Why is it that when I’m training that my sweat has the strongest smell of ammonia possible? I mean industrial-strength ammonia. I sweat very heavily so when the shirt comes off after training if it doesn’t go immediately in the washer it’s got to be trashed. What’s going on here? A while back wasn’t there a supplement that was called Ammonia Scavengers, or something? Is this at all related to what I’m talking about?
I would get that too when I was dieting. I’m not sure if it means you’re breaking down muscle tissue, or if it could be just a bi-product of metabolizing fat (or something else). You’re not crazy, though. I’ve been curious about that one for a while. Maybe someone else knows.
The ammonia odor is caused by being in ketosis. Your breath probably smells god awful as well, but normally you can’t smell it yourself. Don’t even try breath mints or gum, they won’t help. If you’re not trying to get lean just up your carbs. I experience the ammonia smell every time I diet down.
The ammonia smell is not from ketosis. The ketosis smell a sweet smell…kind of fruity…its acetone. I think youre confusing acetone with ammonia. Ammonia smells like your dog took a leak on your shirt and youre wearing it around. It reaks! I also used to get that during training when dieting for a show, but oddly enough, also just after shows when I was pigging out on anything in sight. I have had to throw away several shirts on account of it. Im not sure what that is. Its definately the nitrogen from protein deamination (removal of the nitrogen groups) being shunted into sweat. Ammonia is simply a product of the nitrogen removal from protein. I think when I got it, it was due to the fact that my body (after shows) was all of the sudden in such a state of pos nitrogen (after all that muscle catabolism of dieting) that it was all it could do to get rid of that nasty, toxic ammonia. Perhaps youre eating too much protein.
it’s a by-product of the breakdown of protein…I also have a hunch it’ll be worse if you’re not taking in enough water. I’ve always noticed when i’m consuming a ton of protein my socks will reak of ammonia when i take them off each night…I cut back a little and the smell goes away. I would guess if you’re eating so much protein that your entire body smells like that then you probably need to cut back a bit.
I agree, it is more than likely the result of excess protein. In addition to acting as a cooling agent, sweating is one of the ways the body diposes of toxins.
You’re probably just eating too much protein. However, it could be an H. Pylori bacterial infection or a liver problem. Also, if you do a great deal of cardio (30-40+ high intensity) you could be causing muscle catabolism.
I belive the Arginine > Ornithine > Citruline cycle is responsible for Ammonia reduction
Consider Arginine supplimentation ?