The Truth About Smelling Salts

Stop using smelling salts. Please
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I'm a doctor and a sports fan and this channel is dedicated to exploring the unique medical side of the world of sports, including NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC, and many more! Breaking down the biggest what ifs, historical injuries and stories, and making learning about medicine fun and relevant for all sports fans!
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DISCLAIMER: Content not intended to be taken as medical advice. Opinions are my own and do not represent those of my employer. I have not personally treated or evaluated the individual(s) discussed in this video. Content used with educational and transformative intent within Fair Use Guidelines
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[@RadDadisRad]

I replaced my smelling salts with coke and my entire team performed so well.

[@mason.11]

That definitely explains why they call you Rad Dad

[@randyfowler7456]

just like in the good ol' days 2 bumps before game, then 2 bumps every quarter. worked wonders for the Raiders!

[@elizabethgeorge168]

I never liked coke....just the smell of it

[@Beeman2892]

Cause coke has high sugar

[@jadeduh4555]

🤭 silly..

[@lelouchvibritannia4028]

Reminds me of Tuco Salamanca: "TIGHT! TIGHT TIGHT!"

[@omarlachino2067]

I love this comment.

[@marcus9995]

Lmfao underrated comment

[@playdiscgolf1546]

Dude it was exact!! Good catch! Lol

[@obliviox]

Classic!!!!!

[@HomeDefender30]

😂

[@briancreyes_official]

Ok, so save money and just sniff my cleaning ammonia got it 👍

[@ousoonthebeat6927]

It’s mixed

[@miketech2]

A dash of bleach really makes it pop. My attorney: Obviously don’t bc you’ll die

[@EverettBurger]

Vinegar

[@briancreyes_official]

Balsamic?

[@Cobra85291]

​@@briancreyes_official Malt

[@chubbyemu]

holy speed, from tweet to video in less than an hour 👏

[@BrianSuttererMD]

I got some STUFF ON MY MIND lol

[@12345.......]

Dr. B.H. watched another doctor's video, this is what happened to his sinuses

[@Chadius_Thundercock]

A hockey player smelled smelling salts, this is what happened to his liver

[@Em4gdn1m]

@@BrianSuttererMD Been sitting on this one for a while waiting for the right moment huh?

[@RadDadisRad]

He presented to the ER with these symptoms…

[@josepht5331]

I used smelling salts back in 2014-2016 when I power lifted. I definitely agree that it’s more of a perceived effect then actually helping your performance. I only used it during competitions and I didn’t always lift more than I normally would. Sometimes I did and sometimes I didn’t. But I feel like with enough motivation I would have done the exact same thing I did using the salts. My advice to athletes is just compete hard and stop looking for “an edge”.

[@gavinhemmerlein1241]

While I agree with the sentiment, of course if you perceive an effect and it helps you focus due to normal avenues, there's going to be an effect. The physiological side may not be there, but the psychological is obvious.

[@josepht5331]

@@gavinhemmerlein1241 that is true. It’s does make u feel more confident but understanding that whatever the result at the end of the competition could have been the same with or without the salts is important. That way u don’t have as many athletes abusing it and causing more problems because they truly think it’s giving them a performance boost. At the end of the day to each his own and thankfully to the best of my knowledge nobody has died 🤞🏾from the use of salts in competition but I don’t think we need to be openly promoting it to impressionable young athletes out there.

[@NotMyActualName_]

Athletes are incredibly prone to magical thinking, though. They have lucky socks and underwear, they have pre-game rituals, all sorts of things. It's a natural human coping mechanism. You don't have control over everything, and you want control as an athlete, so your brain tells you that spitting in your left shoe before kickoff will improve performance. So you do it. No harm in most of it. But then it gets extended into edge-seeking activities that are part and parcel of sports. Everyone wants to do better, and they look for everything they can get that will do so, usually within the bounds of the rules, but they'll often disregard warnings of safety on the grounds of even perceived benefits. If they'll wear the same pair of socks for 6 months straight they'll certainly swallow a pill of sniff a funky gas.

[@budstopseasyroadspence]

"stop looking for 'an edge'". These are words that would never come from a competitor... Gaining an edge is the most important thing in competing.

[@poindextertunes]

or just do cocaine like an adult 🤷‍♂️

[@bubberz]

Fainted in the doctor's office once when I was a kid and he used smelling salts on me. Was the most jarring immediate experience in my life. From unconsciousness to "WTF IS HAPPENING?!"

