Acute effects of relaxing and stimulating odor on simple reaction time in male volleyball players: A randomized controlled experimental study

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of relaxing and stimulating odor types on simple reaction time in male volleyball players. Material and Methods: The research study included male volleyball players aged 20 to 28 (mean: 23.43) who were actively participating in the 2022-2023 season of the Alpaslan Industrial Men's 1st League for Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club. The "Sports History Inventory" was used to collect demographic data. As part of the study, participants underwent nasal examinations and anthropometric measurements at Aydın Adnan Menderes University's Ear Nose Throat and Head and Neck Surgery Clinic. Additionally, simple reaction time (RT) and olfactory threshold level tests were conducted at the Yörük Ali Efe Aydın Metropolitan Sports Facilities. Rose odor was selected for its relaxing properties, while clove odor was chosen for its stimulating effects. In the analysis of the data, The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess normality, and the Paired Samples test was used for comparisons. A significance level of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: During olfactory activity, a decrease in reaction time was observed through measurements and comparisons. The reaction time of the RT with a relaxing odor (456.58 ms) was statistically significantly shorter than that of the odorless RT (482.54 ms) (p>0.05). The RT with a stimulating odor (439.12 ms) had statistically significantly shorter reaction time compared to the RT with a relaxing odor (456.58 ms) (p>0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were found in these two cases. The reaction time of the RT with a stimulating odor (439.12 ms) was statistically significantly shorter than that of the odorless RT (482.54 ms) (p<0.05). Statistically significant differences were from between the RT with a stimulating odor and the odorless RT. Conclusion: This investigation has illustrated that, alongside fundamental factors such as training and nutrition in sports, other elements can significantly impact specific performance parameters. We posit that the subjective nature of the olfactory mechanism may constitute a pivotal component of success, particularly in sports disciplines like volleyball, characterized by dynamic and open skills.