What are those things NFL players sniff?
Smelling salts come in a sealed white plastic wrapper. The plastic wrapper consists of a mixture of alcohol, ammonia and water. Smelling salts work when the package is broken open the ammonia gas immediately releases into the nose of the NFL player.
The ammonia-based inhalant is manufactured for the express purpose of treating or preventing fainting, but at some point, NFL players and other athletes discovered they could repurpose the decongestant properties and adrenaline-pumping side effects into a perfectly legal, low-tech pick-me-up ... even though there's ...
It was a smelling salt. It screwed up everything. I knew it! I saw you fumble the salt on TV and knew it would lead to the missed field goal.
The players are inhaling ammonia, more commonly known as smelling salts, from small single-use packets, which are around the same size as a ketchup sachet. Sniffing the contents provides the user with a dual effect: a sudden surge of alertness and cleared airways thanks to its strong decongestant properties.
While boxing no longer allows the use of smelling salts, there is no such prohibition in the major American sports leagues like the NHL, NFL, and MLB, where its use has been commonplace for years.
Smelling salts are real substances that players carry with them in their kits and smell before matches to rejuvenate themselves. They are a preparation of ammonium carbonate and perfume. When sniffed, they stimulate or arouse our senses.
What is ammonia? Ammonia (NH3) is a colorless gas that is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen. It has a strong odor that smells like urine or sweat. Ammonia occurs naturally in water, soil, and the air, and is also found naturally in plants, animals, and the human body.
The kicker was suspended four games in August for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy after failing an alcohol test. The Broncos released Prater on Oct. 3, just days before his suspension was set to end. Prater has been in the NFL's alcohol program since August 2011, when he was arrested and charged with DUI.
Sometimes that pressure results in the decision to take banned substances, and at worst, even to make a practice of it. Smelling salts pale in comparison, of course, to PEDs and are also 100% legal.
It's also not a great idea to use smelling salts in an attempt to wake an unconscious player, as it could exacerbate an injury. “I wouldn't use it to regain consciousness. If someone had a head injury and lost consciousness, I would not want to try to jerk them back into consciousness,” Reinold says.
Do they sell smelling salts at Walmart?
Zone Smelling Salts, Dry, 4 oz - Walmart.com.
The most common use for smelling salts in sports isn't to wake up unconscious players. What happens more frequently is players choose to sniff them because they believe it makes them more alert and ready to play.
Smelling salts have been around since the 13th century. They are available at nearly every major online retailer and some brick-and-mortar drug stores. They're affordable, and they are not banned by the major pro sports leagues, the NCAA or high school athletic associations.