[@G33WR]

😂😂😂

[@romiarkan450]

Huh so apparently you're not, in a sense, dead when unconscious, just kind of asleep.

[@twiblik]

@@romiarkan450 That's literally the definition of unconscious 😂

[@nitl3gxnd268]

@@romiarkan450have you never fainted before? Or been asleep? Both those things are being unconscious. No heartbeat and breathing is not being unconscious thats cardiac arrest or you are just straight up dead.

[@b1ggi]

I always thought the benefit of smelling salts was a mental / nervous system thing. Like the shock to the system sort of overloads the senses spiking adrenaline and leaving you in a more focused state. Similar to slapping yourself.

[@poindextertunes]

always just gave me a headache lol

[@quest4adventure495]

It’s excellent for waking up when drowsy.

[@etele6378]

Recently tried for first time and that’s it exactly. Also for some it causes a breathing reflex for a few mins which also adds but that went away for after the first time. So it’s just the slap in the face for me.

[@slymcfly123]

That's a big leap from "shock to system" to theoretically bumping up adrenaline. Doesn't work that way.

[@hoogabooga9736]

@@slymcfly123 then how do you explain the increased heart rate and blood pressure?

[@3cardmonty602]

My relatives had a funeral home. They had Smelling Salts available all the time - in case people fainted during a viewing.

[@haarisahmed12]

I’d love to see a video about the health effects of Dereck Wolff’s adderrall/mushroom mix he took before nfl games. Great work as always!

[@tudorjennings2343]

Or Doc Ellis's no-hitter on LSD

[@poindextertunes]

he was micro-dosing mushrooms but from what I’ve heard, psilocybin heightens the senses and of course adderall releases dopamine which makes you hyper focus. super interesting combo really

[@Bipolar.Baddie]

@@poindextertunesthe problem is that amphetamines can raise blood pressure and heart rate due to vasoconstriction, so he might actually have been trying worse blood flow with more stress on the heart.

[@thugnasty1021]

​@@poindextertunesthat's basically meth.

[@youtubedude3422]

I used smelling salts when I was OTR trucking. They saved my ass many times. Gave me just enough to stay awake and make it somewhere I could sleep.

[@jdelgado216]

That seems like a legit use for your safety and the others

[@Jaywrites23]

That’s real

[@ryanware2183]

I'm a trucker and this is why I'm here. I was curious of the correlation between the 2.

[@ryan1982o]

Based on personal experience freshman year of high school playing football was waken up twice after getting knocked out. This was 2000 so I guess no one knew what a concussion was at the time but the smelling salts definitely gave me a jolt, and I was back on the field for afternoon practice. Smartly, I was never allowed to play football after that year.

[@bstronger67]

Most the players are really just using it to wake themselves up if they're feeling sluggish, the shock it gives to the body kinda snaps that sluggish feeling out of you sort of like a cold splash of water to the face to wake up. Most players are aware that the perceived enhancements are negligeable but aren't really using it for that reason.

[@83Henno]

Don’t lie to us doc. I’ve seen that blues sweater hanging on the skeleton. You’ve got unresolved issues with Reaves and decided to put him on blast 😂

[@spencerroberts9815]

I purchased the salts for driving trucks. Sometimes you feel super tired and can't stop exactly right where you are at and need that extra 25 30 minutes to get to the next truck stop. I figured I'll only use them when I absolutely have to if I feel like I'm going to daze off and be upside-down in a ditch if I keep driving. So many small use of them aren't bad for your health. I mean, better than crashing, I suppose..

[@thugnasty1021]

Better than being a methhead like most of the truckers I knew lol so I can respect you big time for that bro 💯

[@michaeldavid2857]

This doesn’t sound like a bad idea( Have my cdl as well)

[@Justin_Choy]

As a medical student and competitive powerlifter, I see both sides here. Use cases may vary, but I’d like to add two points. 1. Since the salts give such a jolt, I suspect they may briefly activate the sympathetic nervous system, which could prove useful for short, intense bouts (lifting, sprinting etc). 2. Anecdotal evidence is still evidence (albeit weaker). Yes, we lack RTCs to tell us some good data, but if so many athletes are flocking to the substance, that’s evidence we can’t ignore. I used to use these a lot in college when we had late-night powerlifting practices before some bigger lifts because I didn’t want to take caffeine so close to my bedtime. I thought it was a good substitute. Food for thought. Results may vary.

