Ephedrine

NOTE: Since this article was written products containing ephedrine have become banned by the FDA and are no longer for sale in the U.S. I've decided the leave the original article intact.

Ephedrine comes in different forms such as Ephedrine Hydrochloride (HCL) and Ma Huang. They all derived from a natural Chinese plant, Ephedra Sinica. They are used medically as bronchodilators for asthmatics to open breathing passages. It can be used in a variety of ways for athletic and cosmetic enhancement.

Chemically, ephedrine is very similar to caffeine and methamphetamine (speed). They are all Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulants. Caffeine being the weakest, ephedrine more potent, and methamphetamine being the strongest. Methamphetamine is illegal and ephedrine is illegal in some states. Ephedrine is banned in some professional athletic organizations due to its effectiveness at enhancing performance.

It can be purchased alone or as part of a combination product. It is believed by some to be best taken as part of a stack of 325 mg of aspirin, 200 mg of caffeine, and 25 mg of ephedrine also known as the Ephedrine/Caffeine/Aspirin (ECA) stack. If you buy it alone, you also should buy the other 2 parts of the stack to enhance the effectiveness of all 3. If you buy combination products, they already contain all the necessary ingredients in the correct amounts. Ripped Fuel, Metabolift, Metabolife, Xenadrine, and Thermadrene are examples of popular combination products.

Some people also believe taking just the ephedrine alone is more than enough and the other 2 make no real impact. Either way, the ephedrine is clearly the key ingredient.

When dieting, the stack should be taken 45 min. to 1 hour before meals on an empty stomach no more than 3 times per day. On a calorie deficient diet, the stack will keep you anabolic, which keeps you from using muscle as fuel. It will give you lots of energy you might not have and it will increase thermogenesis, which is basically enhanced burning of calories in the body.

When training heavy and eating for mass, taking the stack 45 min. to 1 hour before lifting weights will give you more energy to train heavier. More energy = more weight = more muscle.

Ephedrine can be very dangerous if used improperly. If take in too high amounts it can cause, among other things, heart attacks and death. If you are taking a MAO inhibitor this product can be especially deadly. Consult a physician and read the labels properly if you choose to use it.