Ammonia smell??

[twiggjlm]

This morning I had a great run, really hard uphill most of the way. After my run I went for a bike ride. I really pushed myself hard today because we have finally had a cool morning, and it just felt good. After my bike ride I noticed I could smell ammonia, and not just a little, for about 15-20 minutes it was really strong! I have noticed this before but not as much as I did today. What is the ammonia smell all about and is it normal?

I just had a full metabolic panel done and my magnesium checked two days ago. I do this because my potassium usually gets pretty low so I have it checked from time to time. My sodium and potassium were a little on the low side but everything else was normal. So, what does the ammonia smell mean? Any explanations would be helpful!

[michelem]

Just did a quick Yahoo search for "ammonia smell." This might explain it:
http://www.devinesports.com/Article....ash=ed66b943ea

[twiggjlm]

Just did a quick Yahoo search for "ammonia smell." This might explain it:
http://www.devinesports.com/Article....ash=ed66b943ea

Thank you! That does help. And it explains alot. I don't eat many carbs, but I guess I better start! I usually don't eat before I run either because I run in the morning and do not like eating that early. But even toast or something would be a good idea.

[jobob]

I used to experience it a lot when I first started biking, and it seems to be pretty common (here's a link to a really old post of mine about that). Almost never nowadays, since I eat better beforehand and while I'm riding, plus I'm in much better shape.

Edited to add: Not to imply that you're not in good shape ! I think in your case it's because you're not eating enough carbs. Altho I've also read that eating some protein on longer bike rides is good too, it keeps you from metabolizing your own muscle protein which is probably what causes the ammonia smell.

[li10up]

Back in 2003 I was dieting and exercising to lose weight. I was taking in 1200 calories a day and doing vigerous exercise. My sports clothes would smell like ammonia after each workout. I know the smell comes from the body burning protein...my question is, why does the body burn protein (muscle)before it starts burning off all the excess fat I have? And how can I get the body to burn fat and not muscle after it burns the available carbs?

[Jolt]

I've experienced this on occasion after a hard run as well. The weird thing is that I eat a decent amount of carbs, so maybe it just has to do with pushing too hard (it happens after runs where I have had my heart rate higher than usual) and getting into the anaerobic range.