Effects of Meal Consumption on Isotonic Lingual Endurance in Healthy Adults: A Multi‐Institutional Study

Objective This study investigated the impact of meal consumption on isotonic lingual endurance in a cohort of adults across the age span without dysphagia (swallowing impairment). Methods Participants at three academic centres completed pre‐ and post‐meal lingual pressure tasks. Isotonic lingual endurance was assessed using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) at 50% of maximum lingual pressure (P max ) Participants consumed a standardised meal (bagel with peanut butter, carrots, and chocolate milk) between assessments. Mixed‐model MANOVAs evaluated endurance changes across meal condition, age and sex. Results A total of 141 adults (18–35 years, n = 75; ≥ 65 years, n = 66) completed the study. Multivariate or univariate within‐subject effects of meal consumption were observed for isotonic lingual endurance across time, age, sex, or their interactions (all p > 0.65; η 2 p ≤ 0.004). Older adults demonstrated significantly greater isotonic lingual endurance than younger adults ( p = 0.04), but sex differences did not reach statistical significance ( p = 0.094). Maximum lingual pressure declined significantly with age among females but not males ( p = 0.002). Longer mealtimes were observed in older adults, particularly older females, and tongue strength correlated negatively with mealtime duration (r = −0.22, p = 0.01). Conclusions Contrary to expectations, meal consumption did not reduce isotonic lingual endurance. Instead, older adults exhibited greater endurance than younger adults, potentially reflecting age‐related muscle fibre adaptations or attentional differences. Findings highlight the complexity of measuring lingual endurance and provide normative reference data that may inform future swallowing assessments and dysphagia research.