Effects of tongue strengthening exercises in healthy adults and elderly: an integrative literature review.
Juliana Oliveira Silva, Lucia Dantas Giglio, Luciana Vitaliano Voi Trawitzki
PMID 37283365WHAT IT FOUND
Tongue strengthening exercises significantly increase tongue strength in healthy adults and elderly people.
While gains are consistent, the optimal intensity for older adults remains unclear, and it is uncertain whether these strength improvements translate into better swallowing function.
Key findings
01All included studies reported a significant increase in maximal tongue strength after training, with mean values rising from 49-66 kPa to 52-80 kPa in adults and 31-45 kPa to 34-55 kPa in the elderly.
02Percentage gains in tongue strength varied widely, ranging from 2.9% to 31.8% in adults, while elderly participants showed gains between 8.7% and 74.5% depending on the protocol used.
03Only five studies examined the effects of stopping training (detraining); four found no significant loss of strength, while one reported a significant reduction after four weeks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review included only healthy individuals, so findings may not apply to patients with existing dysphagia, neurological conditions, or orofacial myofunctional alterations. There was high heterogeneity in training protocols (intensity, frequency, duration, and muscle groups targeted), making direct comparisons between studies difficult. Few studies examined the effects of detraining, and those that did had short follow-up periods, limiting conclusions about long-term maintenance of strength gains. The primary outcome was tongue strength, not swallowing function, so the clinical significance of strength gains for actual swallowing performance remains uncertain. The review did not include a formal risk of bias assessment for the included studies.
Declared interests
The paper does not explicitly state any conflicts of interest or funding sources in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that increased tongue strength automatically leads to improved swallowing function. The review notes that while strength increased in all studies, the effect on swallowing performance was not consistently demonstrated, and the data comes from healthy individuals, not patients with dysphagia.