The Benefits of Peppermint Oil for Athletic Performance

When you think of performance, you probably think about training harder, eating cleaner, or maybe taking a pre-workout. But what if one of the most overlooked performance enhancers was something as simple as… peppermint oil?

It might sound surprising, but science has been uncovering how peppermint oil can give athletes a powerful edge — naturally.

1. Breathe Easier, Perform Better

Breathing is the foundation of performance. The deeper and clearer your breaths, the more oxygen your body delivers to working muscles.

In 2014, researchers studied a group of healthy male university students and found peppermint oil had a dramatic effect on lung function. Just five minutes after supplementation:

• Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) — the maximum amount of air you can exhale — increased by 35.1%.

• Peak Inspiratory Flow (PIF) — how fast you can breathe air in — increased by 66.4%.

• Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) — how fast you can blow air out — increased by 65.1%.

These results suggest peppermint oil can help athletes feel like they’re breathing more freely and efficiently — which is critical for endurance, composure, and recovery.

2. Exercise Feels Easier

Performance isn’t just about what your body can do — it’s also about what your mind feels. In sports science, this is measured by the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale — basically, how hard a workout feels.

Peppermint has been shown to lower RPE, making exercise feel easier even at the same workload. That means you can push harder, for longer, without it feeling as draining.

3. More Power, More Endurance

That same 2014 study didn’t just look at breathing — it also tested strength and explosive performance. After taking peppermint oil, athletes showed significant improvements:

• Grip strength increased by 36.1%.

• Standing vertical jump increased by 7.0%.

• Standing long jump increased by 6.4%.

On top of that, the study found a significant increase in time to exhaustion — meaning the athletes were able to keep going for longer before fatigue set in.

The Bottom Line

Peppermint oil isn’t just about fresh breath. Research shows it may:

• Improve lung performance (FVC, PIF, PEF).

• Reduce how hard exercise feels (lower RPE).

• Boost grip strength, jumping power, and time to exhaustion.

That’s why we built Saikyo’s Respiratory Performance Formula around a concentrated dose of peppermint oil — far stronger than gum or mints — specifically designed for athletes who want every advantage.

If you’re not using peppermint oil before you train, you could be leaving performance on the table.

Breathe harder. Push harder. Perform stronger.