Can smells improve your athletic performance?

Yes, they can, says Mathieu Cournoyer, a master's student in human kinetics who's done a review of 19 studies on the topic. Did you know that the scent of peppermint can make you run faster? That a whiff of ammonia will make you do a few more push-ups than usual? Or that the fragrance of jasmine can improve your bowling score? Those and other findings were made by Mathieu Cournoyer, a master's student in UdeM's School of Kinesiology and Human Kinetics, who reviewed 19 studies on the effect of olfactory stimulation on physical activity. His research was published in the January issue of Physiology and Behavior. Speed, endurance and precision. Under the supervision of Professor Marie-Eve Mathieu , Cournoyer compiled studies on the effect of odours on speed, endurance and precision in various physical activities. Many studies have looked at the positive effect of physical activity on sense of smell, including the ability to recover the sense of smell after an accident or infection, and some have investigated hormonal or nervous response to the inhalation of specific odours. But Cournoyer's research project is the first to survey studies that examine whether certain odours promote or inhibit actions related to physical activity.