Ask the Expert: What Should I Eat Before a Stressful Event?
It's normal to freeze up right before a stressful event but eating chocolate can help with controlling stress hormones.
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth yoga, fitness, & nutrition courses, when you sign up for Outside+.
What should I eat before a stressful event?
A new study by Swiss researchers published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that men who ate a square of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate before having a mock job interview or taking a math test had less of an increase in the adrenal stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine than participants who ate a placebo. The study was co-funded by the Swiss Cocoa and Chocolate Foundation and the Swiss National Science Foundation.
See also Q+A: How Can I Include Chocolate in My Diet, the Healthy Way?