Why Does My Breath Smell After Working Out? Amazing Truth


I have noticed that sometimes my breath is harsh after a long workout. Even though I am chewing breath freshening gym during the whole time. I decided to do some research and that is what I had found out.

Why can you develop bad breath after working out?  Your breath can smell after working out because of dehydration. There is less saliva in your mouth that is able to wash down bacteria when you are even slightly dehydrated. Bacteria will continue to multiply in the mouth causing foul breath.

I will now explain more deeply how it is that working out can affect negatively your breath. I am fully aware of how this can affect your self-confidence and how it can change how you feel about yourself, so I did some research for you on this important topic.

Can Dehydration Actually Cause Bad Breath During a Workout

I did not realize that having a dry mouth could change my breath. I know that when I had hangovers when I was in my twenties, that my breath was not the greatest.

I had just assumed that my swamp breath was created by a mixture of the cheap slices of garlicky pizza that I had consumed in the early morning hours, plus a touch of typical morning breath. Nevertheless, my bad breath was due to dehydration caused by my overconsumption of alcohol.

While working out strenuously, you are going to sweat which will cause dehydration if you are not careful.  When we are in the gym, dehydration is going to cause your body to slow down its production of saliva because it wants to keep its vital organs hydrated.

You can actually chew sugar-free gym while at the gym to reduce the dryness in your mouth.  I recommend Act Dry Mouth Moisturizing Gum (click to see pricing on Amazon).

Watch Out for that Dry Mouth

When your mouth has dried out, bacteria in your mouth is going to multiple. Saliva might not kill the bacteria, but it is able to wash the bacteria into your digestive system where acid will play havoc on bacteria.

It is best to drink a few glasses of water about 30 minutes before your workout so that you will not run the risk of being dehydrated. Dehydration can also reduce your energy level and it can make you feel less awake. You need to be alert and you need to be able to focus in order to get the most benefit out of your workout.

I am not saying that you need to flood your system; you do not want to cause yourself to have stomach cramps during a workout. However, a few glasses of water will be ok for most people.

If you are well-hydrated, your system will produce saliva during your workout. The saliva will then wash away more readily the bacteria that is always present in your mouth which will lower the probability of the development of stinky breath.

I am constantly wondering if I have bad breath, especially in a gym setting if I am there with my trainer. Sometimes, I need help on an exercise and my breathing is elevated and I do not wish to scare away my trainer because I may have tiger breath.

Dear Coffee Lovers

Stinky breath due to dehydration in the gym can also be caused by an over-consumption of coffee. Lots of gym goers consume coffee because it is a legal stimulant. You do get a burst of energy that may last for a few hours depending on your genetics. Nevertheless, be careful if you feel as if it is ok to consume coffee during your workout instead of consuming fresh water.

You could be dehydrating yourself and thus allowing bacteria to mass produce. I personally have a coffee about an hour before going to the gym. Caffeine seems to stay in my system for hours and hours, so I do not need to consume it throughout my day or during my workout to feel stimulated and energic.

Perhaps you are the type of person that does not drink coffee or even water during a workout. I had noticed that there are people that are able to reframe from drinking during a workout and I admire them. I need to consume lots of water throughout my workout because I sweat a lot.

Being that sweat is reducing the hydration in your body, if you sweating buckets, try to drink constantly while at the gym. Even if you are feeling thirsty, staying well-hydrated will do wonders for your breath. The water entering into your throat can reduce the number of bacteria partying on your tongue.

Why do I smell ammonia after working out?

Besides having to worry about the overproduction of mouth bacteria, some of us are worried that we are smelling like ammonia in the gym. Imagine chatting someone up that we are attracted to at a gym setting and they then notice that you smell like ammonia.

I have not encountered this problem personally, but I have noticed that there can be a strange scent of ammonia in the air around certain people that are working out close by. I have always thought that it had something to do the supplements that they might be taking. I decided to do some research to find the source of this smell.

Your body typically uses glucose as its fuel for muscles that are straining.  If you do not have a good supply of glucose in your bloodstream, your body will use protein metabolism to fuel your muscles. This type of metabolism that is burning protein gives off the smell of ammonia.  It is actually your sweat that has this odd odor.

This is a more common occurrence for runners if they are eating a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. Nevertheless, I personally have noticed this smell in a gym setting.  If you are wondering if you giving off this odor, apparently it also smells metallic and you may even have a metallic taste in your mouth.

How do you prevent this ammonia smell from occurring? It is best to consume some carbohydrates around 90 minutes before your workout.

I usually workout at 8 am and I have a large breakfast that consists of 4 eggs, a banana, and a large bowl of oatmeal. The oatmeal is my source of carbs for the workout. My system will use it up as fuel for my muscles. I do not have to worry about smelling like ammonia or to worry that my system is metabolizing protein which would not very helpful to my progress at the gym.

Does Gatorade Cause Bad Breath?

Another topic that I have wondered about is whether or not Gatorade is causing me to have bad breath at the gym. I drink the type that is low in calories, although I noticed that does contain some sugar.

The bacteria on my tongue must be in heaven because  I am constantly sipping away at a bottle of Gatorade while working out.

What I found shocking was that Gatorade might be worse for your teeth them coke, especially if it is the type that contains a lot of sugar. I guess that the manufacturers want to ensure that you love the taste and that you are pleased because of the high level of electrolytes.

Sugar High Equals Super Human Strength

When you consume drinks at a gym setting constantly, you may feel temporarily strong like a superhero, but you are also feeding your bacteria. Bacteria that are being fed a healthy supply of the super fuel sugar, can actually produce glycan strands that can cause plaque on your teeth. So, not only are you increasing your likelihood of having bad breath, your teeth may develop of film of plaque!

I had mentioned that I drink Gatorade while at the gym. It has a lower sugar level than some of the other energy drinks that I could buy at my local gym.  I also add water to it so that it is half water and half Gatorade. I like the fact that I keeping myself hydrated and also I am getting a good supply of sodium and electrolytes while working out.

The sodium is good because it has the added benefit of causing my system to retain water within my cell walls which will ensure that I do not become dehydrated as quickly. I have noticed that I sweat slightly less when I am drinking Gatorade during an intense workout. I drink Gatorade G2 because it has less sugar (click to see pricing on Amazon).

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