Ephedrine
•Last Updated: September 28 2022
Ephedrine is one of the four active components of the herb Ephedra. It is able to induce fat loss via increasing the amount of fat available for fuel as well as by increasing heat expenditure. It has been implicated in increasing the metabolic rate by up to 5% in humans. It has also been noted to cause serious side-effects in some instances, and its legal status varies by region.
Ephedrine is most often used for
Last Updated: September 28 2022
Ephedrine (ih-fed-rin) is one of the four active components of the herb Ephedra. It is able to induce fat loss via increasing the amount of fat available for fuel as well as by increasing heat expenditure. It has been implicated in increasing the metabolic rate by up to 5% in humans.
Ephedrine also interacts with muscle cells, increasing heat expenditure in them as well as fat cells. It can also prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue to a small degree.
Ephedrine is highly synergistic with caffeine, and for this reason is commonly found in something called an ECA stack (Ephedrine, Caffeine, and Aspirin).
Side effects include an increase in blood pressure that goes away with cessation and increases in some blood parameters (glucose, insulin) that also go away with cessation of use. It has been reported to be a hyperstimulant when taken in doses above what is recommended.
Ephedrine is well studied and a fairly reliable compound for short- to medium-term weight loss (less than 6 months) and mild performance improvements, usually in trained individuals. However, it does not work under all situations; longer-term weight loss and effects in untrained individuals have not been studied much and sometimes produce negative results. While it has been implicated in weight reduction independent of exercise and diet changes, efficacy is maximized with minimal side-effects when ephedrine is combined with diet and exercise.
Note that Ephedrine is also known as:
- Ephedra Vulgaris
- Ephedraceae
- ma huang
Ephedrine should not be confused with:
- Ephedrone
- Epinephrine
All Doses Standardized to Ephedrine HCl
In an ECA stack, ephedrine is dosed at 20-24mg for three doses taken throughout the day.
Human studies have found success with ephedrine in isolation on fat metabolism with doses of 20-50mg thrice a day. The higher range (150mg) may be too stimulatory for some, and can induce headaches or light hand tremors.
Ephedrine tends to be consumed with xanthine compounds like caffeine and sometimes with Aspirin. The combination of Ephedrine and caffeine is shown repeatedly to be highly synergistic.
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