What do Strongman Smell before Lifting? - Smelling Salts

If you’ve ever watched a World’s Strongest Man competition or a heavy powerlifting meet, you’ve definitely seen the ritual. A massive athlete walks up to the barbell, their coach waves a small bottle under their nose, and suddenly—snap—the athlete’s head jerks back. Their eyes widen, they let out a roar, and they attack the weight with a sudden, violent intensity.

It looks like magic, or maybe something illegal. But it’s actually just simple chemistry.

What strongmen smell before lifting is smelling salts, technically known as ammonia inhalants. While they have been a staple in medical kits since Victorian times to revive fainting people, in the world of strength sports, they serve a very different purpose: to trigger a massive, immediate adrenaline rush.

But do they actually make you stronger? Is sniffing ammonia safe? And why do organizations like the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) have such specific rules about them? Here is everything you need to know about the science, safety, and psychology behind the sniff.

5 Key Takeaways on Smelling Salts

Before we dive deep, here are the five most critical facts you need to know about using ammonia inhalants for lifting:

The “Fight-or-Flight” Hack: Smelling salts work by irritating the nerve endings in your nose and lungs, triggering an involuntary inhalation reflex that tricks your body into a “fight-or-flight” state.
They Don’t Increase Max Strength: Contrary to popular belief, scientific reviews—such as those analyzed by Stronger By Science—show ammonia inhalants do not increase your one-rep max strength. However, they may help with explosive power (rate of force development) when you are already fatigued.
The Placebo is Powerful: A huge part of the benefit is psychological. The ritual of the sniff creates “mental readiness,” focus, and confidence, which can be just as valuable as a physical boost.
Legal but Hidden: Smelling salts are legal in almost all strength sports (including WADA), but the IPF forbids using them in plain view of the audience.
Distance Matters: They are generally safe if used correctly (10–15cm away from the nose), but misuse can lead to chemical burns, lung damage, and serious respiratory issues.

What Are Smelling Salts? The Science of Ammonia Inhalants

At their core, smelling salts are basic chemical compounds. Most commercial products used by athletes contain a mixture of ammonium carbonate and perfume or water. When you crack a capsule or open a bottle, the ammonium carbonate releases ammonia gas.

Ammonia is a colorless gas with a distinctively sharp, pungent, and “biting” odor. It is arguably one of the most aggressive smells the human nose can encounter. Historically, these were used to revive people who had fainted (syncope) because the sheer shock of the smell was enough to jolt the brain back to consciousness.

In the gym, that same “jolt” is used to wake up the central nervous system (CNS) before a heavy squat, deadlift, or log press.

How Do Ammonia Inhalants Work? The Physiology

The mechanism behind smelling salts is a fascinating chain reaction that happens in a split second. It isn’t a drug that enters your bloodstream and metabolizes like caffeine; it’s a physical reflex.

Here is the step-by-step physiology:

Irritation: When you inhale the gas, it aggressively irritates the mucous membranes of your nose and lungs.
The Inhalation Reflex: This irritation triggers a primal protective mechanism called the inhalation reflex. Your body forces a rapid, involuntary deep breath.
Sympathetic Activation: This spike in breathing rate and the shock to the system immediately activates the sympathetic nervous system.
The Adrenaline Dump: Your body perceives the irritation as a threat, entering “fight-or-flight” mode. This floods your system with adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol.

The result? Your heart rate spikes, your pupils dilate, and your brain becomes hyper-alert. For a few seconds, you feel less pain and more aggression—perfect for lifting a car or pulling 400kg off the floor.

Do Smelling Salts Increase Strength? What Research Shows

This is where the science contradicts the “bro-science.” If you ask a lifter, they will swear the salts make them stronger. If you ask a scientist, the answer is “probably not.”

Rigorous studies found on PubMed have tested athletes’ 1-Rep Max (1RM) performance with and without ammonia inhalants. The results consistently show that smelling salts do not increase maximal strength. You likely won’t be able to lift a weight you couldn’t lift before just because you sniffed ammonia.

However, there is a catch. While raw strength doesn’t change, explosive power might. Research has found that ammonia can increase the “peak rate of force development” (RFD)—essentially, how fast you can generate force. This is particularly true when an athlete is already tired. If you are halfway through a grueling Strongman medley and gassed out, smelling salts might help you tap into that explosive energy for one last push, even if your absolute top-end strength hasn’t changed.

The Psychological Effects: Placebo vs. Performance

If the science says it doesn’t make you stronger, why does every pro strongman use them? The answer lies in psychology.

Performance isn’t just about muscle fibers; it’s about the brain. The “psyching up” ritual is a massive part of heavy lifting. When an athlete smells the salts, it acts as a trigger. It signals to the brain: “It is time to go to war.”

Studies indicate that the perception of performance enhancement is high among users. Athletes report feeling more focused, more “ready,” and more confident after a sniff. In sports psychology, this is significant. If you believe you can lift the weight, you are less likely to hesitate, and hesitation is what causes missed lifts.