[@Dakotastorms]

I’ve done smelling salts before. Felt like a hot metal pole got stuck up my nose for 10 minutes

[@Chadius_Thundercock]

It’s like the feeling you get when water goes up your nose but 10 times stronger

[@JoeMama-ly1kc]

@@Chadius_Thundercockgood way to describe it

[@poindextertunes]

in other words its terrible 😂

[@pullt]

​@@Chadius_Thundercock EXACTLY! It's like waterboarding yourself for a quick second. Your nervous system it's screaming that you're drowning, even though your rational brain understands you really aren't drowning.

[@TreyJ_Mollo]

Bruh… someone had a bottle of smelling salt laying around a friend’s house during a party. The label was slightly ripped and faded, all I saw was “scent and smelling”. I never knew about smelling salts, so I curiously opened it, and took a big sniff… I thought I was going to die 😂😂

[@richardjames2960]

😂😂😂😂

[@DzzO]

Do one on Victor Wembanyama. The injury risks of being too tall.

[@MDF4072]

plain physics

[@Cart_kid]

He does a video every time an athlete gets hurt so if you're right then we will get a video about him sooner or later

[@AnontheGOAT]

Too tall and too skinny

[@DzzO]

​@@Cart_kid he did a video about Zion before he got hurt. Just about the danger of being that athletic and that heavy.

[@Jon-O-11]

My friend was a dealer, and would randomly open mason jars of weed and jars of oils and tell me to have a smell. One time I was distracted, I heard him say smell this…. Thinking it was oil, he had me take a HUGE wiff of Smelling salts. A lesson was learned that day!

[@krystinaland4137]

Did you like it tho?

[@David_Drums]

I always thought the purpose of smelling salts was to clear the nose up from congestion. Whenever I've been at hockey arenas, the melting ice made my nose runny. Thanks for sharing the info! Definitely had no clue what the chemicals were and what it actually did.

[@unkledoda420]

Get a runny nose in the cold has nothing to do with melting ice. Cold air is dryer than warm air. Cold, dry air irritates the inside of your nostrils so your body produces mucus to protect it.

[@ALLpurpose85]

Smelling salts wake you up that’s about it and the effect wears off after maybe 10 seconds. I used them in football but only when I needed to wake up and not for a performance thing. It doesn’t improve performance

[@borRIING]

So there's a risk if they have a possible brain/neck injury, but what about for sports where you can rule that out? Specifically, smelling salts have been pretty popular in the powerlifting scene.

[@jnmc2498]

Ammonia? Well I can tell you as a chemist that sometimes work with it… that it smells a lot like concentrated Urine and feels like needles in your nose. It’s really not fun to inhale. The hockey players initial reaction is due to it stinging in the nose. And his reaction of wanting to puke is from the strong smell of ”urine”. The ammonia is a base and will react with the moist/water in our body. And since our cells has a lot of water in them, inhaling too much will cause corrosive injuries like burns.

[@pentalarclikesit822]

I remember when I was a little kid, I asked my grandfather about smelling salts after seeing them in cartoons, and he basically said, "It's a scam, you're just waking up because you're smelling something nasty." I always just assumed thats' what it was, and an irritant reaction seems like it would basically be the same thing. I agree at the idea of it being used to mask a concussion is a threat, but I'm just surprised, I guess that people still use them these days at all.

[@b.28]

What about the use in weight lifting like powerlifting, Olympic lifting etc? It's so widely used in PL so seeing this video was a bit of a surprise

[@xmurisfurderx]

Yeah let's go induce blunt force trauma by running into each other at high speed over some stupid ball, but god forbid someone *takes a chemical*

[@semperparatus678]

When I get into a funk and don't feel like doing my workout, I take a smell and BAM!!! Working out.

[@zachschlong]

I keep some in my car incase I get tired while driving and it always helps.

[@dramandrive]

Fresh bottle of nose tork hit that man like a ton of bricks lol I miss those days.

[@RoyGBiv-lc8tv]

I don’t think ESPN was promoting it. It seemed like they just wanted to post a funny video.

