Smelling Salts: Ritual, Superstition, and the Competitive Edge
Before we get to our main business of smelling salts and why hockey players have a thing for them, imagine it's an early morning in the year 1000. Your name is Aslak. That's right, Aslak. There you are, working your stony little garden on the edge of some desolate, northern European coastline. You're dreaming about lunch when screams rise from the nearby beach. You turn to see what's causing the commotion. A throng of crazed men, swords drawn, faces contorted in a rage, appears out of the morning mist. Unfortunately for you, they're running in your direction. You drop your hoe thinking, I never liked vegetables anyway...
Berserkers. Until recently it was generally believed that eating psychedelic mushrooms or consuming huge amounts of alcohol accounted for those warriors' infamous mania. In 1977, however, henbane seeds were discovered in a Viking grave in Denmark. These seeds, when crushed and rubbed into the skin, created numbness and a mild sensation of flying, and are now believed to be at least partly responsible for driving those warriors out of their skulls. While other theories account for the berserker frenzy—self-induced hysteria, epilepsy, mental illness—the use of plants with mind-altering properties was common to many ancient rites, rituals, and superstitions. Henbane? Sounds reasonable.
Fast forward to the NHL of recent decades and we see a similar kind of battle ritual going on: hockey players with an affinity for smelling salts.
How Do Smelling Salts Work?
Ammonia smelling salts are a colorless-to-white, crystalline compound called ammonium carbonate. Most modern versions exist in solution form, mixed with water or alcohol, and are contained in small glass capsules wrapped in a layer of cotton and netting. When the capsule is crushed, the carbonate salt mixed with water releases carbon dioxide and ammonia gas. Waved under the nose, the smelling salts stimulate the vagus nerve—the "motor nerve" of the heart and bronchi. The ammonia provides the punch and is essentially a gas-powered irritant that jolts the nerves—and the mind—into sharp, sudden wakefulness.
Smelling Salts for Athletes
Historically, smelling salts have been used by people feeling faint or to aid those who were passed out. Once popular in the sport of boxing to revive fighters dazed or knocked unconscious, they've since been banned by many competitions. Today, smelling salts are still widely used in the NHL, the NFL, and powerlifting and strongman competitions. They cause a quick burst of adrenaline which athletes believe helps them perform better despite the fact that science suggests the effects of smelling salts are extremely brief. In 2005, football great Michael Strahan estimated that between 70 and 80 percent of all football players used smelling salts during play.
There are many fun gifs of hockey players pulling all kinds of faces after getting a healthy whiff of smelling salts. Some players actually shove capsules up their nostrils before crushing them. That's some deep belief. "I love them," says Devils forward Kyle Palmieri. "They just wake you up." Maybe so. He also notes, "They smell like s***."
And he's not that far off. If you've ever neglected your cat's litter box, the powerful stink letting you know it's time to get out the scoop comes from ammonia. In high concentrations, ammonia gas is toxic, even fatal. Farms use fans designed specifically to expel that rank wind from enclosures, and those who work in them must wear gas masks or risk sudden asphyxiation.
Ritual and the Use of Smelling Salts for Sports
The use of ammonia smelling salts is not a phenomenon exclusive to hockey. Many athletes also seem to share a tendency toward superstition and ritual. After all, the "pre-game ritual" is so common a phrase it's become a cliché.
Some hockey players wrap their sticks the same way or put their pads on in the same order before every game. Some baseball players can't step on the baseline when heading onto the field. They wear titanium-infused rope necklaces—designed by a practitioner of alternative medicine—to supposedly align the body's biological electrical fields. Basketball players put up the precise number of warm-up shots before every game. Heck, even the Boston Celtics mascot is a leprechaun.
Ritual and superstition are a fundamental part of professional sports and the hockey player's use of smelling salts seems to be one of them.
The Competitive Edge
It's no mystery that professional athletes have done a lot of unsavory things to gain an edge over the competition. In the recent past, marquee baseball players like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Roger Clemens have been associated with performance-enhancing drugs, or PEDs. Steroids were a serious problem in the NFL, leading to the untimely deaths of several players, Lyle Alzado among them. In a business where so much money is at stake, it's no surprise athletes feel the pressure to succeed. Sometimes that pressure results in the decision to take banned substances, and at worst, even to make a practice of it. Smelling salts pale in comparison, of course, to PEDs and are also 100% legal. But the motivation to use them is the same—to outperform the other guy.
Smelling Salts in Hockey: Ritual vs. Reason
Ritual and superstition run deep. Folks toss salt over their shoulder to reverse bad luck. Black cats have a bad reputation. In Turkey and India, you never trim your nails after dark. People do and believe all sorts of dubious things because they think they make a difference. Hockey players believe smelling salts give them a competitive edge even if the actual effect is brief—as in seconds brief. Maybe it does make a difference—who are we to judge? Players claim to have competed more fiercely for an entire shift after inhaling a couple capsules' worth of ammonia smelling salts on the bench. The practice is certainly widespread. Of course, if everyone's doing it one wonders what's the advantage.
But why let reason spoil a perfectly good superstition?
FAQs
At the end of the day, ammonia is a toxic substance. It's diluted in smelling salts, but using them too frequently or holding them too close to your nose can put you at risk for severe irritation of the nose and lungs or, in very rare cases, asphyxiation and death.
What smelling salts does the NHL use? ›
Ward Smelling Salts worked with both professional and amateur hockey teams to develop the first Smelling Salt Bottle For Cold Conditions. Unlike other smelling salts it won't lose it's potency on cold ice rinks.
Are smelling salts legal in high school sports? ›
Smelling salts have been around since the 13th century. They are available at nearly every major online retailer and some brick-and-mortar drug stores. They're affordable, and they are not banned by the major pro sports leagues, the NCAA or high school athletic associations.
What do smelling salts do to your lungs? ›
Smelling salts are used to arouse consciousness because the release of ammonia (NH3) gas that accompanies their use irritates the membranes of the nose and lungs, and thereby triggers an inhalation reflex. This reflex alters the pattern of breathing, resulting in improved respiratory flow rates and possibly alertness.
Why do smelling salts make you stronger? ›
Essentially, smelling salts are used to momentarily change how an athlete is breathing, increasing their oxygen intake, and reinvigorating them. Using the salts quickly helps athletes regain energy and improve focus.
Are smelling salts illegal in NHL? ›
Smelling Salts for Athletes
Once popular in the sport of boxing to revive fighters dazed or knocked unconscious, they've since been banned by many competitions. Today, smelling salts are still widely used in the NHL, the NFL, and powerlifting and strongman competitions.
What do hockey players smell to wake up? ›
More recently, athletes have begun to use smelling salts with the belief that their use will keep them more alert. The use of smelling salts is particularly popular among football and hockey players who believe this reflex will counteract the effects of concussion.
What do NHL players drink on the bench? ›
Beginning in the 2022-23 NHL regular season, fans will see NHL players hydrating with BioSteel during every NHL game in North America. BioSteel products will be featured on each bench, penalty box and goal net.
Are smelling salts addictive? ›
While smelling salts have no recorded negative effects, the addictive use of them for a sports boost could be hazardous and open the door for future substance abuse.
Is there an age limit on smelling salts? ›
1) Traditionally used for the symptomatic relief of catarrh and head colds. Inhale vapour through nostrils as required. Do not use for children under 3 months of age.
However, because smelling salts irritate the nostrils and lungs, you likely shouldn't use them every time you lift or practice your sport. Just use them every now and then when you're going for a big PR, or have a high-stakes game on the line.
Can you still buy smelling salts? ›
We have a range of smelling salts available at Chemist4U, including ammonia smelling salts such as Mackenzies, which provide fast-acting effective relief from cold symptoms and are easy to use.
Do smelling salts give you an adrenaline rush? ›
Smelling salts are like a shot of adrenaline causing wakefulness, increased energy, and focus. It's like a slap in the face. However, the effects of smelling salts are short lived, only lasting a few minutes that would be more than sufficient for an athlete.
