Pre-workouts & ammonia smelling sweat

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bradXdale
bradXdale Posts: 399
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone else have this happen? It's happened to me twice now where I've taken my pre-workout (AmiNO Energy x 2 scoops) and about 45 minutes into sweating I start to smell ammonia every now and again.

After researching into this apparently it's the amino acids being burned off (the excess) from what your kidneys cant process. I also heard it can be from not eating adequate amounts of carbohydrates & protein (when you run out of glycogen it burns amino acids/proteins for energy, apparently).

Others, weigh in on this weird & stinky problem?

Replies

  • Dustin710
    Dustin710 Posts: 8 Member
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    Without delving too deep into the science, the basic and most probable situation is that your body is in ketosis (1). Long story short, your body has run out of stored energy (carbohydrates) and is using fat as fuel. Ammonium ions are excreted through your breath/sweat (2).

    This happens to me a lot on my long run training days. It's not bad, per se, but you definitely need to fuel your body immediately after your workout. You're "running on fumes," for lack of a better expression.

    To prevent this, however, be sure to carb up before your workout. If you still have an issue take in some carbs (sports drinks are usually the easiest) during your workout.

    Fun fact, this science is similar to a diabetics response to insulin secretion.

    (1) http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00392032
    (2) http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/475/reload=0;jsessionid=FKnKKhlwp7ffUSHsBlQY.10
  • j_bark
    j_bark Posts: 1,271 Member
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    It is simply a chemical byproduct of your body. And depending on your diet it may have it or you may not. Did you eat the same types of items each time? Keeping your carbs up does help some.

    Not weird and can happen to anyone.
  • bradXdale
    bradXdale Posts: 399
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    Without delving too deep into the science, the basic and most probable situation is that your body is in ketosis (1). Long story short, your body has run out of stored energy (carbohydrates) and is using fat as fuel. Ammonium ions are excreted through your breath/sweat (2).

    This happens to me a lot on my long run training days. It's not bad, per se, but you definitely need to fuel your body immediately after your workout. You're "running on fumes," for lack of a better expression.

    To prevent this, however, be sure to carb up before your workout. If you still have an issue take in some carbs (sports drinks are usually the easiest) during your workout.

    Fun fact, this science is similar to a diabetics response to insulin secretion.

    (1) http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00392032
    (2) http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/475/reload=0;jsessionid=FKnKKhlwp7ffUSHsBlQY.10

    Oh trust me you wouldn't bore me into the science of anything. (Self-proclaimed science buff...I love researching, discovering, understanding, analyzing, etc).

    I found out a LOT about what you wrote yesterday when I was reading & researching why this has happened twice in the past two weeks.

    I've definitely consumed a few more carbs today since breakfast so hopefully this will end my ammonia sweats.

    If not I'll start drinking a little bit of gatorade or something similar about 30 minute into my training (when I switch from weights to cardio).
  • kurviekutie
    kurviekutie Posts: 26 Member
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    I have been having this problem too. Smells faintly like cat pee. GROSS!!!! The smell absolutely nauseates me :(

    So does anyone have ideas of good carbs to load up on? I am a 41 year old female and have at least 70 pounds to lose.

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