Effects of Aromatherapy After Aerobic Exercise"

Bezmialem Vakif University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Sports Recovery; Sports Performance

Treatments: Other: Aromatherapy; Other: Placebo Diffuser (No Essential Oil)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07086495

BvuNES

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to investigate the effect of aromatherapy using lavender oil on recovery speed and cardiovascular parameters in healthy athletes following aerobic exercise. Participants will perform aerobic exercise using the Bruce treadmill protocol and will be randomly assigned to either an aromatherapy group (inhaling lavender essential oil) or a control group (no aromatherapy). Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, perceived exertion, and fatigue levels will be measured before and after exercise. The study seeks to determine whether aromatherapy contributes to faster physiological recovery and reduced fatigue following exercise.

Full description

Aromatherapy has gained popularity as a complementary approach in sports science, with claims of improving relaxation, reducing fatigue, and enhancing recovery. Lavender essential oil, in particular, has been associated with cardiovascular modulation and reduced perception of exertion. However, its efficacy in post-exercise recovery among athletes remains under-investigated.

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the physiological and perceptual effects of lavender aromatherapy in athletes following aerobic exertion. Participants aged 15-35 with at least 6 months of regular sports participation will be included. The intervention group will receive inhalation-based lavender oil aromatherapy for 5 minutes after completing the Bruce treadmill protocol, while the control group will rest without aromatherapy.

Primary and secondary outcomes include heart rate recovery, blood pressure, oxygen saturation (SpO₂), Borg RPE score, and fatigue severity. Data will be collected at baseline, immediately after exercise, and at 5-minute intervals during recovery. The findings are expected to provide insights into the use of non-pharmacological recovery strategies in athletic populations.

Enrollment: 45 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 12 to 14 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Aged between 12 and 14 years

Actively engaged in organized sports training (minimum 2 times per week)

Medically cleared to participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity

No known cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, or metabolic conditions

Provided informed assent and obtained written parental/guardian consent

Exclusion criteria

Known allergy to lavender or any component of aromatherapy oils

Use of medications that may alter cardiovascular responses (e.g., beta-blockers)

History of cardiac disease, hypertension, or arrhythmia

Acute or recent musculoskeletal injury (within the last 3 months)

Acute upper respiratory tract infection during the assessment week

Inability to complete treadmill exercise testing or follow instructions

Trial design

Primary purpose: Screening

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

45 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Aromatherapy Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group performed aerobic exercise using the Bruce treadmill protocol. After completing the exercise, they were taken to a separate room where a diffuser had been running for 15 minutes, containing 3 drops of lavender essential oil in 100 ml of water. They inhaled the aromatherapy during a 15-minute recovery period while cardiovascular parameters were monitored.

Treatment:

Other: Aromatherapy

Placebo Group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group performed aerobic exercise using the Bruce treadmill protocol. After exercise, they were taken to a separate room where a diffuser had been operating for 15 minutes with only 100 ml of plain water and no essential oils. They rested in this environment for 15 minutes, during which their cardiovascular parameters were monitored. This arm aimed to control for the effect of the diffuser itself without the therapeutic component of lavender oil.

Treatment:

Other: Placebo Diffuser (No Essential Oil)

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in this group performed aerobic exercise using the Bruce treadmill protocol. After the exercise, they rested in a standard environment without exposure to any diffuser or aromatherapy. Their cardiovascular parameters were monitored during a 15-minute recovery period, serving as the baseline comparison for evaluating the effects of aromatherapy and placebo.