Abstracts Br J Sports Med 2010;44(Suppl I):i1–i82 i4 10 AROMATHERAPY FOR SPORTS AND FITNESS Preeti Sharma, Tilak R Meena Lakshmibai National Institution of Physical Education, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India 10.1136/bjsm.2010.078725.10 The article describes the use of aromatherapy for achieving excellence in sports and fitness. Aromatherapy is the science of holistic approach for taking care of the body and mind using pleasant smelling of botanical oils. It has been exten- sively studied and found to be one of the fastest growing areas of alternative medicine. There have been numerous studies showing different plant oils’ synergistic effects on body and mind energy facilitating excellence in sports and fitness. Most of the fi ndings of these studies have found their way into various aromatherapy products and services. There are well over a hundred different natural essential oils having antiseptic, anti-infl ammatory, pain relieving, antidepressant and even expectorant properties. The application of these oils not only helps to prevent and cure sports injuries but also to stimulate and relax the mind and body leading to higher fitness levels. Because of these inherent properties of essen- tial oils, there is a growing interest in using them in toning up the body and mind in a variety of ways, viz. muscle prepara- tion, musculo-skeletal, injury prevention, as sports medicine and an agent for uplifting sports psychology for achieving highest success rate in sports and fitness. Therefore, essential oils have a role in preparing the body and mind for optimum sports performance as well as postexertion recovery. They can be used as an aid to make the recovery faster by reduc- ing the effect of fatigue and uplifting mind and body energy level. That is why essential oil therapy is now being recogn- ised as a valuable therapy to enhance performance in sports and fitness. on February 3, 2022 by guest. Protected by copyright. http://bjsm.bmj.com/ Br J Sports Med: first published as 10.1136/bjsm.2010.078725.10 on 17 December 2010. Downloaded from