High Protein Diet and Ammonia Sweats

[Former0302]

In an effort to get in better shape, gain lean muscle and loose fat I shifted my diet to a "Paleo like" diet. Nothing official, but I've been conscious of cutting way back on my sugars and simple carbs and getting a lot of protein daily.

My question is about ammonia smelling sweat. I typically get it when I've been to BJJ class (grappling for an hour and half). My weight lifting is typically pretty intense, but it doesn't usually occur then. Cardio, like running or biking, might bring on the ammonia sweats and might not. I don't really care about the stink, since post shower it isn't a problem and my clothes smell fine after a wash cycle, but I'm more worried about implications for health and gaining muscle while losing fat.

Yesterday's googling has me vacillating between no big deal, just eat some more carbs on my more intense workout days, to get to a doctor before your kidney's fail. I now understand that if the smell is exercise induced it means my body is in ketosis, has run out of glycogen stores and is burning protein for fuel. That produces left over nitrogen, which is typically expelled in urine. If you're smelling ammonia in your sweat, that means your kidneys can't keep up and it's your body's way of getting rid of it.

So, my questions are:

1) If you're otherwise healthy and are on a high protein diet, is it something not to be too concerned about in terms of long term health?

2) If long term health issues aren't a concern, is this an indicator that my body is working against itself in terms of dropping fat and gaining lean muscle mass. In other words, am I just burning my muscle off during hard workouts instead of burning fat? I haven't lost any strength, but have plateaued.

In terms of diet, I'm currently 180 lbs and I've been pretty conscious about consuming about as many grams of protein a day as I weigh. Typically that takes the form of a couple of eggs in the morning (hard boiled or omelets) a plain greek yogurt with a scoop of protein powder for mid-morning snack and also for a post workout snack. Eat a chicken breast with my salads for lunch. I do eat carbs...lots of green veggies (broccoli and spinach salads and peppers). Granola in my yogurt snacks and a handful or two more as a snack throughout the day when I get hungry. Rice or some pasta as a side dish with dinner every couple of days. I also typically will eat a piece of fruit like an apple about 30-45 minutes before I work out (usually around mid-day).

Thanks in advance for your insights.

 

[Mendy300wm]

I can tell you right now that you're not in ketosis, just by the amount of carbs you're eating. A true ketogenic diet consists of high fat and high protein 60/40 and zero carbs, it actually very hard to do and depending on the person it takes 3-5 days to get into true ketosis.

You also aren't drinking enough water if your pee or sweat is that concentrated.

What are your goals? Current body fat, hight and weight?

 

[Former0302]

Yeah, I was thinking that I was getting plenty of carbs.

Height is 5'10'', weighed in at 178 today and it's usually around 180. I haven't done anything fancy like immersion tests to calculate body fat, but online calculators put me around 14-15%. I'm 43 if that makes any difference.

My goals initially were to drop to below 180 without losing any strength to compete in the next weight class at BJJ tournaments. I started off at 196-198 lbs about a year ago.

I've actually hit my initial goal, but now I've reset it to drop to around a 10-12% body fat and keep my weight between 175-180. I want to gain lean muscle to get a stronger but lose a bit more fat and get a little quicker. Ideally, I want to be the strongest guy in the 170-180 weight division but able to keep up with the quick guys. Well, in the broke dick old man category anyway.

 

[Quigley_Sharps]

I am doing Primal Blue Print and this happens to me when I slack at my water intake. I check for ketosis regularly and good to go so far. Once I get my water intake back up it goes away.

 

[usafabrad]

Normal. Like the others said, increase your water intake. Happens to me especially in the shower post work out. Some people have it worse than others.

 

[Former0302]

OK. Thanks gents.

 

[Mudinyeri]

Based solely on what you put in your OP, I would tend to agree with others' analysis that you need to up your water intake. Hydrate (with water, not sugary sports drinks, etc) all day long and continue to hydrate while exercising. It's a simple and low-risk change that should help.

 

[Das Capitolin]

Ammonia is a by-product your liver produces from breaking down protein. It's a natural response to high protein intake. It's also why high-protein diets can be dangerous for people with liver problems.

