Chocolate odours enhance resistance-training performance 🍫👃

Are we going to see lifters sniffing chocolate in the gym?

Chocolate odor enhances resistance exercise performance through appetite suppression in the fasted state: an exploratory study

Study Details

This new (slightly odd) study, recruited 23 trained men to a crossover trial where they completed repeated resistance-exercise sets after smelling either…

1️⃣ 90% dark chocolate

2️⃣ 60% milk chocolate

3️⃣ Water-based control

Here is what they found ⬇️

Key Findings

Chocolate odours significantly affected…

📈 Total repetitions

📈 Total sets

👉 Total repetitions were greater with 90% dark chocolate than with control (+18 reps)

👉 Milk chocolate was also greater than control (+9 reps)

🧠 Before exercise, 90% dark chocolate reduced appetite-related ratings

👃 Whereas 60% milk chocolate increased odour pleasantness

Conclusion

Chocolate-related odours appear to modulate appetite and hedonic responses while increasing resistance-exercise volume 🧐

Probably more pleasant than smelling salts, but personally I’d end up eating it.

Reference

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42495704/

---

Performance Nutrition Digest is powered by Healthspan Elite ⚡️

Healthspan Elite is a science-led sports nutrition range developed in collaboration with leading experts to support athletic performance, recovery, and health.

Use code: TCDIGEST25 for 25% off at https://www.healthspanelite.co.uk/ 💪

---