Abstract
This study investigated the effects of a claimed ergogenic aid, peppermint odor inhalation, on running performance, under different experimenter-induced odor expectancy conditions. Eighteen fit, young women subjects performed 3 × ¼-mile runs, under three randomly assigned treatments: peppermint-scented mask; unscented mask; and no mask. Each subject was also given either a positive, negative, or neutral expectancy information message regarding peppermint's influence on performance. Results showed that neither peppermint inhalation nor expectancy information had any significant effect on running time. However, expectancy information did slow the running times of high positive affect subjects. Subjects receiving negative information showed significantly slower heart rates during the running task.
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