Updated October 2026
Smelling Salts: What They Are, How They Work, and What the FDA Says
Smelling salts are ammonia inhalants: sniffing them releases ammonia gas that irritates your nasal passages and triggers an involuntary gasp — a jolt of alertness that lasts seconds to minutes. Lifters and hockey players use them as a pre-effort ritual. In August 2024 the FDA warned they are unapproved drugs when sold for alertness, naming seven brands. Here is the full, sourced picture.
How do smelling salts actually work?
The classic formula is ammonium carbonate (sometimes ammonia solution with fragrance). Crack or open the container and it releases ammonia gas. A short sniff shocks the sensory nerves in your nose and airways, and your body responds reflexively: a sharp inhalation, a bump in heart rate and breathing, and a burst of alertness.
Two things follow from that mechanism. First, it is a startle reflex, not a stimulant drug effect — there is nothing absorbed that keeps working; the feeling fades within minutes. Second, the trigger is literally an irritant: ammonia at higher or repeated exposure causes coughing, airway constriction, and eye, nose, and throat irritation, which is the core of the FDA's concern.
Who uses smelling salts?
Powerlifters and strongman athletes
The most visible modern users: a sniff before a max-effort squat or deadlift for the jolt of arousal. Gym videos of lifters recoiling from a bottle are a whole genre.
Hockey and football players
A long-standing locker-room and bench ritual. NFL and NHL players have described pre-game and sideline use for decades — it is about the wake-up jolt, not any performance drug effect.
Historical use: reviving fainting
The original job, going back centuries: ammonia spirits waved under the nose of someone who fainted. Modern first-aid guidance has largely moved away from this — and sports medicine warns the jolt can mask symptoms that need attention, like a concussion.
What did the FDA say in 2024?
On August 6, 2024, the FDA warned consumers not to purchase or use inhalant products marketed for alertness and energy boosting, stating these ammonia products are unapproved drugs. The agency reported adverse events including shortness of breath, seizures, migraines, vomiting, diarrhea, and fainting, and sent warning letters to seven brands: Ward Smelling Salts, Ammonia Sport, Skull Smash, Scitus (Atomic Rhino), Insane Labz, Native Salts, and Nose Slap.
The legal basis is older than the letters: an FDA proposed rule from 2008 determined that ammonia marketed as a reflex stimulant is not generally recognized as safe and effective. The 2024 action put the whole alertness-marketing category on notice.
Sources: FDA consumer warning, Aug 6, 2024 · Ward warning letter · Skull Smash warning letter
What are the alternatives?
If what you want is the sensory reset — the sharp nasal hit that snaps you back to attention — ammonia is not the only route. Menthol and camphor produce an intense cooling signal through a different mechanism (TRPM8 cold receptors rather than irritant shock), which is why menthol nasal sticks are the everyday equivalent across Southeast Asia.
Thai herbal inhalers (yadom) are the most established version: menthol, camphor, eucalyptus, and herbs in a pocket stick, sniffed dozens of times a day by millions of people — a fundamentally different intensity and use pattern than a pre-deadlift ammonia blast. Full disclosure: we import and sell one. The honest comparison of when each fits is here:
Smelling salts FAQ
What are smelling salts?
Smelling salts are ammonia inhalants — typically ammonium carbonate or ammonia solution — that release ammonia gas. Sniffed briefly, the gas irritates the membranes of the nose and lungs and triggers a sharp involuntary inhalation reflex: a gasp, a spike of alertness, faster breathing. The effect is intense and lasts seconds to a few minutes.
What do smelling salts do to you?
They trigger an irritant reflex, not a true stimulant effect: ammonia gas shocks the nasal passages, your body gasps, heart rate and breathing briefly jump, and you feel abruptly alert. There is no caffeine-like pharmacology — it is your own startle response. That is why the effect fades within minutes.
Are smelling salts legal?
They are legal to buy and possess in the US, and sports leagues generally do not ban personal use. However, the FDA stated in August 2024 that smelling salts marketed for alertness or energy are unapproved drugs, and it sent warning letters to seven brands — so the products exist in a regulatory gray zone: legal to buy, but not FDA-approved for what they are sold to do.
Are smelling salts bad for you?
Occasional use by healthy adults appears low-risk, but the FDA has received reports of shortness of breath, seizures, migraines, vomiting, and fainting from these products, and ammonia is a genuine respiratory irritant. Sports-medicine concern centers on masking concussion symptoms. We cover the full honest picture in our dedicated safety review.
Do smelling salts help you lift more?
Research on ammonia inhalants and strength performance is thin and mixed — studies have generally found little to no measurable strength gain, with the main effect being arousal and perceived readiness. The psychological jolt is real; a verified performance benefit is not established.
What is a gentler alternative to smelling salts?
Menthol-based nasal inhalers — like the Thai herbal inhalers (yadom) carried daily across Thailand — give a sharp, cooling sensory reset without ammonia's irritant shock. They are built for repeated daily use rather than a single pre-lift blast. Disclosure: we sell one, and we compare the two honestly in our alternatives guide.
This page is educational, not medical advice. For the herbal side of the story, see our Thai inhaler safety guide and the complete yadom guide.