Sniffing chocolate could make your leg day workout easier, even on an empty stomach
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-Oct-2026 02:17 ET (30-Oct-2026 06:17 GMT/UTC)
Could the smell of chocolate wafting through the gym make strength training easier, or at least more pleasant? Researchers examining smell, appetite, and performance during resistance training found that it might: sniffing dark chocolate with a high cocoa content decreased feelings of hunger, desire and intention to eat, and left trainees feeling fuller. Not only that, participants were able to add more repetitions to their sets. Sniffing milk chocolate, containing less cocoa, on the other hand, made the experience more pleasant. The team said these experimental insights could open pathways into practical interventions in strength training contexts.
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