NFL risks player outrage after banning controversial stimulant backed by Joe Rogan before the new season
Hundreds of players have previously admitted to using the product which is typically used to boost alertness and energy - during their respective careers.
The news was confirmed by 49ers star George Kittle on Tuesday afternoon. He claimed: 'I considered retirement. We have to figure out a middle ground'.
Smelling salts are also popular across multiple sports and with regular gym-goers.
The stimulant has previously been endorsed by Joe Rogan, who spoke at length about smelling salts during a podcast episode three years ago.
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Exercise one 1 mile run First up: the one-mile run. After briefly limbering up (and questioning why I'd signed up for this), we set off in the August heat to see how our fitness levels compared to those of American 12-year-olds in 1985. The verdict? Passable. Having not set foot on an athletics track for the better part of a decade, I was apprehensive about how things would turn out. But as I settled into my stride, I found myself on target to meet the cut-off time of seven minutes and 11 seconds - putting me in the top 15 per cent of candidates and in with a chance of winning the coveted presidential physical fitness award. I felt my lungs gasping as I embarked on my final lap, but channelling my inner Kelly Holmes, I kicked on to finish in a respectable time of six minutes and 40 seconds. So far, so good. When I got the call asking if I'd be willing to complete the presidential fitness test in the name of this experiment, I had actually just completed a heavy legs session in the gym. So it's safe to say I started off somewhat on the back foot. My tired legs struggled to keep up and I failed this test, but only by five seconds - so I think I still deserve a pat on the back. As someone who enjoys running the occasional 5km around the beautiful sites of Washington, DC, I thought I could run a mile comfortably, so I was a little bit disappointed. That didn't stop me from sprinting the last 50 metres or so to gain back some time, but frustratingly it wasn't quite enough. Exercise two Shuttle run Designed to test the speed and agility of America's youth, the shuttle involves sprinting 30 feet from one line to another, picking up a block of wood (or in our case, a multi-coloured umbrella), and returning it to the first line, before repeating the same routine again - this time with a second, more muted, brolly. I backed my pace on this one, having spent my youth running around on the rugby field, but I was acutely aware that I'd never live it down if I didn't meet the grade of 9.8 seconds. Off the mark, I didn't get my best start (if only I'd brought my running spikes!). But I soon slipped into gear, darting back and forth and fielding umbrellas like a golden retriever with a stick, my heart pounding worryingly fast as I crossed the finish line. In the end, it was touch and go - those halcyon days playing rugby felt further away than ever - and I scraped home in 9.1 seconds. 'Still got it,' I told myself, wondering whatever happened to the old speed? This was the exercise I was most excited about. I love sprinting and grew up smashing the 100m and 200m sprints at school, so I wasn't too worried about failing this. I picked up speed pretty well, but as a test of agility, the hardest part of this exercise was actually slowing down enough to pick up and put down the umbrella. Luckily I passed by three seconds and felt pretty chuffed. Exercise three Sit-ups This was where things began to fall apart. As a budding CrossFit enthusiast, I can do sit-ups - several of them, in a pinch - but my heart sank when I saw the sheer number that America's youth were expected to crank out, one after the other. I thought to myself, '50 in one minute! Surely this can't be possible'. But rather than questioning the wisdom of Drs Hans Kraus and Sonya Weber - the scientists who came up with the test in the post-war era - I sat down and got to work. Lifting my upper body from the floor until my elbows touched my knees over and over again, my abdominal muscles began to quake at sit-up number 20. It was only downhill from there. As the clock struck the minute, I had long-since given up on any chance of winning the award, managing a measly 38 sit-ups. Forlorn, I lay on the floor defeated, concentrating only on the cramp that had erupted in my stomach. I hate sit-ups, and so I knew doing 45 in one minute just wasn't going to happen for me. Half sit-ups – where you raise your upper body enough for your hands to touch your knees – are more my thing, but full sit-ups, where your elbows must touch your thighs, are a real challenge. I couldn't keep my feet planted on the ground. It probably would have helped to have someone hold my feet still so I could have better stability in lifting myself up. Overall, it's a real core burner. Well done to anyone who can get in the 85th percentile with this one. Exercise four V-sit reach This was as much a test of my ability to read instructions as it was of my flexibility. Marvelling at the ingenuity of America's physical education luminaries, I sat on the floor with my legs straight out in front of me and reached forward as far as I could with one hand on top of the other. As I strained with every sinew in my hamstrings, I managed to touch the floor approximately in line with my toes for the requisite three seconds. Lacking a tape measure, and somewhat bamboozled by the scoring system, I took this to mean I had a score of zero. This put me firmly outside of the top 15 per cent of American 12-year-olds, who could apparently reach four centimetres beyond their toes. They do have shorter legs, after all. We must have looked a bit silly, blundering around trying to figure out how to do this one. To be honest, we weren't totally sure how it should look. But we tried our best. Apparently the top fifteen per cent of 12-year-old girls 1985 could reach seven inches past her toes, but I could only reach a tiny bit past mine. Exercise five Push ups Back on more familiar territory, this was an area where I hoped I'd be able to hold my own. But 18 push-ups in one minute is no mean feat. As the countdown began, I adopted a plank position with my arms out straight beneath me and began repeatedly lowering my chest to the floor as the clock hit go. Concentrating on my breathing, I powered through the first 25 or so. But as I crossed the threshold of 30, I felt my muscles evaporate all at once, only able to manage one push every few seconds through sheer force of will. In the end, I managed a respectable 39 - comfortably within the top 15 per cent. But sadly, nothing could make up for my shortcoming on the situps and v-sit & reach to resurrect my chances of earning the presidential physical fitness award. Push-ups are an exercise I avoid like the plague in my daily workout routine, so I wasn't looking forward to this. There was no way I was attempting the toe press ups (I can only do about two of those) and opted for the women's version with my knees on the ground. I think it's worth pointing out that an average 12-year-old girl has a lot less weight and muscle to push up than I do. I must admit, my final push-up was a bit mangled as my shoulders and biceps were on fire. I was surprised that I just about managed to reach the 85th percentile and do 20 in one minute. The verdict This was far harder than I could have ever imagined. I had visions of myself sailing into the 85th percentile and scooping up the award and the plaudits that come with it. Sadly, hubris was the order of affairs. Now that Mr Trump is bringing the challenge back, a whole new generation of Americans will have the chance to test their mettle. As for me? I may not have made the grade, but there's plenty of time to get back in training. I'm not ready for the bench just yet! Overall, the presidential fitness test was more challenging than I had thought. It tested my stamina, strength, and agility. I think Mr Trump may be onto something in bringing it back as a standard for American children. And there's no harm in older people giving it a go. I'll certainly be working on those sit-ups.
