Smelling salts are ammonia-based products traditionally used to help people regain consciousness after fainting. Recently, athletes have shown interest in using these salts to boost alertness and performance. Also known as ammonia inhalants, smelling salts create a strong odor that triggers a change in breathing patterns, which can help enhance alertness.
While generally safe when used correctly, smelling salts can irritate the nose and throat. Prolonged exposure might lead to complications like lung damage. Available over-the-counter in most pharmacies, they come in packets, capsules, or liquid form and contain low concentrations of ammonia or ammonium compounds, sometimes blended with essential oils.
When inhaled, these salts cause a sharp smell resembling a household cleaner. This prompts a reflex that temporarily raises heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure, boosting blood flow to the brain. These effects are quick to appear, usually within 15 seconds, and vanish after about a minute.
Historically, smelling salts have been used to revive people who fainted due to insufficient oxygen reaching the brain. The fumes stimulate the nasal passages, prompting deep breaths that increase oxygen delivery to the brain, helping the person regain consciousness.
Some athletes, particularly football players, hockey players, and powerlifters, use smelling salts as a stimulant to increase energy, respiratory rate, and focus. Approximately half of powerlifters reportedly use them before key lifts in competitions. The International Powerlifting Federation allows their use privately, and while the World Anti-Doping Agency hasn’t banned ammonia, evidence supporting its effectiveness in boosting athletic performance is limited.
Research suggests that although smelling salts may improve alertness and perception of physical performance, they don’t enhance power, strength, or neuromuscular drive. Psychological stimulation may explain some improvement in strength tests noted in studies.
However, smelling salts can cause immediate irritation to moist body areas like the eyes, nose, and throat, resulting in burning sensations, tears, coughs, and runny noses. Misuse, such as inhaling too close or overusing them, can lead to more serious issues like chemical burns, allergic reactions, worsened asthma, pulmonary congestion, skin irritation, and even irreversible lung damage or death.
Due to the lack of research supporting their use as performance enhancers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved them as stimulant drugs. In fact, the FDA warned against certain products marketed for boosting alertness and energy without approval, after receiving reports of adverse effects like shortness of breath, seizures, migraines, vomiting, diarrhea, and fainting.
If you’re considering using smelling salts, consult a healthcare provider to ensure they’re appropriate for you. They can advise on usage frequency and suitable products. It’s crucial to use them sparingly and keep them at least four to six inches from your nose during inhalation. Extended use can significantly increase health risks. If unexpected symptoms occur after using smelling salts, contact Poison Control immediately at 1-800-222-1222.
