Is bitter orange considered a performance-enhancing supplement for athletes?

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    Last Updated: October 13, 2024

    The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) lists synephrine (bitter orange) as a banned stimulant. One small study found that taking 100 mg of synephrine slightly enhanced muscle endurance during resistance exercise compared to control.[1]

    A longer-duration study found that 4 weeks of daily administration of a supplement containing 20 mg synephrine improved some areas of exercise performance, but after 8 weeks no clear differences compared to the supplement without synephrine were noted.[2]