Ephedra has been looked upon as both an excellent fat-burning supplement and as a dangerous threat to your health. Many people fear the use of this supplement because they are ignorant to actually what it is and how to use it. The deaths of athletes such as Korey Stringer from the Minnesota Vikings, Steve Bechler from the Baltimore Orioles, and Rashidi Wheeler from Northwestern University have all been blamed on their use of ephedra combined with strenuous physical activity. Although I choose not to employ the use of this supplement, this column is to provide you with some information about the product so that you, along with the consultation of a health professional, can make a decision of whether or not this supplement may be for you.
Ephedra is an active ingredient of the herb Ma Huang which was used over 5,000 years ago by the Chinese. They used it in order to treat such problems as upper respiratory infections, hay fever, and asthma. Today, its uses have expanded to fat burning and energy increasing.
On the market today, there are two different kinds of ephedra products. The natural ephedra dietary supplement has a statement, by requirement of the law, on the label that it contains “ephedrine alkaloids.” The other type is the synthetic ephedrine, often an ingredient to common cold medicines, and is stated on the label as the supplement containing “ephedrine hydrochloride.”
Chemically, ephedra increases your metabolic rate and calorie consumption by opening receptor sites in the heart and lungs which causes the stored fat in your body to be consumed in order to provide your body with energy or the extra energy boost reported to occur by consumers. The ephedrine alkaloids function as a stimulant that increase energy through thermogenesis or fat burning and combined with a healthy diet consequently leads to fat loss. In addition to the extra energy and fat loss, ephedra has also been shown to increase contractile strength of muscle fibers, therefore aiding in weightlifting. This is an important benefit to guys or girls who want to put some muscle mass on during their fat cutting.
Like any drug, ephedra can be abused. Following the directions on the label is very important. Taking more than the recommended dosage will not further the fat loss effects but instead cause other adverse effects.
As far as having to reduce your calorie intake, ephedra will help you burn more calories than usual and usually suppresses appetite anyway, so calorie reduction should be unnecessary. Again, before using this product, consult a qualified health care professional to ensure that you will not experience complications with this supplement.
For additional information, you can check www.ephedrafacts.com among many other web sites on this popular issue.