[@enviosinterdimencionales8612]

as a modern human, if you don't rely on chemicals to enhance your performance, something is messed up.

[@yoinkhaha]

I wonder which is worse for your nasal passage, sniffing smelling salts or taking a cross check in the nose from Ryan Reaves after he sniffs smelling salts.

[@MitchellBourisk]

From my experience the only benefit you will get is during the 3-7 seconds post inhalation. The only practical application for this being used as a performance enhancing substance would be for powerlifting. I never found it beneficial for doing sets of resistance training higher than 3 reps. Although, the first 3 reps after using smelling salts you gain quite an edge. It only works primarily if you are in a state of low arousal to begin with. Definitely wouldn't work if you're already feeling anxious. No doubt, these are probably not good for you.

[@oblivionpro69]

It’s not a problem when used in short burst sports like weightlifting or track and field.

[@jasonll1980]

I thought it was to clear your head if it's cloudy, to bring you back to your senses

[@Spidaface666]

AFTER I WATCH THIS VIDEO I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO AMAZON AND I ORDERED THE WORLD'S STRONGEST SMELLING SALT 👍🏿

[@fran6b]

Rather than to get a boost of oxygen to the brain, my hypothesis would be that it helps to trigger the sympathetic nervous system to get more involve in the game. It's taken in many sport, but in hockey, an high energy game, it's not easy to play 82 games in 6-7 mouth with commitment. Everything to get an edge. Great video and topic! I'm just trowing cards on the board here.

[@Wickedtingzz]

Well I agree that an 82 game regular season schedule is to many games for nba / nhl , I would also say getting paid millions sure makes it easier and to make 7 - 8 figures playing a children’s game should be motivation enough , not having to work in the salt mines .. pun intended

[@Epitome_of_john]

You are correct it’s to elicit a nervous and adrenal response

[@Rob_W78]

Yeah this douche is over looking that so spread his opinions on salts. Never listen to a doctor just because they’re a doctor

[@VTPSTTU]

There's nothing in that video that looked to me like a promotion of smelling salts. To me, someone handed him something, and he sniffed out of curiosity. His reaction didn't show me anything that I thought would improve his performance. I thought the whole thing just looked like young guys sitting around playing the "smell this" game. I've never heard of smelling salts being used to improve performance. I've heard of them being used to wake someone, but I had never really been familiar with the mechanism. Now that you've explained the mechanism, I see them as being even less valuable. I don't have a problem with players using oxygen on the bench. I've never seen oxygen used in any game except football. If I were a fighter, I'd love to have oxygen in the corner, but maybe that's not allowed in MMA. Maybe there's even a reason why using oxygen would be dangerous. I'm no athlete, and I have additional health problems. I've tried numerous prescription drugs to try to help myself. I was pushing stimulants pretty hard at the end of my time working in an effort just to be able to go to work and be an engineer. The stimulants weren't helping me, and my doctor told me that what I was taking was one step below cocaine. Maybe he just thought that would give me a placebo effect. Once the stimulants failed to keep me energetic enough to maintain my career, I quit trying to take them. I have occasionally carried those "Boost" oxygen bottles in the car for long trips. When I feel a little sleepy but am not close to an exit, I occasionally take a few hits of 95% oxygen. Do you see that as dangerous? When I lived in Louisiana, I had an orange tree in my back yard. I loved the smell of orange blossoms. They'd bloom for about a week or two in the spring. I'd go into the back yard after work and sniff the orange blossoms. I never pretended that they improved any kind of performance, but I loved smelling them. I'd be afraid of an artificial chemical substitute, but I'd sniff orange blossoms all the time if they were available to me as a rich athlete.

[@noelramirez1551]

You heard it here first kids just stick to coke to wake up lol

[@wilcee238]

🤣 Beat me to it!

[@dumbbellenjoyer]

I mean. As a powerlifter I only use salts when I compete, no serious effects since the dosage is super low and about ten times every half a year. Its not 'theoretically' effective though, it really does work at the elite level.

