Kinda embarressing.....
emccand
Posts: 195 Member
Ok so do you ever smell mildewy after working out? Like its not a b-o smell, or a I need to shower Im really dirty/sweaty smell, its a mildewy sweaty smell, and its all of me not any particular area. I only get it when I work out but its so frustrating, I want to know whats causing it. If you have had this let me know thanks!
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Replies
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I do not have this issue but could it be in your nose? Perhaps you should do saline nasal rinses. Sometimes sweat and bacteria can sit there and get nasty. Working out might bring out the smell in your nose. Otherwise I have no clue.
Also, maybe it is your clothes. Do you dry them immediately after you wash them? If you let them sit in the washer they will grow mildew and the smell comes out if you sweat in the clothes.0 -
How often do you wash your workout gear? towels, sweatbands, clothes etc? Stuff that gets wet and dries, wet and dries, can smell mildewy after a couple of times. Just a thought.0
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When I sweat I smell a sour smell. Not bo and its when ever I sweat either work (I give showers) or actual working out. My husbands told me once that it smelled like someone with bad breath licked my neck. Now I'm really self conscious about sweating. But I can't help it at work and I like to sweat when I work out. I just try to stay away from peoples noses.0
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Could it be your clothes? Maybe they smell from previous use/washing but only when they get heated up by your exercising self. It would be easy to put a cup of vinegar in your washing machine on a prewash cycle, to see if it helps.
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools0 -
I don't smell like mildew per-se, but when i was at the gym today I thought my sweat smelled different. (sounds odd, but you know what I mean.)
I figured it was the exercise ball & mat I was using - i'm sure i wasn't the first person of the day to sweat all over both.
is any of your exercise equipment shared? if not, does it need cleaning anyways?
just a thought.0 -
It kinda smells like amonia, This explanation is from bodybuilding.com
Your body uses amino acids for energy every day. There is no way to avoid this. Your body constantly goes into catabolic (tissue breakdown) and anabolic (tissue building) phases. When you accumulate mass (lean or fat), your anabolic phases exceed your catabolic phases, but you still experience both phases. When your body uses an amino acid for energy, it must convert the amino acid to a useable form of energy.
It does this by stripping the nitrogen atom off of the molecule. The skeleton molecule that is left behind is then further converted into glucose and used as fuel. In order to get rid of the excess nitrogen, your body typically processes the nitrogen in your kidneys and forms urea, CO(NH2)2 - basically, a carbon dioxide molecule bound to nitrogen and hydrogen. Urea is then excreted in the urine. If your kidneys cannot handle the load of nitrogen, then the nitrogen will be excreted as ammonia in your sweat.
One other factor to consider is water intake. The methods used for getting rid of excess ammonia, such as urine and sweat, all require water as a transport mechanism. If you are not getting adequate fluid, then the solution (ammonia + water) will not be diluted. Therefore, water plays a definite role. If you are not drinking enough fluids to have at least one or two clear urinations every day, you should drink more.
Based on this explanation, it is clear that your sweat will smell like ammonia only if an excessive amount of amino acids are being used for energy, or you are not receiving adequate water.
The key to avoiding that ammonia smell is to ingest sufficient carbohydrates. If you eat an ample amount of carbohydrate with every meal, then you should have plenty to fuel your exercise activity. Even people who work out on an empty stomach should have some glucose in their bloodstream upon rising - unless they subscribe to the myth that cutting out carbohydrates before bed helps you lose fat. If you find that the ammonia smell persists (even when you consume carbohydrate with every meal), try having a low glycemic carbohydrate before you workout.
A little oatmeal, a small apple, or even a piece of sprouted grain bread can provide the fuel that your body needs. Remember, your body requires fuel to burn fat! So don't think that providing some carbs before cardio is going to eliminate the fat burning process0 -
Thanks everyone for the responses, I work out at home, so Im the only one who uses my elliptical and I wash all my clothes and towels right away, Im really picky about laundry soap and how good the clothes smell when they come out of the drier lol. I will try cleaning my washing machine, and upping my water intake and see if that helps any, thank you!0
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It could be your sports bra if you have had it for awhile it maybe time to get a new one.0
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Interesting. I would say it's in your clothes0
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this is something I had a problem with I coudn't find out why cause I would wear new clean clothes then I reslized it was my bra! after a couple day's of sweating it will do that so I sugest getting some sports bras at Wal mart you can get a pack for like 9 bucks
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Are you taking any medication at all? Sometimes when the body gets rid of fluids, through sweat or urine, the odor changes because of medication. Just a thought.0
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I have to say my crotch is disgusting after working out! If I lift or do abs, I'm cool. If I do cardio i.e. run and I get sweaty, OMG. I only smell like that when I run. I can be sweaty from being in the heat all day and never smell like that. Only working out. I never noticed it until I started my running training.
