Mint Condition
Want
to feel extra-strong when you work out? A whiff of potent peppermint may be the
answer, says Karen Wheeler.
It's a familiar scenario: you're pounding a treadmill at the gym and your enthusiasm
is flagging, along with your energy levels. Or perhaps it's one of those days
where you feel far more inclined to reach for a chocolate bar and a good book
than pull on your trainers and go for a run. In either case, a whiff of a potent,
but legal, substance could be just the thing to get you going.
A new study from America suggests the aroma of peppermint can help keep you fit
by boosting energy levels and alertness, as well as reducing stress and anxiety
while working out. And a hint of mint, it seems, could help you stick to an exercise
regimen and even motivate you to get into your gym kit when you're feeling sluggish.
he science of aromachology has already shown that certain smells boost mental
performance (lemon and jasmine, for example, are known to improve mood and motivation),
but this study, carried out by Dr Bryan Raudenbush at Wheeling Jesuit University,
and sponsored by the Olfactory Research Fund in America, is the first to demonstrate
that an aroma can have an effect on physical performance. In the study, 40 athletes
whose training regimen involved extensive running were given different aromas
to inhale and were monitored while working out on a treadmill for 15 minutes.
When peppermint was administered, the athletes reported the task was easier, their
energy levels were higher and their levels of fatigue lower. "We had the athletes
receive bursts of air scented with the odour for five seconds every minute," says
Raudenbush. " However, we also found similar effects by having an entire room
scented.
While we used essential oils in this study, further work shows synthetic peppermint
will have the same outcome." Although the peppermint had little physiological
effect - on blood pressure or pulse rate, for example - Raudenbush believes this
is because the athletes were performing at or near their maximum effort. While
it remains to be proved that a whiff of peppermint can make you run faster or
score more goals, it is clear that it has a positive effect on mental condition
and motivation. Raudenbush plans to continue his research by testing the effects
of a variety of different aromas on physical performance.
Aromatherapists, meanwhile, are convinced that many other scents are beneficial
before, during or after sports and fitness activities. According to Sue Beechey
of Aromatherapy Associates, rosemary and ginger are top of the list, "as they
not only stimulate the brain, which has a knock-on effect on the body, but they
are very good at warming up the muscles". Lemon also has potential. "Citrus smells
are useful when you feel mentally sluggish and can't be bothered to go to the
gym. They help boost energy levels and create the mental focus needed for certain
sports," says Beechey.
So in the light of Raudenbush's research, can we look forward to scented candles
in the locker room or even a few quick bursts of scented air at the gym? Certainly,
the aroma of mint or lemon would be preferable to the more usual smell of sweaty
trainers. John Lavan, the manager of the Holmes Place gym in Bromley, Kent, is
not averse to the idea. "In gyms we are very aware of the need to cover up a lot
of smells. If certain aromas made the experience of working out more pleasant,
then it is something we would certainly consider," he says. Raudenbush, meanwhile,
predicts that practical applications of his research could even include the scenting
of sports arenas. "Also, aromas may play an important role in a physical therapy
or rehabilitation setting," he says, "serving as an adjunct therapy to increase
mood and motivation, and hopefully serving to decrease the amount of time necessary
for rehab." For athletes looking for the edge over competitors, without resorting
to illegal substances, a quick sniff of mint is certainly worth considering. In
the light of this research, a bottle of peppermint oil - or a packet of Polos
- could be the new gym-bag essential.
