Smelling Salts: The NFL's Performance Enhancing Open Secret (2024)

RE: Smelling Salts for energy, focus and shattering PRs.

What do elite football players Clay Matthews, Ezekiel Elliott and Tom Brady have in common?

Besides million dollar contracts and droves of beautiful women flocking to them, they have all been seen sniffing a little white pouch during football games.

These little white pouches are smelling salts, an ammonia gas that increases energy, focus, power and stamina when inhaled.

Smelling salts are popular in the NFL because the nature of the game makes the adrenaline enduring effects of smelling salts a perfect match:

NFL Football is a series of quick, very intense plays, that usually last for a few minutes before the other team takes over and does the same thing.

Smelling salts offer a quick burst of adrenaline in increase alertness and strength for a few minutes, making it a perfect performance-enhancing fit for the NFL.

Tom Brady has been seen huffing from a gatorade cup on the sideline before taking the field.

Ezekiel Elliott has been seen smelling a little white pouch between possessions. There’s also a hilarious gif of Clay Matthews sniffing a salt pouch and he immediately gets a crazy look in his eye.

But, it’s not just the NFL elites using smelling salts, it’s beenreported that smelling salts are used by 80% of players in the NFL.

Athletic trainers keep these smelling salts in their kit for players to get hyped up during games. After games the sidelines are littered with hundreds of little white smelling salt pouches.

Salts are a common not only in the NFL, but in the NHL, powerlifting gyms worldwide and other sports. Smelling salts are perfectly legal to purchase and are becoming more popular with college and even high school athletes.

What are Smelling Salts and How Do They Work?

Smelling salts are an ammonia compound inhaled through the nose to increase alertness, focus and energy.

Salts started out as a first aid staple, but have evolved into a performance and cognitive enhancer used by athletes everywhere.

Smelling salts help athletes get their head in the game, to run harder, and even increase strength for a short period of time.

According to claims for top athletes, smelling salts work and work very well!

What’s It like Using Smelling Salts?

When placed by the nose, the ammonia gasirritates mucus membranes and triggers an inhalation reflex with causes a surge of oxygen into the lungs, bloodstream and body.

Smelling salts are like a shot of adrenaline – causing wakefulness, increased energy and focus. It’s like getting slapped in the face.

NFL defensive end Demarcus Lawrence stated, “The ammonia wakes you up, opens your eyes – You’ll be on the bench, you start to get a little tired and you got to wake your body up, and that’s what that little ammonia does for you.”

However, the affects of smelling salts are short lived, only lasting a few minutes. But that’s plenty of time to crush a heavy set or hit a new PR.

Why Do People Use Smelling Salts?

I’ve already mentioned why athletes use smelling salts, but who else uses them and why?

Smelling salts are used by business men and woman, students and long distance truck drivers and travelers as a wakefulness agent and energy booster.

Smelling salts are often kept in first aid kits for it’s many documented benefits

• Cure Hiccups
• Relieves nausea
• Revive people after they pass out or faint.
• Fix Dizzy spells

On the non-medical side of things, smelling sals have been used to reduce driver’s fatigue during long road trips or late night drives.

After reading product review on amazon, some people even use smelling salts as a Mid afternoon pick me up or to get their head in the game before big meetings:

“Great stuff. I love smelling salts’ ability to increase wakefulness without any documented side effects. Been using them for years as a hockey, football, and lacrosse athlete. Now as a men’s league hockey player I buy them for myself and use them before most games. I’ll even use one before the occasional business meeting.”

Powerlifters and bodybuilders use smelling salts for a quick, intense boost of energy to set new personal records.

Actually Amazon Review – “Gives you that shot of adrenaline before that One rep max !”

Are Smelling Salts Bad for You?

Honestly, my take is they can’t be good for you. But that’s not to say they are necessarily bad either.

The problem with smelling salts is they might mask symptoms and cover up a potential health problem.

For example, boxing has outlawed smelling salts because fighters would be unconscious, take a whiff of salts, then be ready to fight again in a few seconds.

Huffing smelling salts make you think everything is OK, even though your brain is swelling inside your skull.

The fighters would go in and keep fighting, and taking hard hits when they had no business being in the ring.

If people become over-relient on salts, make you think that the quick fix is the way to go instead of trying to solve the root cause of the problem.

Also, ammonia gas is toxic in high doses butsmelling salts produce a very little amount of ammonia gas which is not enough to be harmful. In fact, no adverse health problems from using smelling salts have been documented by any scientific research.

Smelling salts can be unpleasant and might sting, burn or irritate your nasal passage.

I would keep the huffing to a minimum. Even though your body can deal with low doses of ammonia gas pretty easily. Long term, or prolonged use could cause health problems.

They’re are no documented side effects BUT I would definite use sparingly and err on the side of caution. These increase your repertory. Could cause you to over exert your self and you could get hurt. USE SMELLING SALTS AT YOUR OWN RISK AND CONSULT A DOCTOR BEFORE USING.

How often should you use smelling salts?

Some NFL players use smelling salts before taking the field each change of possession.

My advice would be to use them sparingly. Maybe once a week or less. Use them for when you’re going to try to hit a new Personal Record or really need a boost to get over a hump.

Where can You buy Smelling Salts?

If you’re looking for where to buy smelling salts, amazon carries many kinds of them. You can also try your local pharmacy.

There are a few brand name smelling salts which are apparently more potent then the first aid pouches. Nose Torque and Wake Up Motherfxxxxx are a few brand names you can try.

Or, you can do what I did and order the original recipe smelling salt pouches. These are quite cheap and easily portable. (Oh, yes there will be a review soon!)