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

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    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Bitter orange, which contains synephrine, is considered a banned stimulant by the NCAA. Some studies suggest that synephrine may slightly enhance muscle endurance and improve exercise performance, but results vary over longer durations.

    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]

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