CBAPPE-AL
#1 Ltn My MidRange Is better then yours btw
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2026
- Posts
- 633
- Reputation
- 836
One underrated point in discussions about the hyoid is that it isn't a completely fixed structure. The hyoid is suspended by muscles, including the suprahyoid group, so changes in muscle strength and function can influence where it sits and how it moves.
There’s actually human research demonstrating this.
A 2018 study investigated high-speed jaw-opening exercise specifically to train the suprahyoid muscles. The participants performed rapid, maximal jaw-opening movements for 4 weeks. After training, researchers found a significant change in the vertical resting position of the hyoid, along with greater upward hyoid movement during swallowing and increased hyoid-elevation velocity.
The important takeaway isn't “do this and you'll completely transform your jawline.”
It's this:
Suprahyoid muscles → influence hyoid position/movement → training those muscles can measurably change hyoid mechanics.
The same paper discusses previous suprahyoid-focused exercises such as the Shaker exercise and isometric jaw-opening, which are used clinically because these muscles contribute to elevating the hyoid and larynx.
However, there's an important distinction that gets lost on looksmaxxing forums:
A higher hyoid ≠ automatically a better-looking face.
The study was about swallowing function, and the subjects were older adults with swallowing-related concerns. It does not establish that suprahyoid training will produce a dramatic aesthetic change, alter the mandible, or permanently reshape facial bones.
So the scientifically defensible claim is:
«Training the suprahyoid musculature can influence the resting position and elevation of the hyoid. Whether that produces a noticeable cosmetic improvement is a separate question that hasn't been established by this research.»
That's still pretty interesting because it shows that hyoid position isn't necessarily just something you're born with and can never influence. Muscle function plays a role.
Sources:
• High-speed jaw-opening exercise in training suprahyoid fast-twitch muscle fibers — PMC
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5784581/
• The second paper you linked can also be used as background for the role of suprahyoid training, but neither paper should be interpreted as proof of facial “ascension” or a guaranteed jawline improvement.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3154991/
There’s actually human research demonstrating this.
A 2018 study investigated high-speed jaw-opening exercise specifically to train the suprahyoid muscles. The participants performed rapid, maximal jaw-opening movements for 4 weeks. After training, researchers found a significant change in the vertical resting position of the hyoid, along with greater upward hyoid movement during swallowing and increased hyoid-elevation velocity.
The important takeaway isn't “do this and you'll completely transform your jawline.”
It's this:
Suprahyoid muscles → influence hyoid position/movement → training those muscles can measurably change hyoid mechanics.
The same paper discusses previous suprahyoid-focused exercises such as the Shaker exercise and isometric jaw-opening, which are used clinically because these muscles contribute to elevating the hyoid and larynx.
However, there's an important distinction that gets lost on looksmaxxing forums:
A higher hyoid ≠ automatically a better-looking face.
The study was about swallowing function, and the subjects were older adults with swallowing-related concerns. It does not establish that suprahyoid training will produce a dramatic aesthetic change, alter the mandible, or permanently reshape facial bones.
So the scientifically defensible claim is:
«Training the suprahyoid musculature can influence the resting position and elevation of the hyoid. Whether that produces a noticeable cosmetic improvement is a separate question that hasn't been established by this research.»
That's still pretty interesting because it shows that hyoid position isn't necessarily just something you're born with and can never influence. Muscle function plays a role.
Sources:
• High-speed jaw-opening exercise in training suprahyoid fast-twitch muscle fibers — PMC
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5784581/
• The second paper you linked can also be used as background for the role of suprahyoid training, but neither paper should be interpreted as proof of facial “ascension” or a guaranteed jawline improvement.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3154991/
