Ephedrine is an alkaloid first isolated in 1885 by Nagayoshi Nagai (Japan). It is now considered an illegal drug in many countries and is often misused by bodybuilders to speed up metabolism and burn fat.
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Years ago, ephedrine was commonly used as a treatment for asthma. At that time, many athletes falsely claimed to have asthma to gain access to the drug.
In traditional Chinese medicine, ephedrine—extracted from the Ma Huang plant (hence the name “Ma Huang Su”)—was used for hundreds of years to treat asthma and bronchitis.
More recently, ephedrine has been replaced by safer and more effective medications with fewer side effects. However, it is still widely used in the sports and fitness world as a performance-enhancing and fat-burning drug.
Many bodybuilders take ephedrine in combination with caffeine and aspirin to burn fat more quickly and increase metabolism. This dangerous and unhealthy combination is known as the ECA stack. It is commonly found in weight loss pills sold online and often taken before workouts.
Ephedrine raises body temperature and increases blood flow—effects that are not considered safe. Although some weight loss products containing ephedrine are still sold legally in certain countries, taking too much can lead to serious side effects.
