Ephedra also popular outside world of pro sports

Date: 25-02-2003 Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamUnited States

Ask Gold's Gym manager James McHale in West Palm Beach, and he'll tell you ephedra is a great pick-me-up, comparable to a double-shot of espresso.

But former user Jeff Angotti, a personal trainer at World Gym in Boynton Beach, says the popular supplement gave his hands the shakes so bad it was almost like the delirium tremens of drug withdrawal.

While ephedra and its main active ingredient, ephedrine, have been linked to several high-profile deaths of professional athletes in recent years, the supplement is not limited to big-time sports. More than 12 million Americans a year use the over-the-counter stimulant that's derived from a Chinese herb and sometimes compared in effect to amphetamines, or speed.

The users include cold sufferers, late-shift workers, dieters and weekend warriors seeking to maximize their metabolic performance. Those who have used it say it unclogs bronchial passages, suppresses appetite and delivers a jolt of energy. But other users say it also causes heart palpitations, shortness of breath, heavy sweating and sleeplessness.

Mostly used for weight loss, ephedra is available at health clubs, health stores and online as a virtual steroid substitute in liquid and pill forms under such names as Speed Stack, Thermo S25 and Extreme Ripped Force.

"You will have a profound physical sensation," McHale said. "It's used commonly in an enormous number of different circumstances."

Ephedra is under scrutiny again in the wake of the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, who collapsed from heatstroke last week at spring training in Fort Lauderdale on an 81-degree day. He was 23.

Last year, ephedra was the subject of Congressional hearings. Next month The Annals of Internal Medicine is scheduled to publish yet another report on the supplement's dangers. In March, the Florida Legislature will consider proposals to ban the sale of ephedra to children. The NFL, NCAA and International Olympic Committee have already banned the substance from use by players. Critics are calling on Major League Baseball to follow suit.

Five ephedra manufacturers and distributors, including Boca Raton-based Rexall Sundown, have formed the Ephedra Education Council to counteract the negative publicity. The group's spokesman, Richard Price, described ephedra as a "mild stimulant" that is helping Americans battle obesity.

Ephedra supporters say the supplement is safe as long as it's not used in excessive doses or for an extended time. Ron Stamm, a personal trainer at Gold's Gym in West Palm Beach, said he uses ephedra only 12 weeks annually during his dieting phase just before a bodybuilding competition.

"Basically, in a competition you want to look like an anatomy chart," Stamm said. The desired effect is one in which "there's nothing between your skin and your muscle," emphasizing the bodybuilder's extremely defined muscles and striations.

He compares ephedra to "drinking 10 cups of coffee," but as a personal trainer he said he doesn't recommend it to his clients, "obviously for liability purposes."

The Nutrition Cottage in Delray Beach sells ephedra products to treat asthma and colds, but store owner Karen Stowe has stopped selling ephedra for long-term use, such as dieting, saying "it's too scary."

Still, Stowe is worried that federal health regulators will overreact to a backlash against the excesses of ephedra and ban ephedra in all forms.

"I'm gonna hate it -- and I know a lot of people are gonna hate it -- when they take the cold and flu stuff," she said.

The Food and Drug Administration does not require that herbals and supplements be tested in the same manner as drugs. But the FDA can ban products that cause illness or death. Many ephedra products are sold as cocktail blends of caffeine and other additives.

The Medication Station in Boynton Beach has stopped selling ephedra products altogether, said staff pharmacist Christine Ternenyi. Such herbals and supplements can be helpful, she said, but too many people mistakenly believe that over-the-counter products are harmless compared with prescription drugs.

"They're all chemicals. Most of them are foreign substances to the body," she said. "There's nothing that's not going to cause a problem for someone somewhere."

Angotti at the World Gym in Boynton Beach said he used ephedra products for four years in high school and in college until 2000. The sensation is not unlike caffeine, he said, but the after-effects are like those of much stronger substances.

"After the energy runs down, you just come crashing down," he said.

As one of the side effects, he cited a disturbing dependency on high-energy drinks and pills powered by ephedra. "I know people who can't work out without it," he said.

But the downsides don't stop there.

"The worst side effect?" he said. "Death."