July 13, 2026, 8:04 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Can the mere scent of chocolate influence strength training? Researchers from Malaysia explored this unusual question in a study. They aimed to find out if the smell of chocolate could alter training performance and hunger levels—without participants eating any of it. The results provide intriguing insights.
Chocolate Scent Could Improve Strength Training Performance
The researchers compared the scent of dark and milk chocolate with a neutral solution. They examined whether the aroma affected strength training performance as well as hunger and satiety levels.
The result: Under both chocolate scents, participants achieved better training results than in the control condition. The effect was strongest with dark chocolate. Its scent also reduced hunger and increased feelings of fullness.
Conducting the Study
The study involved 23 healthy men with at least two years of strength training experience. They fasted for at least ten hours before each test. Each participant completed the same workout on three different days, smelling either 90% dark chocolate, 60% milk chocolate, or an odorless liquid.1
Before training and each new set, participants inhaled the respective scent for 30 seconds. They then performed a thigh muscle exercise until no further repetitions were possible. The researchers counted how many repetitions and sets the men completed. They also inquired about hunger, appetite, and perceived exertion.
The Study Results in Detail
Even before training, the scent of dark chocolate was noticeable. Participants felt less hungry, had less appetite, and reported feeling full faster. The scent of milk chocolate, however, had little impact on hunger.
The most significant differences were in training performance: After smelling dark chocolate, participants completed an average of 18 more repetitions than after the odorless solution. Compared to milk chocolate, they did nine more repetitions. They also completed an additional training set on average.
The scent of milk chocolate also had a positive effect. Compared to the odorless solution, participants completed an average of nine more repetitions. Although they performed more overall, the training did not feel more strenuous than in other test rounds.
The Surprising Impact of the Placebo Effect on Training and Maximum Strength
The Surprising Effect of Sugar Before a Massage
What This Means
The study provides initial evidence that food-related scents could influence strength training in a fasted state. However, the study could not fully explain why the chocolate scent improved performance. While participants felt less hungry and fuller under the dark chocolate scent, a direct link between these changes and improved performance could not be established.
The researchers suspect that scents might influence processes in the brain related to motivation, reward, and preparing the body for food intake.
It is generally plausible that scents can affect our eating behavior and motivation. A 2024 review describes that the sense of smell is closely linked to brain regions that control hunger, reward, and metabolism. The mere scent of food can trigger signals that prepare the body for potential food intake. Whether these processes also explain the improved training performance in the current study has not yet been proven.2
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Study and How to Interpret It
The study has several strengths. Each participant completed all three test conditions, allowing for better comparison of results. Additionally, neither participants nor researchers knew which chocolate condition was being tested, reducing the risk of expectations influencing the results.
However, the results should be interpreted with caution. Only 23 young, healthy men who regularly engaged in strength training participated in the study. It is unclear whether the results can be generalized to women, older individuals, or those untrained. Furthermore, only one strength exercise was examined.
A critical point is that participants could easily recognize the odorless control liquid (water). This could have influenced their expectations and, unconsciously, their performance.
While the study shows that participants performed better under the chocolate scent, it cannot prove that the scent was the actual cause of the performance increase. The biological or psychological processes behind this remain unclear. Further studies are needed to confirm the results and determine if they apply to other groups or sports.