Chocolate and Exercise: Just a Whiff Might Boost Your Workout
When I was living in Vietnam, my kickboxing partner, Teddy, who holds a PhD from Harvard, had a specific pre-workout habit: a square of dark chocolate and a shot of coffee. He claimed it worked wonders, and I never questioned it.
Interestingly, a recent study suggests I might not have needed to eat that chocolate at all—just smelling it could have provided a boost. But truth be told, I would have eaten it anyway.
The Chocolate Workout Study — A Whiff Is Enough
Research published in Frontiers in Physiology indicates that simply smelling chocolate before and during workouts helps individuals perform significantly more repetitions without increasing perceived effort. The study led by Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin at the University of Malaya involved 23 moderately trained men who were divided into three groups, each exposed to different scents: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or plain water.
The results were remarkable: the group that sniffed dark chocolate completed about 18 more repetitions than the water group, while the milk chocolate group added roughly nine more reps, all without feeling that the workout was harder.
(Note: It’s a bit disappointing that this study only included men, but let’s assume women would respond similarly.)
Why Smell Might Be Trickling Your Brain
Notably, the two chocolate scents had different effects. The dark chocolate aroma lowered hunger and increased feelings of fullness even before the workout began. This suggests that just smelling something rich can trick the brain into thinking it has already eaten. On the other hand, the more pleasant-smelling milk chocolate did not affect hunger but seemed to improve mood, making the workout feel more rewarding.
Dr. Naharudin theorizes that these effects come from learned associations—we associate certain smells with eating experiences. Thus, the aroma can trigger a mental state akin to having just eaten.
Although this small study didn’t measure hormones or brain activity, the results are hard to ignore. Still, it raises questions: could I also benefit from sniffing desserts like cheesecake or ice cream before exercising?
More Good News from Our Favorite Indulgences
It seems like there’s a wave of positive research for foods we already love. Coffee, for instance, has been linked to lower mortality risk when consumed without excess sugar. Additionally, high-fat cheese has been tied to a lower risk of dementia according to a recent Swedish study.
Now, with chocolate being viewed more favorably in research, it raises an eyebrow—are we seeing a trend of indulgent foods getting a scientific thumbs-up? While I wouldn’t advocate for replacing a protein shake with a chocolate bar, next time you catch a whiff of something cocoa-rich pre-workout, don’t be shocked if you crank out more reps. And if you enjoy that chocolate afterward? No judgment here!
