Can Smelling Salts Really Improve Our Training Performance? What You Need to Know About Smelling Salts
Hello everyone, welcome to this episode of "About Smelling Salts". Today, I want to talk to you about an interesting thing - smelling salts. I believe many people have seen it in fitness or strength training videos on platforms such as Douyin. Some people take out a small bottle and smell it before doing heavy weight training, and immediately feel more energetic and ready to start exercising.
So, what exactly are smelling salts? Do they really help us lift heavier weights? Let’s dive into the details today.
What Are Smelling Salts?
Under normal conditions, smelling salts are a colorless crystalline solid form of ammonium carbonate (NH₄)₂CO₃. What people use today is a mixture of this compound with water, often referred to as "ammonia aromatic solution." The smell is very pungent and was originally used to revive people who had fainted. Its most common use was among boxers to restore consciousness and mental sharpness. Later, it found applications in various sports, including ice hockey, powerlifting, bodybuilding, and strongman events.
Smelling salts were then adopted as a performance enhancer, helping athletes improve their performance during training or competition.
How Do Smelling Salts Help with Performance?
When we inhale the salts, they release a mixture of ammonia gas. As we know, ammonia gas is highly volatile (for example, think of the smell of disinfectant). It rapidly stimulates the nasal and lung membranes. This stimulation increases our breathing rate and helps more oxygen flow to the brain.
The strong breathing response accelerates the heart rate, making the nervous system more sensitive, which then stimulates the release of adrenaline. Most of us have seen in movies where a person who’s lost all energy is revived with an adrenaline shot, although it’s often exaggerated in films, the basic principle holds true. This effect typically lasts less than a minute.
While smelling salts help improve agility and focus, many people mistakenly believe they instantly increase their strength. However, studies have shown that smelling salts do not directly increase muscle strength; rather, the effect is likely due to psychological influence, such as increased focus.
Research on Smelling Salts and Performance
Researchers conducted an experiment to see if smelling salts actually enhance performance. They divided 20 people into two groups and tested their jumping ability, speed, and maximum strength. After using smelling salts, the results showed the following:
- Speed increased by 6.1%.
- Maximum strength improved by 25%
Later, another experiment was conducted to see the impact of smelling salts on the number of repetitions at 85% of 1RM weight in squats and bench presses. The results indicated that the use of smelling salts did not significantly improve these exercises, but there was still a slight improvement. Researchers noted that even small improvements are beneficial for long-term training progress.
Do Smelling Salts Have Side Effects?
Given that the ammonia gas is highly stimulating and considered toxic in large amounts, is it harmful to our body?
As of now, there have been no reported cases of injury from using smelling salts during exercise, as long as they are used safely and reasonably. However, over-inhaling ammonia gas can lead to toxicity. It's important not to overuse smelling salts, even though they can enhance your performance. Professional athletes typically only use them during heavy lifts or to break personal records。
How to use smelling salts safely
Using smelling salts is similar to inhaling volatile gases during school experiments. Open the bottle and hold it about 6-10 cm from your nose. Inhale slightly harder than usual and gently wave your hands to increase airflow. Make sure not to inhale too hard as this may cause discomfort.
If you are sensitive to strong smells or have breathing problems, you should avoid using smelling salts.
Conclusion
After reading this article, we now have a clearer understanding of smelling salts. Here are the main points to remember:
- Smelling salts are a mixture of ammonia and water, and their smell is highly stimulating.
- They help improve focus and concentration, boosting training performance.
- Smelling salts can be used occasionally for heavy lifting, particularly when trying to break personal records.
- Safe and moderate use of smelling salts does not harm the body.
- Do not use smelling salts frequently—only use them when attempting very heavy lifts
If you've ever had the opportunity to use smelling salts, you know the feeling, which is quite strong. The smell can instantly help you focus, just like an athlete slapping their face before lifting weights. The effect is to quickly focus your attention and reduce fatigue, which helps with lifting weights. The effects of smelling salts last about a minute, which is usually enough to lift a heavy weight once. Remember to use only when needed.
If you don't know where to buy it, look for it from a trusted supplier, either online, or you can buy it here https://pulsepride-smellingsalts.com which works really well! Or at your local sports store.
