“You Got to Wake Your Body Up” — Here’s Why NFL Players Use Smelling Salts

If you've never tried smelling salts and don't have any desire to do so, there are plenty of reactions online from folks who've taken a whiff of them. Like the time Joe Rogan and Theo Von went inhalation for inhalation of Jujimufu's particularly strong supplement.

NFL fans may've seen players sometimes briefly hover smelling salts beneath their noses, but why do they use them?

Due to the knee-jerk, aversive reaction most people have to smelling salts, they are often utilized in games in order to wake a player up after they've fainted or blacked out.

The combination of ammonia, alcohol, and water releases a gas that players inhale through their noses.

This ammonia gas reaction will prompt a strong, aversive reaction from the nasal passage into the inhaler's lungs, culminating in irritation. Consequently, folks who inhale smelling salts will then breathe more quickly, which is conducive to expediting the transfer of oxygen throughout the body, specifically to the brain.

Thus, players can instantly feel more alert due to their increased breathing. It can be a quick fix to help someone snap out of a daze after a particularly gnarly hit. Similarly, it can aid in waking a person up who is knocked out unconscious or put to sleep.

While the Joe Rogan podcast video shows the comedians taking large whiffs out of a bottle, NFL players can often be seen holding small packets of the stuff up to their noses. ESPN penned an article detailing what it calls the dubious effects of inhaling the stuff.

The outlet covered how several players have incorporated this consistent inhalation as a staple of their game-day proceedings. In the same 2017 piece, ESPN shared how Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott goes through "at least eight capsules" of salts on a game day against the Rams.

It was a contest the Cowboys lost 35-50, and by the end of it, both the Cowboys and Rams benches had numerous packets of used salts strewn across the ground.

ESPN spoke with defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, who explained his penchant for sniffing these salts during games.

Because he can't drink a cup of coffee during the game, as it may affect his stomach, his preferred method of obtaining "a quick jolt" is via smelling salts. "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," he told the outlet.

Sports Medicine doctor Joseph Estwanik doesn't seem sold on the purported performance-enhancing benefits of smelling salts. The products were originally prescribed to Victorian-era women who were prone to fainting spells. Probably because they saw a table leg that wasn't covered by a cloth.

But Dr. Estwanik doesn't believe that inhaling ammonia vapors is a good way to increase your blood flow throughout the day. "The claim is that smelling salts arouse your consciousness and focus, but how many of us in our daily lives think it's appropriate during a tough day at work to open a bottle of ammonia and start sniffing the fumes?" he was quoted as saying in the ESPN piece.

As with any new health regime or incorporation of a product or supplement as part of your routine, consult with a healthcare professional prior to doing so.