellow fitness fiends in the same way that they don’t want to be disturbed by loud grunts.

Grunting during a workout may have benefits, but it’s frowned upon by many gyms. Planet Fitness, a popular gym chain, actually sounds an alarm to shame grunters.

While many studies have found that grunting does provide benefits to maximizing the physical force you exert during a workout, other experts say that it is all hot air and doesn’t actually do much to improve your performance. Yet weightlifters and many trainers have found that grunting seems to be a natural and nearly inseparable component of a strenuous workout.

Instead of grunting, you can try getting the same benefits by trying a loud whooshing breath when you maximize your effort. Or trying a Zumba class or other workout where making noise is encouraged rather than frowned upon.

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