Ammonia Sweat, Not low carbing

armaretta
armaretta Posts: 851 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! The past three months, I've noticed after my runs, My sweat is getting to be more and more strongly scented of ammonia! I eat a 40/30/30 c/p/f ration right now. Actually, it usually ends up closer to 50/25/25. I don't restrict my carbs by any means, so I'm at a loss to know why my body is reeking of ammonia after 30-60 minutes of running. Urine smells a little funny too. I don't feel sick or anything.

I alternate lifting heavy 2-3x/week and run 2-3x/week, alternating. It happens sometimes when I'm weight lifting, but usually more strongly after a run. I'm about 125-128lbs, 22ish% BF. Should I be worried about my kidneys? Does my body need even more carbs? I might have trouble meeting a reasonable protein goal if I up my carbs much more.

I'll check back later, Any info is appreciated, Thanks!

Replies

  • its_betty
    its_betty Posts: 104 Member
    I get this too. My doctor didn't have an answer. A dermatologist friend of mine said that it could be that I have an enzyme that breaks down protein in sweat. Not dangerous. If it happens all the time, some people have their sweat glands treated with botox injections. No thanks, I'll just shower.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    I get this too. My doctor didn't have an answer. A dermatologist friend of mine said that it could be that I have an enzyme that breaks down protein in sweat. Not dangerous. If it happens all the time, some people have their sweat glands treated with botox injections. No thanks, I'll just shower.

    It's very common that runners have the smell of ammonia after long runs. It is the amino acids in your muscles converting to energy. It's not physically dangerous but it is metabolically. This process will actually decrease the amount of lean muscle mass to produce energy. Lower LBM will cause a lower metabolism. Eating additional calories might be able to offset this issue.
  • armaretta
    armaretta Posts: 851 Member
    It's very common that runners have the smell of ammonia after long runs. It is the amino acids in your muscles converting to energy. It's not physically dangerous but it is metabolically. This process will actually decrease the amount of lean muscle mass to produce energy. Lower LBM will cause a lower metabolism. Eating additional calories might be able to offset this issue.
    Thanks for the response! I eat at a fairly small deficit already I thought. I'm really wanting to get my BF%down to 18%, but don't want to sacrifice too much LBM. I've been lifting heavy for about 6 weeks and progressing well. My BF% has dropped around 1% according to my Omron, and my weight has stayed in the same 3lbs fluctuation range. Would it be beneficial to cut down on the cardio? I run 12-18miles/week split over several days. I was going to attempt a 1/2 marathon this year. Maybe I could carb load a little on run days? I really enjoy running and like the cardiovascular benefits too, but I want lower BF% more than anything else.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Based on your numbers you might want to try to eat around 2000 calories or even try some carbs an hour before your workout. Based on Katch McArdle, I have you having a bMR of 1325. So the question comes down to, what type of daily lifestyle you have and how many calories do you burn during workouts. If you are fairly active throughout the day, then you might just need to up calories. If you aren't, then you might be burning.

    And since you are training to do a half marathon, i wouldn't' suggest stop running because that would defeat the purpose of training.
  • armaretta
    armaretta Posts: 851 Member
    Thanks! I use a BodyMedia Fit to measure my daily burn. I average around 2300 TDEE/day and eat 1800-2000+ most days. There might be the odd day here or there that I am not hungry and eat 1500ish, but that is almost never a problem! My deficit averages out to be 250-300/day. I try to throw in a maintenance day here or there to keep my body from getting too used to deficits.

    I guess I'm fairly active throughout the day and will twitch or pace about if I'm bored. I burn 150-200cals per weight lifting session and 350-450cals per running session.

    I might try some carbs before running to see if that helps. I always get some protein in after a workout to try to preserve my LBM.

    Do you think my deficit needs to be smaller? Maybe I should eat at maintenance more often and let my muscles do some fat burning at rest?

    Thanks again for your help! I see you around the forums a lot, and you always have good info!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Thanks! I use a BodyMedia Fit to measure my daily burn. I average around 2300 TDEE/day and eat 1800-2000+ most days. There might be the odd day here or there that I am not hungry and eat 1500ish, but that is almost never a problem! My deficit averages out to be 250-300/day. I try to throw in a maintenance day here or there to keep my body from getting too used to deficits.

    I guess I'm fairly active throughout the day and will twitch or pace about if I'm bored. I burn 150-200cals per weight lifting session and 350-450cals per running session.

    I might try some carbs before running to see if that helps. I always get some protein in after a workout to try to preserve my LBM.

    Do you think my deficit needs to be smaller? Maybe I should eat at maintenance more often and let my muscles do some fat burning at rest?

    Thanks again for your help! I see you around the forums a lot, and you always have good info!

    You can try to eat at maintenance for a few weeks to see if that works.

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