Ephedra Stack
If you have ever tried to lose weight, or if you have ever spoken about weight loss with a body builder, you have probably heard of an ephedra stack. Ephedra contains ephedrine, a very potent stimulant found in the Ma huang plant and in the heartleaf plant known as Sida cordifolia. The “stack” in an ephedra stack most often includes a dose of caffeine and a dose of aspirin.
Caffeine is known to most as a strong stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate and many soft drinks. If you see a weight loss supplement that says it increases energy and helps with fat loss, there is a very good possibility it’s got caffeine in it. When caffeine is taken with ephedra, it increases the effects of the ephedrine and causes a thermogenic effect thereby speeding up the metabolism and assisting with fat burning and weight loss.
Aspirin is another component often included in the ephedra stack, although it is optional. Aspirin is generally used to balance the affects of the caffeine and ephedrine. Also, there has been some indication that aspirin reduces the reduction of ephedrine through urination allowing it to stay in the blood for a longer period and prolonging its effects. Once again, this is optional. Recently, several products are dropping the aspirin from their formulas.
The ECA Stack (ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin) has several effects on your body. By stimulating the nervous system through an increase in neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, a stress response is triggered. This response raises the heart rate and blood pressure, dilates airways and boosts the resting metabolic rate. It may increase energy and alertness and reduce feelings of lethargy. Additionally, this ephedra stack will curb your appetite. This has both pro’s and con’s. On the up side, eating less usually reduces overall weight. However, if you are maintaining a workout schedule, it is vitally important to eat several small meals per day. If your body does not receive adequate nutrients, it cannot heal itself after a hard training session. Make sure that you are eating 5 or 6 small meals per day. Even if you don’t feel like it, proper nutrition can make or break your fitness regimen. Also, feeding your body several times a day helps keep up your metabolic rate. If you don’t eat your metabolism slows down. After a few weeks, you will negate the use of the ephedra stack by countering its effects on your metabolism.
There are risks to the ephedra stack that must be taken into account before adding it to your weight loss plan.
· Ephedrine will increase your heart rate and when combined with caffeine, can have serious ramifications for individuals with a heart condition and high blood pressure.
· If you do not maintain a proper schedule of diet and exercise, ephedrine will not only burn fat, it will also burn muscle. As stated above, maintaining a proper diet and an exercise routine will only add to the weight loss effects of the ephedra stack.
· Certain individuals have experienced sleeplessness, nervousness, headaches, seizures , heart attacks, strokes and in a few rare cases, death from the use of ephedrine. It is essential to follow the dosing instructions listed on the products you take and heed your doctor’s recommendations on taking an ephedra stack.
· Avoid the ephedra stack in you suffer from heart disease, thyroid disease, depression, difficulty urinating, enlarged prostate or a seizure disorder. Also do not use if you take an MAOI or any OTC product containing ephedrine.
· Various athletic organizations have banned the use of ephedra products including the NCAA. Athletes should be cognizant of their particular sports association regulations to avoid disqualification from events.
· Because caffeine is a diuretic, it is important to get enough water to avoid dehydration. Shoot for at 1 ½ ounces per lean body weight.
The ephedra stack can work to help you lose weight. In fact, for the first couple of weeks or so, you may think you have discovered a magic formula that melts fat away with minimal effort from you. Do not kid yourself. To achieve any consistent weight loss and help maintain the loss, you must also diet and exercise. Make sure you are aware of your tolerance to ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin before you take an ephedra stack because people respond differently to these products.
Obtain vital info about weight loss – make sure to go through the webpage. The time has come when proper info is really only one click of your mouse, use this possibility.
Related posts
Tags: Adequate Nutrients, Alertness, Aspirin, Body Builder, Coffee Tea, Eca Stack, ephedra stack, fat burning, Heart Rate, Lethargy, Metabolism, Nervous System, Potent Stimulant, Resting Metabolic Rate, Sida Cordifolia, Soft Drinks, Stress Response, Thermogenic Effect, Urination, Weight Loss Supplement, Workout Schedule
Print This Post
Posted in
