Every six months or so, a new breakthrough product emerges that is touted to be the answer for easy weight loss. The latest such products contain ephedrine, usually in combination with caffeine and aspirin. Producers claim this stack to be an all-natural metabolic boost that allows you to eat what you want and still lose weight. Claims such as these leave fitness professionals shaking their head and muttering "diet and exercise". The odd thing about ephedrine-based products is that they seem to induce weight loss, but are they safe?
The two main ingredients of the "all-natural" Metabolife-like products are guarana and ma huang. What most people don’t realize is that guarana is the plant that caffeine originates from and ma huang is the natural form of ephedrine. Each tablet normally contains about 40 mg of caffeine, about half of what is found in a cup of coffee, and 40 mg of ephedrine. You will find that most products are labeled ma huang 8%- 500 mg, which translates into about 40 mg of actual ephedrine. Most products also contain white willow bark, which is salicylic acid, or aspirin. This is extremely dangerous to people who have an allergy or reason to limit aspirin use.
Proponents of ephedrine stacks claim that there are no side effects in
healthy individuals. The operative word here is
healthy. The list of restrictions on taking these products include any incidences of heart problems, diabetes, liver disorders, high alcohol intake, taking any other prescription medication, pregnancy, and thyroid disorder; just to name a few. As trainers, we would be very hard pressed to find a client who didn't have one or more of these conditions. In addition, ephedrine is also found in most over-the-counter cold and flu medications. If you are taking a cold or flu medication that contains ephedrine along with an ephedrine based weight loss aid, you are effectively getting an extra dangerous double-dose of the drug.
Recently, reports have been published concerning side effects in individuals without any of the previous contraindications. More than 1,400 claims have been filed with the FDA reporting serious side effects such as heart palpitations and increased blood pressure. (3) New studies have shown that it may also be a cause for hepatitis and stroke. (1,2) Investigators from the New England Medical Center studied 926 cases in which problems were reported due to ephedrine use. Of these, 50 were heart related, and included 14 sudden deaths, 13 strokes, 2 mini-strokes, 9 heart attacks and 6 cases of rapid heartbeat.(4) Most of these individuals had no history of heart disease. In other words, they were considered healthy.
Claims that ephedrine-based products are not habit forming should also be taken with a grain of salt. For example, there have been recent allegations of ephedrine abuse among professional hockey players. The players will pop a few Sudafed before games, because they claim the ephedrine gives them a little bit of a boost. Your body soon becomes tolerant of ephedrine, forcing players to take as many as 5-6 pills before the game and again during the breaks to achieve the same effect. While perhaps not physically addicting, the high rate of psychological dependency needs to be considered.
The thermogenic effects of ephedrine stacks may be promising in terms of loss of body weight. Ephedrine is a stimulant and is effective in raising one's metabolic rate. However, don't be fooled by claims that ephedrine only burns fat. The energy source your body utilizes to keep up with the demands of a higher metabolic rate could also come at the expense of muscle mass.
As trainers, our clients rely on us for information on new products and their claims. But even one report of a serious side effect should deter you from recommending these products to your clients. The risks involved in taking ephedrine are just too high. But never fear, after cure-all products fail them, your diet and exercise mutterings will finally be heard.
Bibliography
- Nadir, A., et al. Acute Hepatitis associated with the use of a Chinese herbal, mu huang. American Journal of Gastroenterology. July 1996; (7): 1436-1438
- Bruno, A., et al. Stroke associated with ephedrine use. Neurology. July 1993; (7): 1313-1316.
- http://www.envion.com/htmls/ephedra/html
- http://www.health-doc.com/healthysolutions/MaHuang.html
