Recently, 40 athletes - Poscripts - Brief Article

Nutrition Health Review, Fall, 2002

Recently, 40 athletes took part in an experiment published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology to determine whether smelling peppermint could lead to increased athletic performance. The participants undertook a series of physical tasks, sometimes with the peppermint scent and sometimes without.

When peppermint was present, the athletes recorded improvements in running speed, hand grip strength, and number of push-ups. This may be because of a lower perception of exertion or a psychological lift provided by the scent.