Ephedra or Ma guang

Main functions

• Improves sports performance.
• Promotes weight loss.

Theoretical basis

Ephedra, or Ma guang is an herb that has been used in Chinese medicine for almost 5 thousand years. Historically, ephedra has been used in the common cold, to stimulate the central nervous system and treat bronchial asthma. Its active ingredients are ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. These two ingredients usually refer to medical devices. Ephedra is considered a sympathomimetic, its mimetic hormones - epinephrine and norepinephrine, stimulate the activity of the central nervous system.

Ephedra can improve athletic performance, increasing cardiac output, expanding the bronchial airways, strengthening muscle contractility and (possibly) increasing the glucose level in the blood during exercise.

Research results

White et al. Studied the effect of ephedra on heart rate and blood pressure in adults with normal pressure. In the experiment, which consisted of two phases, 12 people participated. In the first phase, they underwent outpatient monitoring of arterial pressure every 15 minutes between 7 and 8 am; In the second phase, the pressure was also measured, but for the breakfast and dinner participants were given 375 mg of ephedra.

Three hours after the use of ephedra, four patients had a slight increase in systolic pressure, and six had a significant increase in heart rate. But the increase in pressure and heart rate was not accompanied by clinical symptoms. The authors concluded that if the use of ephedra by persons with normal pressure is sufficiently safe, the combination of this powerful stimulant with other stimulants, for example caffeine, can increase heart rate and increase blood pressure.

Ramsey et al. Studied the effect of combining ephedra and caffeine on the composition of the body of macaques. Twelve animals were divided into two groups - with insufficient body weight and with excess weight. Monkeys were tested during a 7-week control period, 8 weeks they were given 6 mg ephedrine and 50 mg caffeine three times a day and 7 weeks - placebo. Monitoring of food intake was carried out in all phases of the experiment, energy costs were calculated from the consumption of oxygen. The results showed that ephedrine plus caffeine reduced fat mass in monkeys of both groups. In monkeys with insufficient weight, this was due only to an increase in the expenditure of rest energy, in monkeys with excessive body weight - due to an increase in the expenditure of rest energy and a decrease in food intake.

There are fears about doping. Athletes may not know that ephedrine or other stimulants are part of herbs, the name of which they do not know. Therefore, the unintentional consumption of such herbs by elite athletes may lead to suspicion of doping. Effedrin is prohibited by the IOC and NCCA.

Recommendations

There are no valid data on the ability of ephedra to improve athletic performance. Despite the conclusion of some researchers that ephedra stimulates the loss of body weight, its harmlessness still raises doubts. According to the Food and Drug Administration (APM), since 1993, 17 people have died, and 800 have fallen ill as a result of taking supplements containing ephedrine. Harmful reactions to ephedrine include high blood pressure, heart rate, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, headaches, heart attacks, strokes and death.

The APM recommends a maximum daily dose of ephedrine - 24 mg. Each additive should contain no more than 8 mg of ephedrine or its sister alkaloid. You can consume the supplement for no more than one week. It is also recommended that all products containing ephedrine on the label have a warning that intake above the recommended dose can cause a heart attack, stroke, cramps or death. The combination of ephedrine-containing products with caffeine enhances harmful effects.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]