Chocolate Aroma may help improve resistance exercise performance, according to a new study that found people completed more repetitions after smelling chocolate before and during a workout. Researchers cautioned that the findings are preliminary and require confirmation through larger studies.

The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Physiology, examined whether the aroma of dark or milk chocolate could influence exercise performance among young men. The researchers found that participants who smelled chocolate completed more repetitions than those exposed to an odourless control.

The study involved 23 healthy men in their early to mid-20s with moderate resistance-training experience. After fasting for at least 10 hours, the participants smelled either 90% dark chocolate, 60% milk chocolate, or odourless water before and during a leg extension exercise.

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The research team tracked hunger, fullness, appetite, perceived effort and the total number of repetitions completed during the workout.

Participants who smelled dark chocolate completed an average of 18 more leg extensions than those in the control group. Those exposed to milk chocolate completed about nine additional repetitions. Despite the higher exercise volume, both groups reported similar levels of effort throughout the session.

The researchers also found that the aroma of dark chocolate reduced appetite before exercise. Participants reported feeling less hungry, experienced greater fullness and had a lower desire to eat. Although volunteers rated the scent of milk chocolate as more pleasant, it did not significantly affect appetite.

Senior researcher Dr Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin said familiar food aromas may influence physical performance through psychological associations. He suggested that the smell of dark chocolate could signal satiety to the brain, while pleasant scents might create a more positive exercise experience that encourages better performance.

The researchers said they do not yet understand the biological mechanism behind the findings. The study did not measure hormone levels, brain activity or digestive responses, making it impossible to identify exactly how the chocolate aroma affected exercise performance.

The team also acknowledged several limitations. The study included only a small number of moderately trained young men, so the findings may not apply to women, older adults or people with different fitness levels. The researchers also noted that the strength of the chocolate aromas may have varied and that the odourless control could have allowed participants to recognise when they were not receiving a scented treatment.

The authors called for larger studies involving more diverse groups of participants to determine whether chocolate or other familiar food aromas can consistently improve exercise performance.

Although the findings remain preliminary, the study provides new insight into how the sense of smell may influence appetite and physical performance, paving the way for further research into the relationship between food aromas and exercise.