14 replies to this topic

[Davo]

I wonder if anyone can throw some light on a problem I encounter after a long (i.e. 35+k) run:.......after showering, I lie on the bed for a while to recover, and I have noticed that I give off what can only be desribed as a very pungent odour. It's not the usual acrid sweaty smell that we all know and love so much, this is a totally different smell. The only word I can think of to call it is: pungent.
Has anyone else had the same experience? Does anyone know if it signifies anything?

Davo.

[Pasty]

After a very long run I occasionally smell like ammonia. Actually, more like reek than smell. From what I know it's acetate from your muscles after depleting them of glycogen, but hey, I'm no chemist. This may be your problem. But why you get this smell after you shower is another thing.

pastyboy

[Mister G]

Check out these links...

http://www.fred.net/...nr/ammonia.html

http://www.fred.net/...nr/keytone.html

[Richard99]

You little ripper - I'm not going nuts.

This has been bugging me for ages as I only smelled it at a certain time of the morning, at a certain place in the house (in the bathroom after a shower), and not all the time.

I never suspected my morning run and that I was the source of the smell!

I have been theorising everything from a gas leak that only happened when I used the shower, to a secret storage of ammonia in a neighbors garage who use to go to work aroud the same time I was having my usual shower.

My wife dismissed my observations and theories which even made me suspect her as hiding something from me.

There are some very clever people out there – and there are guys like me.

I better apologise to the wife - and the dog.

Regards

[Vinny]

Davo, thanks for bringing this up.  If it is an ammonia smell you are referring to I have noticed it for years.  I always believed it to be related to excessive effort, but noticed that it was not consistently associated with any given training session or day, and only occurs once in a blue moon.  I have always felt the odour was an internal one only (ie one detected by your own nostrils only - unlike normal perspiration odour which everyone gets to share in), if proven otherwise I probably owe a few people an apology.  I noticed it was shower-based only and it seems to disappear soon after you dry off.  I will check out Mister G's URL addresses to get some answers for myself.  I figured I was just unusual so never raised it before.  Regards.

[Tony123]

Good to see that I'm not the only one that can smell ammonia after some of my runs.  Interestingly for me I normally can smell it after a medium run, 60-70mins.  On shorter runs or long runs there is no smell.

[tonedbutt]

Is this just a bloke thing?

[Colin]

tonedbutt, on 12 October 2011 - 10:53 AM, said:

Is this just a bloke thing?

No , it could be  a 'low carb/high protein' thing. I believe carbs are 'out' these days. My sister once went on the scarsdale diet years ago while we were still living at home, so I started eating what she ate. Soon gave up due to the smell...even during my run.

It could also be an alcohol thing....come and smell the guys after their 10/20 fun run and you won't smell alcohol but the alcohol/acetic acid process which gives the ammonia/vinegar smell. You should see how the energy kicks in after 14k's or so when the carbs run low and the acohol/acetic acid gets used instead of fats.

[arrtgrrl]

I sometimes get that ammonia smell..  havent noticed any rhyme or reason.. i think i read somewhere that it is a by product from muscle breakdown when you have burnt up all your glycogen.. but i dont really know lol

Naomi

[tonedbutt]

Colin, on 12 October 2011 - 12:17 PM, said:

No , it could be  a 'low carb/high protein' thing. I believe carbs are 'out' these days. My sister once went on the scarsdale diet years ago while we were still living at home, so I started eating what she ate. Soon gave up due to the smell...even during my run.

It could also be an alcohol thing....come and smell the guys after their 10/20 fun run and you won't smell alcohol but the alcohol/acetic acid process which gives the ammonia/vinegar smell. You should see how the energy kicks in after 14k's or so when the carbs run low and the acohol/acetic acid gets used instead of fats.

I have noticed in the past a bit of a high from a couple of days of food deprivation.  It's nice in a way but accompanied by a feeling of nausea which is not pleasant.

I probably don't get the smell or the high because 1) I am a big fan of complex carbs from fruit, veg and grains, and 2) as a big runner I probably don't exhaust my stores of glycogen due to plenty of stored energy.

One of those low carb/high protein programs (can't remember if Atkins or Scarsdale) encouraged the body to attain the state of ketoacidosis asnd recommended using urine dip sticks to see if ketones were present in the urine.  This is not a healthy way to run your body as any diabetic who has experienced a ketoacidotic crisis whill tell you.

[buzzlightyear]

Sorry people but the 'Smell' you all referring to, is it the "rear explusion of fumes" or just the body odour?

Depending of the type of carbs I eat, my fart smells differently. Seriously not meant to be hijacking this thread or be a joker but I do fart a lot post marathons (or could it be all the Gu and salt tab?)

[Tony123]

buzzlightyear, on 13 October 2011 - 05:02 PM, said:

Sorry people but the 'Smell' you all referring to, is it the "rear explusion of fumes" or just the body odour?

Depending of the type of carbs I eat, my fart smells differently. Seriously not meant to be hijacking this thread or be a joker but I do fart a lot post marathons (or could it be all the Gu and salt tab?)

Its not a fart.  And its not body odour.  For me it seems that only I can smell it, I've asked my wife to smell me after a run and he cant smell the ammonia smell - she can only smell normal sweat.  Doing some research on the internet, a lot of people report that only they person themselves can smell the ammonia.

[Sarge]

It's like the smell is coming out of the lining inside your nose. I get it as well.

[Davo]

I see that I started this thread in 2002, when I was still in the workforce and had only run one marathon at the time.
Since then I have retired, have run lots more marathons and some ultras, and my training mileage has increased considerably. Whereas before I would do a 35+ k run perhaps twice a month, nowadays I do that sometimes twice a week.
The point I am making is that now I never get that ammonia smell any more, and I can only attribute that to the fact that my muscles are more used to the long runs now and have compensated appropriately. I guess that's an oblique way of saying that I'm fitter now than I was then (at least from a long distance run viewpoint).
Have other people with that problem experienced that? It seems logical that, over a long period of time, your body adjusts to the demands on it and stops producing the ammonia smell, which I believe is something to do with your muscles breaking down because your other energy supplies have run out.

[run2work]

I get this smell while I clean the shower. Oh, hang on, it is the 'shower power' spray.

And please don't tell blokes in Dubbo that I clean the shower, or else they will think I'm a sheila.

r2w