[@anonony9081]

It's good to practice getting into an optimal state without any type of artificial pump up. The same goes for people who need to crank heavy metal music and stomp around the gym before a lift, eventually you're just going to get used to it and it's not going to work anymore so you might as well learn to get yourself in the right state of mind without that kind of artificial boost

[@jonochu496]

Honestly, I have played a bunch of sport and I cannot see how smelling salts really help an athlete when there is a requirement for sustained performance (e.g hockey). However, as I am not re-entering the foray of powerlifting after a massive hiatus, I have found that smelling salts focused me and gave me that that momentary slap in the face. I tend to prefer higher states of arousal to perform on the powerlifting platform (probably more than most). Smelling salts are something that help me achieve this state. in saying that, I will RARELY use smelling salts and it's only used when I am aiming to pull a max lift in a competition (I.e I have absolutely zero left in the tank). I try not to rely on higher states of arousal for training because that burns me out.

[@magic_fruit_bat5003]

Joe Rogan entered the chat.

[@JorgeGeorge477]

How did you hurt your neck? I smelled salt too fast.

[@pharaohoftheincubi]

"Smelling salts are a chemical!" Mkay, so... same as literally all matter that has or will ever exist. Thanks for that haha

[@MichaelImo]

I keep smelling salts in my car so if I am tired but want to keep going.. I take a sniff a little and wake up without caffeine.

[@Galopo]

Look, the day you try to lift 200kg deadlift you can try with and without, see if some field experience alters your opinion.

[@auspiciousj]

I used smelling salts that belonged to my mom when I was younger. I wasn't prepared, and my body reacted just like this player. I never really understood, until now, how an ammonia based product could revive a person.

[@Simba65315]

rather than a physiological benefit it seems like the salts cause an adrenaline rush. the natural instinct to get away from a noxious chemical triggers the flight or fight reaction and its that that provides the short term burst of extra strength. this is however balanced by increased mucus production and tear production, potentially limiting visual acuity and aerobic respiration. this is why it seems plausible for powerlifters to use as they do not require high visual acuity or aerobic respiration, but would be more detrimental in ice hockey or baseball.

[@lipstickzombie4981]

As a student nurse, I did that to keep awake during my internship. I have no plans going back again since the BO of some of my coworkers is way stronger than that.😆

[@codychickadee5095]

Haha the bo part sounds horrid. Eww

[@Nosebleedsandunderdogs]

You want to be a nurse but bo is that much of a bother? You may be pursuing the wrong career.

[@lipstickzombie4981]

​@@Nosebleedsandunderdogs Oh dear call me racist but wait till you smell some of my Indian and Pakistani coworkers. Our bosses warmed them to cut back on their traditional food due to patient complaints already.😆

[@davina5514]

@lipstickzombie4981Now that was FUNNY 🤣🤣 LOL 😁 I hear U 💯 -- ((Your co-workers B.O.))

[@LunarForte]

Great video! Did you really have to kill my boy Booker though? 😭

[@blueconversechucks]

My mate Dave took 24 in one night and the next day he was really buzzing and had loads of energy and everyone on the Eggham to Langley Village bus says that he drove it better than ever before.

[@43dflo43]

Booyakasha

[@dogstar5927]

I produce my own smelling salts ! 🤦🏽‍♂️🤣

[@RightfootWestHam]

To my understanding, nasal spray is illegal and seen as doping. Since you cant use that, you have to go for something that is legal... and if this is legal, then its a viable option. Being able to breathe better then your opponent is a game-changer. UFC combatant Dricus du Plessis went from mediocre to Champion by getting more air in to his system.

[@_ben_miller]

I assumed it was to make players awake when fatigue wears on you. is there any evidence that the salts can cause more alertness? or is it safer to just rest and deal with the reality of fatigue?

[@roudyman777]

I tried smelling salts once from my roommate and it felt like inhaling concentrated ammonia. No thanks.

[@Katsos44]

In strongman and powerlifting where even just a hard slap on the back is supposed to be a necessity, even just perceived benefit is worth it, and if you are able to sit there and inhale the salts long enough to damage your nasal passage ways then either you have done way way too many smelling salts or the salts you have aren’t strong enough. However it’s not as though it’s wide spread in sports and in many situations like after a hard foul you get up and play regardless, so guys on the bench don’t really do it when they are trying to get some rest either. If the shot you received wobbled you and you get called to the sidelines, it’s to be evaluated not to take a quick rest and get back in there anyway.

[@quest4adventure495]

I’ve seen it take unconscious people back to consciousness and had them back in the fight in less than 20 seconds. It serves a purpose.

