Ephedrine has become one of the most popular ?supplements? used by athletes, and the word on the street is that it is a rather powerful stimulant, which can speed up interval workouts, increase strength and also assist with weight-loss. Until recently, not a single scientific study linked ephedrine to improved athletic performance. But now there is research that indicates that ephedrine can boost performance during intense efforts that can last for about 15 minutes. However, this study also indicates that ephedrine works its magic only when it is ingested with caffeine. http://www.leveragecorporation.co.za/content/200435118-001~3.jpgPutting it to the test Scientists at the Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine in North York, Ontario, Canada, asked a number of male cyclists to take part in a rugged, exercise-cycle workout. Ephedrine, when taken alone, failed to increase performance time. Likewise, caffeine taken alone failed to improve performance, compared to placebo... However, ephedrine combined with caffeine proved to be a powerful ergogenic concoction. Average performance time increased by about 39% with ephedrine plus caffeine, compared to placebo, and all subjects improved their performances with ephedrine and caffeine together. The ephedrine-caffeine combination may thus be a fairly potent stimulant of nervous-system function and may also spur other physiological processes, including muscle contractility. Of course, ephedrine is a banned drug, so you run the risk of being both disqualified from your race and suspended from competition indefinitely if you use it. It should also be noted that some individuals have severe reactions to ephedrine, ranging from nervousness and irritability to irregular heart rhythms, convulsions, and even death. http://www.leveragecorporation.co.za/content/200426995-001~1.jpgWhat happened to caffeine? Why didn't caffeine boost exercise performance, since a number of other studies have shown it to be an ergogenic substance? For one thing, the participants in the Ontario study were regular caffeine users, so perhaps they were less sensitive to caffeine than irregular users would be. The subjects were also not in a high state of fitness, and there is some evidence that caffeine works better in highly-trained athletes, compared to average people. Caffeine - taken in moderate amounts - is a legal ?performance booster?. Taking too much of the stuff will get you banned, but as it turns out, the amount needed for banishment actually hurts performances, while lesser quantities increase athletic capacity. Should you try ephedrine - or mix ephedrine with caffeine - prior to your rugged workouts or race efforts? Not a chance! Ephedrine plus caffeine would probably be an ergogenic combination for many athletes, but ephedrine produces too many side effects to be used safely, and the amount required to produce an effect is definitely illegal. Source: Jim Bledsoe, pponline.co.uk
