Weird but... metallic/ammonia smell after prolonged cardio?

When you work out for extended periods of time and expend all of your immediate energy source (carbs) your body taps into protein. High protein/low carb diets tend to cause this.

Here is a more "educated" answer

A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is generally what leads to sweat stinking of ammonia. Basically, it works like this. When someone with this sort of diet begins to exercise, his or her body is quickly forced to turn to proteins for the necessary energy. To do this, amino acids are broken down into various components, parts of which are converted into glucose. Other elements that come out of the process are waste products, and if the body can't handle everything being sent its way, the leftovers are excreted out through the skin. Ammonia is one form that ready-to-go waste can take
http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/information/nutrition/ammonia-sweat-smell.htm

It is ketones (sugar). I have been type one diabetic for 27 years and smell that when my blood sugar runs high....

Hmm, okay, so its ketones.. but is that a good or bad thing?

Ive had that too! thought it was a vitamin. But my recent blood work (last wednesday) was all good!

Hmm, okay, so its keytones.. but is that a good or bad thing?

Ive had that too! thought it was a vitamin. But my recent blood work (last wednesday) was all good!

I don't think you can avoid it if you work out for prolonged periods of time. I am not on low carb but I get that too after I run more than 5-6 miles or do Insanity workouts.

I think the most logical answer is that you are a robot sent here to infiltrate the human race. At some point, you will be "activated" and will carry out some sinister plan - probably an assassination or some other dastardly deed.

Just my educated guess.

I like this explanation about how we get to burning proteins. I couldn't put it into words without it sounding stupid! LOL!

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/471359-which-burns-first-fat-or-muscle/


Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates in the form of glucose are the first and easiest source of energy that your body uses during the initial stages of exercise and during high-intensity exercise. Your body uses stored carbohydrates, referred to as glycogen, in the muscles and liver when you first start to exercise. As the intensity of the exercise levels off, your body will resort to using fat stores for the primary source energy. However, during high-intensity activity -- about 75 percent or more of your maximum heart rate -- your body will again resort to carbohydrates as the primary fuel source.

Fat
Fat is the primary fuel source at rest and during long-duration exercise. Triglycerides are the fat cells stored in the muscle fibers used to provide the body with energy. The triglycerides break down into energy through a process called lipolysis. These fat cells can supply at least 70,000 to 75,000 calories of energy even in a lean adult, compared to muscle and liver glycogen, which can only provide 1,500 to 2,500 calories of energy, notes Jack H. Wilmore and David L. Costill, authors of "Physiology of Sport and Exercise."

Protein
Amino acids found in protein are primarily used to repair and build muscle tissue. Amino acids can also be converted into glucose and used for energy. However, this usually accounts for 5 percent of your total daily energy expenditure, notes Costill and Wilmore. Protein use occurs must often during long duration endurance exercise after carbohydrate and fat stores become low or with insufficient calorie intake.

Ketones is the waste product produced from your body burning fat instead of crabs. That's a good thing if you're trying to lose weight. It's only bad if you are a diabetic. Could you be a diabetic and not know it?

wow great info thanks I never knew this

In all seriousness, this is awesome information. I have wondered about this and the effects of burning off ketones as we exercise also.