[@lukeosvatic277]

Smelling salts are used all the time in powerlifting. I always found them to be distracting when competing

[@joecrail7596]

I think a lot of the people that are using them are using them before they lift helping opening up the nasal passages allows you to breathe better and being able to breathe is key for working out. Let alone doing rep sets... It can also be used to jolt yourself awake if feeling a little drowsy... But I'm a firm believer and using too much of anything can be bad for you everything in moderation!

[@tybg-]

Can u report more hockey injuries DR. ?? You only do basketball

[@calvindomin441]

There’s no shock, if you watch sports you’ve been seeing it for years. These guys are literally trashing their bodies let’s be honest. Hockey,mma,football etc. these pros are giving up their bodies for the rewards and they know it

[@chrisvallejos6115]

ammonia is bad for fish too, one way ammonia grows is when excess fish food is not being eaten and stacking up in the tank causing ammonia to build. basically for fish, bad for us.

[@darrellgrant7615]

I’ve been involved with powerlifting for a long time so smelling salts are always around, either the one time use packets or the bottled version. I’ve used them sparingly just to try to get hyped up on a max lift or when I’m not really into training. Sometimes just to mess around when we’re having fun in the gym. One time I got a brand new bottle of Nose Tork and was opening it to go to the gym. My son was 7 at the time and asked me what they were because I had just sniffed it to see how strong it was. I told him it smelled like a watermelon jolly rancher. He literally shoved his nose right into a BRAND NEW BOTTLE and took the biggest sniff I’ve literally seen anyone do. He immediately projectile vomited all over the kitchen floor and started hysterically crying and screaming “DADDY IS TRYING TO KILL ME!!”. Needless to say my wife was less than hospitable about the situation. He still remembers it at 15 and he’s told all my lifting buddies about it at the gym. We always laugh about it. Good times.

[@sl3966]

I never used them to enhance performance when I played hockey at a high level. We used them to wake up, get focused on the game more and shake off the last of the hangover lol.

[@cjr1881]

What a sally. Wait til you see all the dangers when they actually go on the ice.

[@Glaedr11]

I'm only familiar with the use in weightlifting sports. I always thought it was something did as part of routine to reset themselves into a certain state of mind and focus. In a sport where you need every literal fiber of your being to be functioning at a high level, it's no surprise to me such a jarring bodily response aids lifters in feeling like they are the same starting situation each lift. Whether it helps or not, idk, but I would be interested to pull salts-using athletes' access to them cold turkey and I personally would suspect their performance would dip for the following several times after. And yeah, covering up potential injuries does sound dangerous; any examples?

[@RainFall2112]

Usually science lags the real world. You might want to rethink if a priori knowledge supercedes A large sample size

[@RainFall2112]

To continue, as someone who doesn’t have asthma and has always suffered from getting enough oxygen from my lungs, this sounds great. I will try them

[@logan1001]

Used smelling salts before football games to purely get in the game. Never felt any physical effects, just pure rage thats why I used them. I don’t think players are really looking for physical effect, rather they’re looking for a stimulation to get pissed or focused

[@zachkarbowski5600]

Being an athlete my whole life, smelling salts were used to wake up for that morning lift, besides that I’ve never seen it used. I do disagree with this take, it’s like saying Tiger Balm isn’t reliable.

[@jeffms2]

There's always a perfect doctor against everything!! Have you ever played hockey doc?? I doubt it!

[@JTA1961]

78 we broke lock on Corp. gas pump, I was running around looking for empty containers & found a big empty one. Cracked lid & took a big whiff... it was ammonia... last gas I ever stole.

[@fernandogalindo767]

I would’ve loved using smelling salts when playing high school soccer. Mostly for pregame “waking up”. I’m sure other athletes can attest but sometimes you just feel super sluggish due to lack of sleep or stress etc. Would’ve been nice to jolt the system with alertness similar to like an ice bath

[@GENERALZOD88]

You're not an athlete if you play soccer lol

[@liamv1200]

I feel like for powerlifting and strongman, where concussions and neck injuries aren’t really a problem, it doesn’t really have many drawbacks, provided that you don’t stick your nose in the salts. For those sports, I feel like it hypes you up and prepares you for a big lift.

