Sports Supplements - Ephedrine and Athletic Performance

Does Ephedrine Improve Athletic Performance?

Ephedrine is a drug derived from the plant Ephedra equisetina. It has been used for hundreds of years as a CNS stimulant and a decongestant. A synthetic form of the drug, pseudoephedrine, is a common ingredient in over-the-counter and prescription cold and allergy products. Structurally similar to amphetamines, it increases blood pressure and heart rate. The mechanisms behind ephedrine's effect on weight-loss appear to be those of increasing energy expenditure through increased lipolysis; increasing basal metabolic rate through thyroxine; and decreasing food intake by suppressing appetite.

Ephedrine Claims

• Increases body fat loss
• Improves athletic performance
• Improves concentration

Research Shows

• Research has found no effect of ephedrine on strength, endurance, reaction time, anaerobic capacity, or recovery time after prolonged exercise
• Ephedrine products have been found to contain from 0% to 100% of the amount listed on the label
• Side effects vary and do not correlate with the amount consumed
• Caffeine potentiates the effect of Ephedrine and the combination can be dangerous

Tips and Cautions

• Ephedrine is banned by the NCAA and the IOC
• FDA has documented 40 deaths and more than 800 side effects linked to Ephedrine use
• Side effects include:
  • irregular heart rate
  • elevated blood pressure
  • dizziness
  • headache
  • heart attack
  • stroke
  • seizure
  • psychosis
  • death

Ma huang is an herbal form of ephedrine called ephedra that is contained in many herbal products available in health food stores (often along with chromium). Recent changes in USFDA regulations excuse the makers of nutrition supplements from fully identifying the contents of their products. Ma huang has been blamed for the deaths of several high school students who used it as a stimulant or aphrodisiac; the deaths presumably resulted from CNS bleeding or cardiac arrhythmia.

There continues to be conflicting arguments regarding the safety of ephedra. For every study that shows a side-effect, there is a study that shows the product does what it claims to do. The best advice is to lose weight the way sports nutritionists recommend: proper diet and exercise. If you choose to take ephedra or ephedrine, you should consume them according to national industry standards.

Junk Science - red Flags to Watch For
Ephedra (Ma Huang)- is it safe?
FDA Warns of Ephedra Dangers