 

[SuckitTrebek]

consult a dr, not an online forum

 

[Mendy300wm]

consult a dr, not an online forum

Asking most Dr about diet advise is a terrible idea. Simply put they do not know what the fuck they are talking about when it comes to sports nutrition. They will tell you to cut calories, with no regard to long term metabolic success. You wanna get rip to the bits go total ketogenic for six weeks, and the start cycling carbs in around your workouts.

I go
6 weeks full keto
3 weeks Monday Wednesday Friday 6-8oz of carbs right after your workouts
Once 3 weeks is up start with carbs right before your workouts and after 3 days a week forever
If you start feeling like you don't have enough energy bump it up.
Go by how you feel and look, you'll get the hang of it and eating this way will become second nature

There is a ton of useful info on the internet, your fat ass dr will tell you whole grains are good for you too... But we know that's total bullshit

 

[SuckitTrebek]

Asking most Dr about diet advise is a terrible idea. Simply put they do not know what the fuck they are talking about when it comes to sports nutrition. They will tell you to cut calories, with no regard to long term metabolic success. You wanna get rip to the bits go total ketogenic for six weeks, and the start cycling carbs in around your workouts.

I go
6 weeks full keto
3 weeks Monday Wednesday Friday 6-8oz of carbs right after your workouts
Once 3 weeks is up start with carbs right before your workouts and after 3 days a week forever
If you start feeling like you don't have enough energy bump it up.
Go by how you feel and look, you'll get the hang of it and eating this way will become second nature

There is a ton of useful info on the internet, your fat ass dr will tell you whole grains are good for you too... But we know that's total bullshit

Seriously?? Doctors don't know what they are talking about? How about sports physician? dietician? etc

As I said, go find a doctor..............the right kind of Dr.

 

[Strykervet]

A good doc would be who to talk to, a dietician or diet professional in particular, as what I keep coming across is that in general, ammonia smelling urine/sweat = malnutrition. Has to do with kidney function I think.

 

[jameybaxter]

The things that cause the ammonia smell most often are dehydration, bacterial infection, change to high protein diet, menstrual cycle, or pregnancy. I am assuming the last 2 don't apply to you.

You could have multiple things combining to one outcome: protein + dehydration

 

[feelinducky]

What color is your urine? Generally if it's clear and you are urinating hourly your hydrated, yellow you need more H2O, coca cola colored you got problems.

 

[Former0302]

Generally light yellow, although I've been upping my H20 intake the past week and it's closer to clear. Definitely not urinating hourly...maybe every 3-4 hours.

 

[khall540]

I piss at least every 30 mins for about 3-4 hours after my workouts during the afternoon while I'm constantly sipping my water bottles. I consume about 1 - 1.5 gallons of water / day. It starts to become and pain in the ass.

 

[Former0302]

For those who may be interested, pretty sure it was a hydration issue. Been drinking constantly, and it's pretty much gone away. Ive learned what I thought was hydration clearly wasn't. I also think the extra H20 has helped in recovery from workouts.

 

[TNT]

You will probably know ketosis from the taste in your mouth (sort of metallic, if that makes any sense) before anything else.

Happens to me occasionally when I haven't dosed much insulin or my pump site is fouled and I'm not processing carbs correctly. If you get to fruity smelling breath then you are in trouble.

Best advice I have is moderation - fad diets continue to change, and most of the time I'm convinced they work on the placebo principle. Placebo works in medicine more effectively than many medicines, so it probably works in these diets, too (ketosis diet, really?). Easiest way to have a solid diet without too much effort is to count macronutrients - carbs, fats, protein. Figure your base calories, then divide up into those macros (4 per carb, 9 per fat, 3-4 per protein), and then stick to those numbers with adjustments to shift more carbs to workout days. Keep it simple helps keep it consistent.

 

[Double3]

Always drink plenty of water especially if you workout and eat lots of protein.

I piss at least every 30 mins for about 3-4 hours after my workouts during the afternoon while I'm constantly sipping my water bottles. I consume about 1 - 1.5 gallons of water / day. It starts to become and pain in the ass.

I probably piss every 30 min all day. Just always have a water bottle around.

 

[northshore440]

Sounds like you found the culprit. Don't mistake water loss for fat loss if you are trying to make weight.

 

[30calDeath]

Always drink plenty of water especially if you workout and eat lots of protein.



I probably piss every 30 min all day. Just always have a water bottle around.

This. I start with a gallon of water every morning that I drink throughout the day. At first it was tough to drink a gallon now its just 2nd nature. And I pee a lot!

 

[khall540]

Sounds like a scam. I guess your degree from Auburn didn't cover grammar since you're "knew" to this site.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[anthony_s]

high "good" saturated fat, middling protein and carbs as needed to support high intensity interval training. Indeed, MD's can only practice and recommend so-called "evidence based" protocols, i.e., those protocols that have 'official" AMA, ADieteticsA, Moochelles approval, so, indeed, even sports medicine docs don't know shite about nutrition. YMMV

 

[bmt]

consult a dr, not an online forum

Always good advice.

At age 50 I know a lot of dead guys who might be alive if they went to the doctor when they noticed a problem. In this case (weight has been lost, in good shape) the Doc might have done some blood tests to check function and told you to drink more water.

Ten percent of my college football senior class is now dead. Some tragic, some accidental, a few were preventable.

BMT

 

[kaufenpreis]

Protein is necessary for bodily functions such as growth and tissue repair. A diet high in protein is often used to achieve rapid weight loss and may be used among athletes to improve performance. A high-protein diet involves side effects, including sweating, that can contribute to potential health dangers. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise program.

 

[agbm]

Always drink plenty of water especially if you workout and eat lots of protein.



I probably piss every 30 min all day. Just always have a water bottle around.

Yes, it's a must to drink all the water you can with putting a lot of protein in you body. Your kidneys take on the operation of getting rid of the protein and will struggle with the protein if you do not drink enough water. If your water intake is low, kidney stones can develop and you do not want that besides other problems can start!!!!

 

[Skidmark1969]

What Is Ammonia?

The chemical make-up of ammonia is NH3. This means that there is one Nitrogen atom bound to three Hydrogen atoms. Ammonia can be a weak acid or a weak base, depending on what type of chemical it is suspended in. Ammonia has a strong, pungent odor that is easily recognizable in cleaning products, cat urine, and, for some people, sweat!

The key to ammonia in urine and sweat is the nitrogen. The only macronutrient in your body that contains nitrogen is amino acids, the building blocks of protein. In fact, many bodybuilders are always seeking a "positive nitrogen balance" meaning that less nitrogen leaves their body than enters their body. Since nitrogen is in every amino acid, and amino acids are the building blocks of muscle, someone in positive nitrogen balance is more than likely gaining muscle mass.

Your body uses amino acids for energy every day. There is no way to avoid this. Your body constantly goes into catabolic (tissue breakdown) and anabolic (tissue building) phases. When you accumulate mass (lean or fat), your anabolic phases exceed your catabolic phases, but you still experience both phases. When your body uses an amino acid for energy, it must convert the amino acid to a useable form of energy.

It does this by stripping the nitrogen atom off of the molecule. The skeleton molecule that is left behind is then further converted into glucose and used as fuel. In order to get rid of the excess nitrogen, your body typically processes the nitrogen in your kidneys and forms urea, CO(NH2)2 - basically, a carbon dioxide molecule bound to nitrogen and hydrogen. Urea is then excreted in the urine. If your kidneys cannot handle the load of nitrogen, then the nitrogen will be excreted as ammonia in your sweat.

One other factor to consider is water intake. The methods used for getting rid of excess ammonia, such as urine and sweat, all require water as a transport mechanism. If you are not getting adequate fluid, then the solution (ammonia + water) will not be diluted. Therefore, water plays a definite role. If you are not drinking enough fluids to have at least one or two clear urinations every day, you should drink more.

Based on this explanation, it is clear that your sweat will smell like ammonia only if an excessive amount of amino acids are being used for energy, or you are not receiving adequate water. This helps us find a solution to the problem.

Try adding BCAA to your diet buy a powder form you can mix with water. Drink a serving 30 mins before you work out and right after.