Dark Chocolate Aroma Lifts Fasted Exercise by 18 Reps, Cuts Hunger in 23-Men Study
Updated
Updated · Baku.ws · Jul 8
Dark Chocolate Aroma Lifts Fasted Exercise by 18 Reps, Cuts Hunger in 23-Men Study
3 articles · Updated · Baku.ws · Jul 8
Summary
University of Malaysia researchers found that smelling 90% dark chocolate during fasted leg-extension workouts let 23 men aged 20-25 complete about 18 extra repetitions while reporting no greater exertion.
Milk chocolate scent also improved performance, but by only about 9 repetitions, and it was rated mainly as more pleasant rather than appetite-suppressing.
Dark chocolate aroma also reduced hunger and increased fullness after a 10-hour fast, suggesting the scent may help sustain training without adding calories.
The team, publishing in Frontiers in Physiology, said the effect may stem from the cephalic phase of digestion, with food smells priming brain circuits tied to hunger, motivation and expected reward.
Researchers cautioned that the findings come from a small sample of young men and that the mechanism remains hypothetical, though they point to olfactory stimulation as a possible aid for fasted workouts.