Therefore, even if the physiological boost is minor, the placebo effect and the “mental readiness” provided by the ritual are real performance enhancers.

Are Smelling Salts Legal in Powerlifting & Strongman?

Are you cheating if you use them? No.

Ammonia inhalants are not prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They are not considered a performance-enhancing drug (PED) in the traditional sense. You can use them in Strongman Corporation, World’s Strongest Man, and almost all amateur leagues.

However, if you compete in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), you need to be careful. The IPF acknowledges that smelling salts are legal to use, but they have a strict rule regarding decorum. Their rulebook states that a lifter “shall not… use ammonia within view of the public.”

This means you cannot snap a capsule on the platform in front of the judges and the audience. You must do it backstage or “covertly” before stepping out. This rule is mostly about maintaining a “clean” professional image for the sport, preventing it from looking like athletes are drug-dependent to perform.

Side Effects and Safety Risks of Smelling Salts

Just because you can buy them online doesn’t mean they are harmless. Ammonia is a toxic substance, and your body’s violent reaction to it is a warning sign. According to health experts at Cleveland Clinic, misuse can lead to genuine injury.

Immediate Side Effects: Coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, and throat irritation are standard. If you are not used to it, you might get a sudden headache or feel dizzy.
Chemical Burns: This is the most common injury. If you hold the bottle too close to your nose (or touch the liquid to your skin), you can burn your nasal passages or the skin on your upper lip.
Respiratory Damage: Frequent use or incredibly deep inhalations can cause bronchospasm (constriction of the airways), which is terrifying if you are about to try to breathe under a heavy barbell.
The Injury Risk: Perhaps the most dangerous side effect is masking injury. Because ammonia triggers adrenaline, it can temporarily dull pain signals. This might cause an athlete to attempt a lift despite a tweaked back or torn muscle, turning a minor injury into a career-ending one.

Who should avoid them completely? Anyone with asthma, COPD, or chronic respiratory issues. The irritation can trigger a severe asthma attack.

How to Use Smelling Salts Correctly

If you are going to use them, don’t just rip the cap off and shove it up your nostril. Follow these safety protocols:

The 15cm Rule: Hold the capsule or bottle 10–15cm (4–6 inches) away from your nose. Never touch it to your nose.
Sip, Don’t Gulp: Take a small, brief sniff. Do not take a massive, deep lung-filling inhale. You want to irritate the nose, not burn the lungs.
Save it for the Big Ones: Do not use ammonia for warm-ups or regular training sets. You will build a tolerance, and the effect will diminish. Save it for a 1-Rep Max attempt or a competition setting.
Cap it Tight: Ammonia gas escapes quickly. If you leave the bottle open, your potent salts will turn into useless water in minutes.

Best Alternatives to Ammonia Inhalants

If the idea of inhaling toxic gas doesn’t appeal to you, you can achieve similar arousal states through other means. The goal is “psyching up,” which can be done via:

Percussive stimulation: The classic “back slap” or chest slap used by lifters increases heart rate and alertness.
Music: High-tempo aggressive music triggers similar sympathetic nervous system responses without the chemical burn.
Visualization: Mental rehearsal of the lift can prime the nervous system (mental readiness) just as effectively as the chemical shock of ammonia, albeit with less “rage.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Do smelling salts actually increase strength?

No, they do not increase raw static strength. Research consistently shows no improvement in 1-Rep Max strength. However, they can improve the rate of force development (explosive speed), especially when you are fatigued.

How do smelling salts work physiologically?

They irritate the membranes in the nose and lungs, triggering a rapid inhalation reflex. This spikes your heart rate and breathing, activating the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) and releasing adrenaline.

Are smelling salts legal in strongman competition?

Yes. They are legal in WADA, Strongman, and Powerlifting. However, the IPF requires athletes to use them out of sight of the public and judges (not on the platform).

What are the side effects and health risks?

Common effects are watery eyes and coughing. Risks include chemical burns to the nose, bronchospasm, and lung damage if used too frequently. They can also be dangerous for people with asthma.

What’s the proper way to use smelling salts safely?

Hold the bottle 10–15cm (4–6 inches) from your nose. Take a brief sniff—do not inhale deeply. Use them sparingly, only for max attempts.

Do smelling salts work better for certain lifts?

Yes. Surveys show they are used most often for Deadlifts (almost 90% of use), followed by Squats. They are less common for Bench Press. This suggests they are favored for lifts requiring the highest level of systemic arousal and explosive power.

Is the benefit real or just placebo?

It is both. The physiological adrenaline spike is real, but the increase in strength is often not statistically significant. However, the psychological benefit—increased focus, confidence, and “mental readiness”—is a very real performance enhancer for athletes.

Summary

Smelling salts are a potent tool in the Strongman arsenal, but they aren’t a magic strength potion. They are a nervous system “reset button” that wakes you up, boosts your adrenaline, and gets your head in the game. While they won’t physically add muscle to your frame, the explosive focus they provide can be the difference between a failed lift and a new personal record—as long as you use them safely and respect the chemistry.

What do Strongman Smell before Lifting? – Smelling Salts