[@majormarketing6552]

I will note down your feelings and ignore the doc

[@liamv1200]

@@majormarketing6552 his main gripe with the smelling salts was concerning head and neck injuries, which is not a problem in powerlifting and strongman. how about you come up with an argument against what I said instead of a snarky comment

[@pretzelhunt]

@@liamv1200 no his main gripe with it is that it's only a perceived benefit. No evidence to support its use. File under "it's all in your head" PLers love that sort of wishy-washy stuff that helps them yell at each other louder.

[@ektoras_fl4943]

As a athlete myself . Breathing techniques are equally if not better than smelling salt . You just have to do them 5-10 minutes before anything

[@patientson]

Dr Brian, I strongly agree with you. If I was to use it, it would be after after walking for over 10 miles, tall kneel for 30 minutes after the walk, cold shower plus tall kneeling, and then follow up with a smelling salts.

[@GotDamBoi]

that little smirk he gets on his face when he gets the more potent bottle of salts is hilarious to me lol. i know this is a somewhat serious topic but it is a fun clip.

[@DasGimp]

I have never seen a surgeon use smelling salts prior to surgery or heard of this in order to improve performance and in surgery life is literally on the line. If anyone would need a performance enhancer it would be a person doing a 4 to 14 hour surgery where another humans life was on the line.

[@ouroesa]

People are overcomplicating things. This just jolts you awake and gives you a bit of a rush. Chances of harm from one self is very, very low. someone who abuses this horrible stuff, has more serious issues.

[@Ray_Mac]

Someone just called a local pharmacy trying to find ammonia capsules

[@alexdukec.7551]

What about the use of smelling salts in non-contact sports? The most obvious example is powerlifting. Smelling salts haven't been shown to increase performance, and people like to use them, so why not let it slide?

[@aarond23]

I think it's more mental than physical

[@yuh-fv7ds]

The amount of times the Joe Rogan smelling salts clip has come across my feed... well, I'm glad that I now have this knowledge lol

[@mattdelarosa6819]

3:59 “…could make it worse from that sudden jerking motion” 🤔 usually when I make a sudden jerking motion, I feel great 😂😂😂

[@0mar-777]

way to go doctor as a former addict we shouldnt be putting nothing in our nose . Thankfully Jesus Christ freed me from that bondage!

[@JTI92]

This guys undertones of hating athletes is showing. Probably because he never grew past 5' 6" and was never very athletic.

[@mattskallerud6718]

When I was in basic training I sniffed rubbing alcohol to stay awake. Basically your saying we need to be better athletes or individuals and yet i am falling asleep standing up and it's my fault, got it.

[@Apex_grind562]

Dr., do you lift weights?

[@eyellpokeurboote]

I'll use it to wake me up since I drive for a living and it's better than crashing.

[@dougdupont6134]

As a world-class strength and conditioning coach and nutritionist I have to say: it's about fucking time someone addressed this. Just some trend a bunch of bros popularised to make some money and get views. Dr. S is being very kind in favor of smelling salts here and kudos for as neutral a take as possible, but don't waste your money, time and health on this useless trend.

[@pbjbagel]

Now do the truth about smelling Swedish fermented fish.

[@steventhomas4499]

"I feel like if you need to sniff a chemical" my guy, you already misunderstood the assignment. No one NEEDS to play/win at sports. We want to.

[@Epitome_of_john]

Smelling salts is like getting slapped before a big lift. It gives you an adrenaline rush. I’m not surprised that this guy who probably has never even driven past a gym doesn’t get it

[@Shaolin_Chris]

Dr Brian, would long term use of this stuff actually make you reliant on it to perform? That is the fear I have which is why I will never use it.

[@EricBurns1]

As someone who played hockey growing up I never understood the reason for smelling salts. They just seemed stupid.

[@TL13579]

of all the things athletes do, smelling salts are the most benign....

[@Strongboy1770]

Weren't smelling salts used since forever to revive knocked-out boxers?

[@theenglandguy]

So basically, "potential" injuries that can be assessed and treated *could* be aggravated, and that justifies limiting athlete's access to it? Suuuuure.

[@TheHomeman]

Aaron Pryor vs Alexis Aguelo. It is alleged that Pryor's trainer put ammonia in his water bottle when he asked for the water bottle. the one I mixed. My question is, Would drinking ammonia infused water clear his head or open up his lungs and make him gain more energy,?

[@vetoland92]

I always thought they were only using smelling salts for like alertness/a pre game jolt and not any type of performance benefits