Inhaling Chocolate Aroma May Boost Workout Performance

WHO:

Earth.com - The study was led by Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin, an assistant professor from the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Science at the University of Malaya (UM) in Kuala Lumpur.

Earth.com - The study involved 23 moderately trained men in their early-to-mid-20s.

WHAT:

Earth.com - Smelling chocolate between sets at the gym allowed the men to complete significantly more repetitions compared to when no scent was present.

Earth.com - With the dark chocolate odor, the men completed about 18 more leg extensions than with water, and about nine more with milk chocolate.

Earth.com - The study found that the men did not feel like they were exerting themselves any harder despite the increase in repetitions.

WHERE:

Earth.com - The study was conducted at a lab associated with the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.

WHEN:

Earth.com - The study's findings are published in Frontiers in Physiology.

WHY:

Earth.com - The researchers suggest that the dark chocolate scent serves as a learned cue for a rich, bitter, and highly satiating food, tricking the body into an anticipatory state of fullness.

Earth.com - The sweeter milk chocolate scent was perceived as more pleasant, which may have contributed to the men completing more repetitions based on pleasure alone.

HOW:

Earth.com - Each participant arrived at the lab having fasted for at least ten hours and performed leg extensions on a machine while being exposed to different scents: dark chocolate (90% cocoa), milk chocolate (60% cocoa), or plain water.

Earth.com - The study measured the participants' hunger, fullness, and desire to eat on a sliding scale before and after lifting.

(UPDATED July 9, 2026 06:21 UTC)

A recent study led by Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin at the University of Malaya found that smelling chocolate while working out significantly increased the number of leg extensions performed by moderately trained men in their early-to-mid-20s. Participants completed about 18 more repetitions with the scent of dark chocolate compared to water, and about nine more with milk chocolate, all without feeling they were exerting themselves any harder. The researchers suggest that the scent of dark chocolate may trigger a sense of fullness, while the sweeter milk chocolate scent could enhance performance through pleasure alone.