Ephedrine is a popular fat burner, but fewer people know about Ephedra. Find out the whole truth about Ephedra and its uses in bodybuilding. Many people, especially those who are overweight, know about Ephedrine. At the same time, Ephedra is still a big mystery for many. All the information available about Ephedrine, but mainly refers to the synthetic substance. Today you will find out the whole truth about Ephedra in bodybuilding.
What is Ephedra and what is it used for in bodybuilding?
Ephedra is one of the most popular thermogenic supplements around. This substance is produced from the Mahuang plant. It grows in Europe, Asia and America. Synthetic Ephedrine is also derived from plant materials. Most scientists classify this drug as a beta-2 antagonist, but recent studies show that the substance can also interact with beta-3 receptors, which are most active in white fibers. Both natural and artificial substances are excellent fat burners.
Ephedra contains 5 substances belonging to the group of alkaloids. The most studied of these to date is Pseudoephedrine, which is part of a large number of different drugs. Ephedra contains the following alkaloids:
- Norpseudoephedrine;
- Ephedrine;
- Methylephedrine;
- Norephedrine;
- Pseudoephedrine
How Ephedra and Ephedrine differ
Some states have banned the sale of artificial ephedrine, which does not apply to plant alkaloids. Since Ephedra contains the same substances as artificial Ephedrine, it can be assumed that they have the same properties. Ephedra has been studied quite well and this will allow you to find out the whole truth about its use in bodybuilding.
As mentioned above, Ephedrine alkaloids are obtained from the Mahuang plant and then used to make food supplements. To better understand the mechanism of action of these substances on the body, you should understand the term "half-life".
Half-life is the length of time during which the body processes half of the received substance. For example, when they say that a substance has a half-life of 12 hours, then after this time, half of the total amount of the substance that a person has consumed will remain in the body. The substance will be completely removed after passing through five such cycles. Artificial Ephedrine, available in tablet form, has a half-life of 5.74 hours. In a recent study, it was possible to find out the half-life of the natural alkaloid Ephedrine. To clarify this issue, the subjects were given four capsules with Ephedra to each. One ampoule contained 19.4 milligrams of the substance. This dosage was not chosen by chance. In the study of the half-life of artificial Ephedrine, the substance was used in an amount of 20 milligrams. The participants in the study took the plant-based Ephedrine in the same amounts as the artificial one, and as a result, the natural alkaloid had a half-life of 5.2 hours.
An equally interesting study was conducted in the city of San Francisco. Scientists decided to investigate the effect of a natural drug on the heart rate and blood pressure with a single use. The half-life and peak concentration of the substance were also measured. Since now it is the half-life that is most important to us, we will only talk about this part of the experiment.
One capsule contained 100 milligrams of caffeine and 10 milligrams of Ephedra. The second group of subjects consumed a mixture of 175 grams of caffeine and 23.7 milligrams of Ephedrine. As a result, it was found that the half-life was just over six hours. It should be noted that the study participants took different dosages of the substance. However, this did not prevent scientists from drawing conclusions. That plant and artificial Ephedrine have almost the same parameters.
Studies on Ephedrine and Caffeine Blend
There are currently several published studies of the ephedra / caffeine blend. This will allow you to find out the whole truth about Ephedra in bodybuilding. So, during one of the experiments, more than 160 people took part, divided into two groups. The first group consumed caffeine and Ephedra, and the second group was given a placebo.
Each subject's nutritional programs were routine, but they monitored the amount of fat consumed. All study participants walked for 30 minutes three times a week. At first, people were observed by scientists on a daily basis, and then they began to be examined once a month.
As a result, it was found that when the plant Ephedra was consumed in combination with caffeine, the subjects experienced a weight loss that was twice as high as that of the control group. The ratio of burned fat to body weight was 16: 1. In addition, there was a slight change in the rhythm of the heart, but none of the subjects had arrhythmias.
It must be said that five subjects considered the increase in pressure significant and refused to continue the experiment. No significant differences were observed between the representatives of the two groups in the future. Some of them developed mild side effects such as increased heart rate, dry mouth, and disturbed sleep patterns. Moreover, similar effects were noted in two groups.
These results of the experiment made it possible to say that when healthy people who are overweight, when using a combination of ephedra and caffeine, can achieve good results if they follow a certain dietary program and exercise. Of course, it is best to consult a specialist before using ephedra. The side effects of ephedra are very minor to be mentioned.
For more information on what ephedrine, ephedra are and how the substance is used in bodybuilding, see this video:
