What makes some people stink.....?

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MoreBean13
MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This is not meant to be mean or accusatory to anyone, but I was at the gym tonight and the guy on the elliptical next to me really smelled of B.O. - Bad. What makes some people smell worse than others when they sweat? More importantly, do the people that smell KNOW that they smell?! Could I smell and not know it?! (I'm pretty sure I don't...I'm pretty compulsive about hygiene and always wear deodorant and body spray...but who knows)
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Replies

  • mistyladidah
    mistyladidah Posts: 210 Member
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    All I know is that the smell is actually bacterial emissions... um, farts... so from what I've gathered from my own smell strength, if you sweat, then smell a little because the sweat doesn't get washed off, then sweat more, you're well, feeding the smell and it gets worse and worse. Oh, and dirty clothes obviously will amplify the aroma a bit for the same reason. Other than that it's a lot of different things I would think... diet, body toxins, and plain old luck to start with. I've had friends who just always stank as soon as they started to sweat a little.

    edit: You probably would know if you had a smell, I catch wafts all the time when I need a shower but nobody else ever smells it, and I suck at remembering deodorant. :happy:
  • mruntidy
    mruntidy Posts: 1,015 Member
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    As a previously stinky person at the gym who used to avoid using the equipment next to people, i use white vinegar to kill the bacteria expecially in the armpits of my workout gear once a month and it works :) it's like wearing a fresh outfit just soak the item in a bowl for a bit then wash as normal :bigsmile:
  • sozzell
    sozzell Posts: 166
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    I kind of expect people at the gym to smell of BO a bit. Unacceptable smells at the gym, however, are farts, food, and tobacco.
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
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    As a previously stinky person at the gym who used to avoid using the equipment next to people, i use white vinegar to kill the bacteria expecially in the armpits of my workout gear once a month and it works :) it's like wearing a fresh outfit just soak the item in a bowl for a bit then wash as normal :bigsmile:

    Thats a good call. Going to do that with all my under armour gear at the weekend. Can;t boil wash that stuff. Thakns for the tip

    (I don;t smell by the way, well maybe a little of chocolate)
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
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    Sweat doesn;t smell. Old sweat does. Wash more, smell less
  • Lobster1987
    Lobster1987 Posts: 492 Member
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    Do you know how hard it is to try to hold in a fart while working on an elliptical?!?!?!!?

    I try to hold it in SO bad...but thankfully I'll work out by creepy old men and I'm sure people blame it on them if it slips....bwahaha
  • kayl3igh88
    kayl3igh88 Posts: 428 Member
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    Do you know how hard it is to try to hold in a fart while working on an elliptical?!?!?!!?

    I try to hold it in SO bad...but thankfully I'll work out by creepy old men and I'm sure people blame it on them if it slips....bwahaha

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • mruntidy
    mruntidy Posts: 1,015 Member
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    Do you know how hard it is to try to hold in a fart while working on an elliptical?!?!?!!?

    I try to hold it in SO bad...but thankfully I'll work out by creepy old men and I'm sure people blame it on them if it slips....bwahaha

    So you're the guff terrorist in my gym are you, i knew it was the women!
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
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    Some people reek more than others because of the way you perceive their smell. There have been a few studies that determine people "choose mates" subconsciously based on smell, since body odor reflects the human immune system. People with an immune system too similar to yours smell bad (like family members) and people with a very different immune system smell "good" (relatively)!

    This is all evolutionary and helps people to make healthier babies that are more resistant to diseases.
  • marykeblom
    marykeblom Posts: 56
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    Do you know how hard it is to try to hold in a fart while working on an elliptical?!?!?!!?

    I try to hold it in SO bad...but thankfully I'll work out by creepy old men and I'm sure people blame it on them if it slips....bwahaha


    WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhaHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm laughing so hard my tummy is hurting!! i wonder if that counts as calories burned?
  • bytemeeeeee
    bytemeeeeee Posts: 174
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    Hahahahah...I just swallowed a whole Jolly Rancher!!!
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
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    Some people reek more than others because of the way you perceive their smell. There have been a few studies that determine people "choose mates" subconsciously based on smell, since body odor reflects the human immune system. People with an immune system too similar to yours smell bad (like family members) and people with a very different immune system smell "good" (relatively)!

    This is all evolutionary and helps people to make healthier babies that are more resistant to diseases.

    Pretty interesting theory. Who came with such ?
  • Superchikanthem
    Superchikanthem Posts: 362 Member
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    Some people reek more than others because of the way you perceive their smell. There have been a few studies that determine people "choose mates" subconsciously based on smell, since body odor reflects the human immune system. People with an immune system too similar to yours smell bad (like family members) and people with a very different immune system smell "good" (relatively)!

    This is all evolutionary and helps people to make healthier babies that are more resistant to diseases.

    Pretty interesting theory. Who came with such ?

    I've heard that to. But not sure where so I cannot account for it credibility.
  • emounteer
    emounteer Posts: 2
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    LOL that is halarious. :laugh:
  • KC4800
    KC4800 Posts: 140 Member
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    As a previously stinky person at the gym who used to avoid using the equipment next to people, i use white vinegar to kill the bacteria expecially in the armpits of my workout gear once a month and it works :) it's like wearing a fresh outfit just soak the item in a bowl for a bit then wash as normal :bigsmile:

    Its ok to put the white vinegar right into the wash water with the soap. That works too.
  • TheMerryPup
    TheMerryPup Posts: 186 Member
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    no_shower4-150x150.gif
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    The only time that I think I have smelled at the gym was when I went on a Sunday morning before taking a shower. I don't know if I stunk to anyone else, but I could smell myself. Normally I go after work, and I shower before work and after the gym.

    I have had a few people with really bad breath working out next to me. And they tend to mouth breathe, which is probably part of what causes the bad breath in the first place. It's pretty gross.

    I have only noticed BO once in the three years I've been working out at the gym, no, twice. Both of them were males and it smelled like they would just shove their gym clothes back into their gym bag after their workout, just to put them back on the next time they worked out.
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
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    Personally, I stink when I workout.... it's something I can notice and other people don't as another poster said. I can tell when I've had an overload of vitamins or too many onions for lunch because I can smell it on my skin. It doesn't bother me, but when I'm working out for 2 hours of intense cardio and weight training plus zumba, I hate doing the stretching at the end because I feel like I'm wafting around my stink LOL Some people go to the gym, don't sweat and smell like cotton candy when they're done. I don't envy them... but it would be nice to smell like cotton candy from time to time.
  • onedayillbeamilf
    onedayillbeamilf Posts: 966 Member
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    People who eat a ton of garlic, onion and/or curry sometimes smell pretty pungent as well.
  • ChristiH4000
    ChristiH4000 Posts: 531 Member
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    There's nothing like fart jokes in the morning. I love this place!

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