Ephedrine
“In one study they took many samples of the top-10 weight-loss products (ephedrine/caffeine), measured each product batch-tobatch six months later, and guess what–huge differences between batches!” – Dr. Serranno, bodybuilding nutrition expert, as told to John Paul Catanzaro Despite the negative press and increased restrictions on its use, ephedrine is still one of the most popular bodybuilding supplements ever. Until it was banned a number of years back, it was the primary ingredient in most over-the-counter weight-loss products. Ephedrine, however, is not an invention of 20th-century pharmacology. It was used in China for thousands of years. The most familiar form of ephedrine is derived from the Chinese herb ma huang (with ephedrine being the active ingredient). Chemically, ephedrine is an alkaloid, and it acts both as a sympathetic amine (stimulant) and as a thermogenic aid (fat loss through heat generation). Medically, ephedrine is commonly used as a smooth-muscle dilator in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and nasal congestion. Its close cousin pseudoephedrine is still one of the most common ingredients in cold and flu medications. As a sympathetic amine, ephedrine acts to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (this is the “flight or fight” system that kicks in when you’re faced with a dangerous or frightening situation). It does this by causing nerve terminals to release norepinephrine – more commonly called noradrenaline (NA)– into the synaptic space (space between two adjacent nerve fibers). Ephedrine also has the ability to increase circulating levels of adrenaline, the body’s primary beta-2 agonist. Once released, noradrenaline stimulates adrenergic receptors on the surface of fat cells (called adipocytes). This in turn starts a chain of chemical events that ultimately leads to fat-burning, called lipolysis. Bodybuilders use ephedrine products for its stimulant effects in addition to its fat-burning properties. Ephedrine ranks somewhere between caffeine and amphetamine on the stimulant scale and provides a definite “kick” to one’s workout.
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THE ECA (EPHEDRINE CAFFEINE ASPIRIN) STACK Given their love for stacking multiple drugs together to produce a synergistic effect, it’s not surprising that bodybuilders commonly combine ephedrine with two other compounds to increase its effectiveness. It didn’t take long for bodybuilders to discover that stacking the compound with caffeine and Aspirin® magnified its fat-burning properties. In fact these three compounds when combined together produce what is arguably the most potent fat-burning product available. The standard dosage is 24 to 25 mg of ephedrine, 200 mg of caffeine (about one large cup of coffee) and one Aspirin®. However, ephedrine is now a restricted drug and cannot be purchased in dosages of over 8 mg. NO FREE RIDE Anyone considering taking ephedrine, caffeine and Aspirin® should be aware of potential side effects. Certainly individuals with pre-existing high blood pressure or other heart problems should not use stimulants such as ephedrine. If you are considering taking this product, please have a complete physical first, including a stress test. Also, when taking herbal forms of ephedrine, be sure you understand just how much is in each serving. Although herbal preparations are standardized, you still can’t be sure exactly just how much you are taking with each serving. There could be a huge discrepancy between equal dosages of two different products. You should also be aware that virtually all sports organizations have added ephedrine to their list of banned drugs. One of the biggest detriments to taking drugs such as ephedrine is human nature. We always seem to think that if some is good, more is better. Almost all the cases of deaths associated with ephedrine use came about because the drug was abused. Excessive ephedrine use will likely make you very thin indeed – skeletal, in fact.