Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin
ON THE RECORD · 8 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“Sniffing a 90% dark chocolate odor added about 18 more repetitions to participants' leg extensions, while a 60% milk chocolate odor added about nine repetitions compared with the water control,”
Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-09
The study compared leg extension repetitions under dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and water control odor conditions.
“We don't think chocolate is entirely unique, though it is a food cue with incredibly strong, universally recognized reward associations,”
Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-09
The researcher concluded that chocolate is not entirely unique as a food cue with strong reward associations.
“Exposing moderately trained men to chocolate odors right before and between sets of resistance exercise significantly increased their overall training volume without increasing their perceived exertion,”
Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-09
A Frontiers in Physiology study found that sniffing dark chocolate before and between sets of resistance exercise increased training volume without increasing perceived exertion.
“We know olfaction is powerfully wired into the brain's appetite and emotion networks, but surprisingly, no study has systematically looked at the three-way interaction between smell, appetite and actual resistance exercise capacity,”
Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-09
The researcher noted that no prior study had systematically examined the interaction between smell, appetite, and resistance exercise capacity.
“A person likely needs to find the odor familiar and appealing—or at least not repulsive—to trigger the psychological shift in appetite that's needed to see a performance boost.”
Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-09
The researcher suggested that a person needs to find an odor familiar and appealing to trigger the psychological shift in appetite needed for a performance boost.
“Seeing a substantial increase in repetitions without the athletes feeling like they were exerting themselves any harder is a fascinating psychobiological outcome.”
Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-09
The study found that participants increased repetitions without feeling they were exerting themselves harder.
“Conversely, the sweeter milk chocolate scent acts more like a hedonic reward cue, enhancing training volume by creating a highly pleasant sensory environment rather than by shifting basic metabolic hunger signals.”
Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-09
The researcher contrasted dark chocolate's appetite-suppressing effect with milk chocolate's role as a hedonic reward cue.
“The dark chocolate scent serves as a learned cue for a rich, bitter and highly satiating food, which essentially tricks the system into an anticipatory state of fullness,”
Dr. Mohamed Nashrudin bin Naharudin · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-09
The researcher explained that dark chocolate scent acts as a learned cue triggering an anticipatory state of fullness.