Pre-Workout Booster. Chocolate Aroma?

Can the Aroma of Chocolate Act as a Pre-Workout Exercise Performance Booster?

According to a small human randomised controlled trial, the answer may be yes.

Before diving into the science, I have to admit that this is exactly the kind of research I want to be true.

Wouldn't the world simply be a better place if the pre-workout chocolate aroma could genuinely improve your workout?

Fortunately, there may be a little science behind the idea.

Chocolate Pre-Workout: What Did the Study Assess?

This randomised, double-blind crossover trial investigated whether exposure to chocolate-related aromas could influence appetite and resistance exercise performance.

Researchers recruited 23 fasted, resistance-trained men, with each participant completing the same exercise protocol under three different pre-exercise conditions:

• 🍫 Exposure to the aroma of 90% dark chocolate

• 🍫 Exposure to the aroma of 60% milk chocolate

• 💧 A water-based control condition

Participants then performed repeated leg-extension sets at 80% of their 10-repetition maximum (10RM).

Researchers assessed several outcomes, including:

• Hunger

• Fullness

• Desire to eat

• Perceived exertion

• Total repetitions completed

• Total exercise sets completed

What Were the Key Findings?

The chocolate aromas produced several interesting effects compared with the control condition.

Participants exposed to chocolate aromas achieved:

• 📈 More total repetitions

• 📈 More total exercise sets

• 📈 Greater overall training volume

The 90% dark chocolate aroma also produced additional benefits before exercise.

Participants reported:

• Reduced hunger

• Reduced desire to eat

• Increased feelings of fullness

Interestingly, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) remained unchanged.

In other words, participants completed more work without reporting that the exercise felt easier.

That makes the findings particularly intriguing.

How Could Chocolate Aroma Improve Performance?

The study cannot tell us exactly why these effects occurred.

However, several possible explanations exist.

Aromas can influence areas of the brain involved in:

• Appetite regulation

• Mood

• Motivation

• Emotional state

• Reward pathways

Reducing feelings of hunger while exercising in a fasted state may also help individuals tolerate training more comfortably.

These findings are also consistent with previous research suggesting that both pre-workout nutrition and reductions in hunger can improve exercise performance.

While this remains speculative, the proposed mechanisms are biologically plausible.

Chocolate Isn't the Only Performance-Enhancing Aroma

Chocolate may not be unique.

A growing body of research suggests that several aromas may influence exercise performance or psychological readiness.

Examples include:

• 🍃 Peppermint, which may increase time to exhaustion and reduce perceived exertion.

• 🍋 Citrus aromas, which may help reduce pre-exercise anxiety.

• 🏋️ Ammonia (smelling salts), widely used in strength sports to increase alertness and short-term force production.

The evidence varies considerably between aromas, and more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Nevertheless, the relationship between smell and physical performance is becoming an increasingly interesting area of sports science.

Practical Takeaways

For now, this study should be viewed as an interesting proof of concept rather than a recommendation to replace your pre-workout nutrition.

The study was:

• Small

• Short-term

• Conducted only in resistance-trained men

• Limited to a single exercise protocol

Much larger studies are needed before we can determine whether these findings apply to women, endurance exercise or real-world training programmes.

That said, there is very little downside to enjoying the aroma of high-quality dark chocolate before a workout.

Should You Add Chocolate to Your Pre-Workout Routine?

If your current pre-workout routine already includes evidence-based strategies such as:

• Adequate protein intake

• Appropriate carbohydrate intake

• Creatine supplementation

• Caffeine (where appropriate)

• Good hydration

• Sufficient sleep

...then adding the aroma of chocolate probably won't transform your performance.

However, if future research confirms these findings, it could become one more simple and enjoyable tool to optimise training.

The Bottom Line

This small randomised controlled trial suggests that exposure to chocolate aromas before resistance exercise may improve training volume while also reducing hunger and increasing feelings of fullness.

The mechanisms remain uncertain, and much more research is needed before strong recommendations can be made.

Nevertheless, the findings add to an emerging body of research suggesting that our senses, including smell, may influence exercise performance more than we previously appreciated.

Personally, I'm more than happy to see another reason to appreciate high-quality craft chocolate.

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