Do You Train Hard and Eat Big? Here’s Why Your Farts Smell Like Death

Three squats in and you can start to feel your last meal twist and turn in your stomach. Tension builds between your butt cheeks, a sudden build-up of pressure. There’s only one way it’s coming out and unfortunately for you, it’s your rear end. Fortunately no solids, but gasses are brewing and regrettably, they can only be described as vile. Now we know why.

A recent study out of Monash University has finally explained why those who eat to grow have the worst smelling farts. And like you may have guessed, it’s because of the high protein diet we consume.

It’s all about gut health: when we consume a high protein diet, the bacteria our gut produces is seven times higher in hydrogen sulphide – a clear gas with an odour that resembles rotten eggs.

“This explains why bodybuilders who consume lots of protein powder are known to have smelly farts,” says study author Chu Yao.

Luckily for those who take their figure seriously, we don’t have to give up protein. In fact, foods with slow releasing carbs such as fresh fruit, sweet potato and nuts will actually help reduce the abhorrent stench.

“The focus is taken away from the protein, so hydrogen sulphide is not produced.

“When we dug down, it wasn’t the act of farting that worried people, it was the smell. But the concerning thing is that there are all these people walking around constipated because they are too scared to eat fibre in case they do a bad fart.”

And whilst fibre will make us fart more, it will significantly improve the smell. And don’t worry about letting one rip in the gym – your protein-packed farts will assert dominance over your fellow lifters.