Does adding menthol to your drinks help with cooling?

· Menthol and cooling ·

Hi Saturday Morning Fan,

This week, we’re talking about menthol, or mint-flavored, sports drinks. Should you seek these out, or add some flavor to your Speed Nectar to help with cooling during hot events?

What does research tell us?

A 2022 study (1) investigated the cooling sensation from menthol-enriched gels and found that when ingested before exercise, they created a greater perception of cooling. Theoretically, this could help reduce heat perception and potentially improve performance.

However, two separate studies (2; 3) examining drinks with added menthol found no improvement in performance under hot conditions.

At this stage, the evidence suggests that adding menthol does not improve performance, even if it may make you feel slightly cooler when consumed.

What does this mean for Speed Nectar users?

You don’t need to add menthol (or any other flavors) to your Speed Nectar for cooling purposes. If you enjoy the flavor and find it pleasant, you can certainly add it, but don’t expect a performance boost from the “cooler” sensation it creates.

(1) Vogel, R.M., Ross, M.L., Swann, C., Rothwell, J.E. and Stevens, C.J., 2022. Athlete perceptions of flavored, menthol-enhanced energy gels ingested prior to endurance exercise in the heat. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 19(1), pp.580-592.

(2) Bray, P.W., Blacker, S.D., West, A.T. and Flood, T.R., 2024. No effect of a commercial carbohydrate‐menthol drink on thermal perceptual measures or 15‐min time trial performance compared to commercial carbohydrate drink in hot humid conditions. European Journal of Sport Science, 24(3), pp.372-382.

(3) Podlogar, T., Bolčič, T., Cirnski, S., Verdel, N. and Debevec, T., 2022. Commercially available carbohydrate drink with menthol fails to improve thermal perception or cycling exercise capacity in males. European Journal of Sport Science, 22(11), pp.1705-1713.

Have any thoughts, comments, or questions that you'd like to share? Please email us anytime!

Daniel

Endurance Athlete, Coach, and Saturday Customer Support.