I've wanted to take advance of my free personal trainings I got with my membership, but at the end, the trainer stretches you very sexually....what if I stink?!?!?0 -
@ rayleansout
intewesting0 -
since your skin is the largest organ you have and is given a serious detox with exercise, my guess is the smell, if its not your clothes, is most likely the toxin's expelling themselves from your body as they should!
Keep up the hard work your skin and body will love you even more for it! :flowerforyou:0 -
It could be your sports bra if you have had it for awhile it maybe time to get a new one.
I was going to say this ^^ I have one bra that smelled funky/musty after a workout. I washed it after EVERY workout. Tried washing out the funk. but it always came back. Finally set it free and bought some new bras.0 -
Another thing to consider is Candida (yeast) growth on your skin and clothes. I know that when I sweat a lot I tend to get a candida overgrowth in the areas where the sweat tends to sit the most (under the twins, navel, crotch area). It can produce a very yeasty/musty smell on your skin and in your clothes. If you notice red itchy patches in any of those areas, you might want to try an application of a product for yeast infections.0
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Maybe that's my problem! I get super smelly crotch working out. Never any other time despite the amount of sweating. If not working out, it is hard to make it smell at all. SOOOO weird. Never thought about it being a normal/natural bacteria!!!Another thing to consider is Candida (yeast) growth on your skin and clothes. I know that when I sweat a lot I tend to get a candida overgrowth in the areas where the sweat tends to sit the most (under the twins, navel, crotch area). It can produce a very yeasty/musty smell on your skin and in your clothes. If you notice red itchy patches in any of those areas, you might want to try an application of a product for yeast infections.0 -
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@ cynthiaj777 and other fabulous gals... This is kind of off topic but seriously important. That first livestrong article mentions using talcum powder on feet. Don't use it for your crotch, as there is a crazy high risk of developing ovarian cancer (see below). My aunt recently passed from ovarian cancer and it sucks. Pass this on to new moms of baby girls, too.
"Although previous studies have raised concerns over talc, the latest findings from the U.S. suggest that the risks are much greater than first thought.
Now the researchers have urged all women to stop using talc immediately.
Experts from Harvard Medical School in Boston studied more than 3,000 women.
They discovered using talc just once a week raised the risk of cancer by 36 per cent, rising to 41 per cent for those applying powder every day."
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods0 -
I have the same problem! It is not the body smelling, it was you smell inside your nose. My clothes do not smell like mildew, no one else can smell mildew on me. I am highly allergic to mildew and just assume that after I work out inside that my nose is super sensitive to the mildew around. It is everywhere, you can't escape mildew/mold. It can be in the air. I don't have this problem when I exercise outside, I assume it is because the constant fresh air being circulated. I know how frustrating it is! Esp. when you are in the shower and that is all you can smell is mildew, it is gross!!!0
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I think I found the answer to mildew/sour/vinegar sweat smell! After a year or two, and much experimentation, I realized my sweat didn't smell so much like mildew as vinegar. When I searched this our, I found one site that said its your pH balance being off - not so uncommon - and the solution was 1/8th teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water for 2-3 weeks - mine went away after 3 days! Try it, it's such an easily solution for such an embarrassing and seemingly difficult problem!0 -
rayleansout wrote: »It kinda smells like amonia, This explanation is from bodybuilding.com
Your body uses amino acids for energy every day. There is no way to avoid this. Your body constantly goes into catabolic (tissue breakdown) and anabolic (tissue building) phases. When you accumulate mass (lean or fat), your anabolic phases exceed your catabolic phases, but you still experience both phases. When your body uses an amino acid for energy, it must convert the amino acid to a useable form of energy.
It does this by stripping the nitrogen atom off of the molecule. The skeleton molecule that is left behind is then further converted into glucose and used as fuel. In order to get rid of the excess nitrogen, your body typically processes the nitrogen in your kidneys and forms urea, CO(NH2)2 - basically, a carbon dioxide molecule bound to nitrogen and hydrogen. Urea is then excreted in the urine. If your kidneys cannot handle the load of nitrogen, then the nitrogen will be excreted as ammonia in your sweat.