Can smelling ammonia harm you? ›
Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract and can result in blindness, lung damage or death. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation.
Can NHL players smoke? ›
Marijuana is not designated as a performance-enhancing drug, so a positive test result for marijuana does not in itself lead to a suspension. The practical takeaway: A player smoking a joint a day has almost nothing to worry about.
Do NHL locker rooms smell? ›
They are small, cinder-block rooms where the smell is concentrated because it has nowhere to go. There's one rink in the Ivy League with a subterranean locker room that Ross describes as “gross.”
Can NHL players chew tobacco? ›
The National Hockey League has a similar tobacco policy as well: Smokeless tobacco cannot be used at the arena and players cannot endorse it. And, yet, some of the game's top players — such as the Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin — use it.
Why do hockey players tape their sticks? ›
The reasons are obvious: Tape makes a stick easier to hold. Tape “softens” the blade, making it easier to corral a pass, lets the puck linger in your cagey control, or allows you to snap a precise wrister through the five-hole. Tape protects the blade, helping it survive the brunt of your cannonading slap shots.
Why do hockey players sweat so much? ›
Hockey players can lose as much as two per cent of their body mass, equivalent to a 90-kilogram player losing 1.8 litres in fluid. “You generate a lot of heat, and the body has to work quite hard to dissipate that heat, so it sweats a lot,” he says.
What do hockey players chirp? ›
Hockey insults are known as "chirps," and players use the best hockey chirps on ice rinks all across North America. The basic theory behind any kind of trash-talking is that, by disrupting your opponent's concentration and confidence through chirping, you gain a competitive edge that might just help you win.
Hockey and alcohol have always been a great mix; while baseball sluggers come under scrutiny for steroids, hockey players usually have a reputation as drunks. While other sports spray their trophy with alcohol, hockey players drink champagne or another drink of choice out of the Stanley Cup.
What does an NHL player eat? ›
A hockey player's diet should be based around lean proteins for muscle repair and recovery and appropriately timed carbohydrate for fuel. In addition, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and dairy foods provide important vitamins and minerals, along with some healthy fats.
Why did Gatorade leave NHL? ›
The NHL is now at least doubling how much it makes in the sports drink according to McMann, and back in June, Gatorade's head of global sports marketing admitted that the NHL and Gatorade “weren't aligned on the financial commitment to renew.”
How long do smelling salts Last Once activated? ›
Once initially opened the lifespan of smelling salts can last anywhere from 1-6 months depending how many times they get used/opened. The more often fresh oxygen is reintroduced into the bottle the faster it'll dry out and lose potency.
What smelling salts do pro athletes use? ›
Atomic Rhino Smelling Salts for Athletes 100's of Uses per Bottle Explosive Workout Sniffing Salts for Massive Energy Boost Just Add Water to Activate Pre Workout.
What brand of smelling salts do athletes use? ›
Ward Smelling Salts - Bottled Insanity - Insanely Strong Ammonia Inhalant for Athletes | Smelling Salt for Athletes - Powerlifting Hockey Football Weight Lifting and More | Insane Smelling Salt.
What salt do athletes smell? ›
The base is ammonium carbonate, a salt with a white crystalline structure. When ammonium carbonate is mixed with water, it releases “aromatic spirits of ammonia,” and the reaction creates fumes that rise from the salts.
How long does a smelling salt bottle last? ›
Once initially opened the lifespan of smelling salts can last anywhere from 1-6 months depending how many times they get used/opened. The more often fresh oxygen is reintroduced into the bottle the faster it'll dry out and lose potency.
Do smelling salts make you run faster? ›
The author of the SI article, which included comments from some of the players and a coach summed it up: “So, at most, it provides a temporary boost and perhaps a slightly longer placebo effect, depending on the individual.
What smelling salts are the strongest? ›
Nose Tork is a potent and long-lasting smelling salt that comes in a bottle so it can be used over and over again.
