University of Malaya / Frontiers in Physiology · 15 Sept 2026 · Exercise
In men in their early twenties, a dark-chocolate smell added about 18 leg-extension repetitions
Study (exploratory). Xiaohan Fan, Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin, and colleagues report in Frontiers in Physiology (doi 10.3389/fphys.2026.1834757; ScienceDaily 15 September 2026). Twenty-three healthy men in their early to mid-20s, already doing resistance exercise, came in after at least 10 hours without eating. Each man smelled one of three samples around a leg-extension session: 90% dark chocolate, 60% milk chocolate, or water. Dark chocolate tracked lower hunger and more fullness beforehand. Milk chocolate smelled more pleasant but did not change appetite ratings. The dark-chocolate smell lined up with about 18 extra repetitions versus water, and the milk-chocolate smell with about 9, without a higher effort rating. The authors read this as a psychobiological effect of a familiar aroma, not as a reason to eat chocolate for a workout. Small, fasted, and limited to young men. Educational notes on training, not a program.
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