One other factor to consider is water intake. The methods used for getting rid of excess ammonia, such as urine and sweat, all require water as a transport mechanism. If you are not getting adequate fluid, then the solution (ammonia + water) will not be diluted. Therefore, water plays a definite role. If you are not drinking enough fluids to have at least one or two clear urinations every day, you should drink more.
Based on this explanation, it is clear that your sweat will smell like ammonia only if an excessive amount of amino acids are being used for energy, or you are not receiving adequate water.
The key to avoiding that ammonia smell is to ingest sufficient carbohydrates. If you eat an ample amount of carbohydrate with every meal, then you should have plenty to fuel your exercise activity. Even people who work out on an empty stomach should have some glucose in their bloodstream upon rising - unless they subscribe to the myth that cutting out carbohydrates before bed helps you lose fat. If you find that the ammonia smell persists (even when you consume carbohydrate with every meal), try having a low glycemic carbohydrate before you workout.
A little oatmeal, a small apple, or even a piece of sprouted grain bread can provide the fuel that your body needs. Remember, your body requires fuel to burn fat! So don't think that providing some carbs before cardio is going to eliminate the fat burning process
This is what I was gonna post.0 -
Not sure if anyone suggested this, but do your clothes ever get left in the washer too long? If so, you might not smell it when you move it to the dryer or air dry them, but later, if they get damp they'll smell. Sour, rotten, like a wet dog or stinky cheese.
If that happens, rewash them with a bit of vinegar. About 1/2 cup. Just put it in with the detergent. Or sometimes I put it where the liquid softener or bleach goes. I use white vinegar. It'll take out the mildew smell and you won't end up with any lingering vinegar smell unless you use too much vinegar.
I actually wash almost every load with vinegar because it's such a good deodorizer. Gym clothes, gardening clothes, towels, dish rags... Etc. It's also great for front loaders that are smelly.
But if my clothes/towels are left in the washer longer than 4-5 hours I ALWAYS rewash with vinegar.0 -
Thanks everyone for the responses, I work out at home, so Im the only one who uses my elliptical and I wash all my clothes and towels right away, Im really picky about laundry soap and how good the clothes smell when they come out of the drier lol. I will try cleaning my washing machine, and upping my water intake and see if that helps any, thank you!
Do you use dryer sheets or liquid fabric softener?
They leave residue on clothes. Most clothing, it's not a problem but with some of the wicking fabrics in sports gear it is a big problem and they don't do their job anymore. Sweat builds and smells faster.
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I take the vinegar a step further, and have some in a spray bottle, to spray the pits of every workout article of clothing, in addition to adding it to the load.0
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If it is the clothes and not dehydration or what-not, you might try soaking your workout gear in baking soda for 30 min and then in vinegar for 30 min before washing.0
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I think I found the answer to mildew/sour/vinegar sweat smell! After a year or two, and much experimentation, I realized my sweat didn't smell so much like mildew as vinegar. When I searched this our, I found one site that said its your pH balance being off - not so uncommon - and the solution was 1/8th teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water for 2-3 weeks - mine went away after 3 days! Try it, it's such an easily solution for such an embarrassing and seemingly difficult problem!
I get this sour vinegar smell if I haven't been able to shower straight after and it's definitely not originating from my clothes because its worse if I rub my hands through my hair and then smell my hand. I'm sure it's just normal body fluids and nothing to worry about. Might try that baking soda tip though! Hopefully it's fat cells escaping! :-)
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WaterBunnie wrote: »Might try that baking soda tip though! Hopefully it's fat cells escaping! :-)
"That's not sweat - it's your fat cells crying." - someone funny.
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cynthiaj777 wrote: »
Maybe that's my problem! I get super smelly crotch working out. Never any other time despite the amount of sweating. If not working out, it is hard to make it smell at all. SOOOO weird. Never thought about it being a normal/natural bacteria!!!Another thing to consider is Candida (yeast) growth on your skin and clothes. I know that when I sweat a lot I tend to get a candida overgrowth in the areas where the sweat tends to sit the most (under the twins, navel, crotch area). It can produce a very yeasty/musty smell on your skin and in your clothes. If you notice red itchy patches in any of those areas, you might want to try an application of a product for yeast infections.
I love your honestly here. I do too. No shame in my game, though! I just don't wear anything more than once without washing. Some of my friends can wear the same pair of spandex 2-3 times, not me!0
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