Dark chocolate scent boosts resistance training performance

A new study suggests that simply smelling dark chocolate before a workout can significantly boost performance during resistance training, allowing individuals to complete more repetitions without feeling like they are working any harder. The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, indicates that the aroma may work by suppressing appetite and creating a psychological sense of fullness.

The investigation, led by scientists at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, involved 23 healthy, moderately trained men in their early to mid-twenties. Participants were divided into three groups and exposed to one of three odor samples before and during exercise sets: liquified dark chocolate containing 90 percent cocoa, liquified milk chocolate containing 60 percent cocoa, or an odorless water control. All volunteers had fasted for at least ten hours prior to the experiment.

The participants then performed leg extension exercises. The results showed a clear performance benefit from the chocolate scents. According to senior author Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin, sniffing the dark chocolate odor added approximately 18 more repetitions to the workout compared to the...