For many gym goers, grunting in times of bodily exertion is perceived as a voluntary performance, a self-evident expression for which they can waive any responsibility. Drawing on a symbolic interaction approach, this paper provides a novel examination of grunting as a social phenomenon. It demonstrates the role of grunting as a social symbol and its connection to social spaces and identities, gender norms, and power relations. The scope of sociological research on grunting in times of bodily exertion is relatively limited and often relegated to the context of biomedicine. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is to address the lacuna of research that focuses on the link between grunting as a socially constructed phenomenon and its sociocultural implications. Ethnographic research was conducted for 3 years in two gyms, using a combination of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Key findings illustrate three themes toward the role of grunting: grunting and socialization; grunting and space; and finally, grunting and situational adjustment. It is argued that grunting at the gym is socially constructed, a rational and voluntary action that is negotiated, controlled, and adjusted according to the situation.

对于许多健身爱好者来说，在体力消耗时发出咕噜声被视为一种自愿表现，一种不言而喻的表现，他们可以放弃任何责任。本文采用符号交互方法，对作为一种社会现象的咕噜声进行了新的研究。它展示了咕噜声作为社会符号的作用及其与社会空间和身份、性别规范和权力关系的联系。关于身体劳累时咕噜声的社会学研究范围相对有限，并且经常被归入生物医学的范畴。因此，本文的贡献在于解决关注作为社会建构现象的咕噜声与其社会文化影响之间联系的研究空白。民族志研究在两个体育馆进行了 3 年，采用参与式观察和半结构化访谈相结合的方法。主要发现说明了咕噜作用的三个主题：咕噜声和社会化；咕噜声和空间；最后，咕噜声和情境调整。有人认为，健身房里的咕噜声是社会建构的，是一种根据情况协商、控制和调整的理性和自愿行为。