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Scientists interrogate whether dark chocolate can really give you a gym boost

• A recent study suggested that simply smelling chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, could enhance gym workout performance, leading to headlines globally.
• The research involved 23 men who performed leg extensions after sniffing water, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate, with dark chocolate leading to over 25 per cent more repetitions.
• The authors proposed that the smell of dark chocolate might reduce feelings of hunger, which can otherwise detract from workout focus and performance.
• An exercise scientist critiqued the study, noting it was not truly double-blind as water has no smell, and the performance measure was subjective, likely influencing participants’ effort.
• Despite the study’s limitations, the expert concluded there is no harm in smelling chocolate before exercise, but cautioned against expecting a significant impact on performance.

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