Tips for
Taking Ephedrine Safely!
Issue
#30 of the Fat Bustin' eZine featured the article "Ephedrine
Vindicated" (in which I introduced the the brand new study
indicating ephedrine was both safe and effective when taken
as directed). This article spurred a flood of e-mails from my
newsletter readers...
What
ephedrine-based product do I try? How much ephedrine do I, or
should I take? When do I take it? How long do I take it?, and
so on.
In
this article, I'll answer a few of those questions. Of course,
you should never take ephedrine or an ephedrine/mahuang based
product (like Trimspa, Hydroxycut, Stacker 2, Xenadrine RFA-1),
if you don't have a complete bill of health from your doctor.
Always double check the label warnings, and don't take ephedrine
if you experience ANY of the contraindicated symptoms.
i)
How much ephedrine do I take?
If
you're asking this question, I'm assuming you have never experimented
with ephedrine before. In this case I HIGHLY recommend you start
supplementing with the lowest possible dose your selected product
provides (8-12 mg in most cases). To begin with, take it once
and at the very most, twice a day.
A
full dose of ephedrine (24 mg) packs a rather hearty kick. It
can be especially eye-opening if you've never used it before
(plus, most products combine ephedrine with caffeine, which
dramatically increases its fat burning potential, but also its
stimulating effects on the central nervous system).
Taking
a low dose allows you to access your tolerance to this product
(the body acclimatizes to ephedrine quickly -- its effects aren't
nearly as noticeable over time), without jeopardizing your health
(should you be one of the few who reacts unfavorably to this
effective fat burner).
*Special
Note* Some brands don't print the exact ephedrine content
on the label. Instead they might put down something like this...
300mg
Ma Huang standardized to 8% active ingredient.
The
active ingredient in Ma Huang is ephedrine, and to determine
the exact ephedrine content, simply multiply 300 by 0.08.
300
X 0.08 = 24
Therefore,
one serving of this product delivers 24 mg of ephedrine. To
determine the amount of ephedrine in each capsule, divide the
total amount of ephedrine in a serving by the number of capsules
in a single dose. So if your product delivers a single dose
in 3 capsules...
24/3
= 8
Each
capsule contains 8 mg of ephedrine. So you'd start by taking
1/3 of the recommended dose.
After
you start to get used to ephedrine, you may wish to slowly start
"upping" the dose. Although the study recently published
in the International Journal of Obesity was done with subjects
taking 90 mg per day, I'd be hesitant to recommend such a high
dose without proper medical supervision. People over 200 lb.
may be able to tolerate 3 24-mg doses daily, but for most of
us, 48 mg daily divided into 2-3 servings will be enough to
generate positive results.
*Comment*
Initially, you may find it very difficult to sit still while
on ephedrine. Personally, I like to take it prior to activity,
so I know I'll be able to work off all that nervous energy.
You to may wish to experiment initially with a low dose prior
to activity - even a brisk 20 minute walk is fine.
ii)
When do I take ephedrine?
Ephedrine
is well known for its appetite-suppressing qualities, and for
that reason,
it is best to take it 20-30 minutes before a meal. I recommend
that until you are familiar with its effects, you do not take
it after 2 p.m...
Unless,
of course, you like counting sheep!
iii)
How long do I take ephedrine?
Personally,
I recommend taking it 5 days out of 7 for no more than 6 weeks
(some manufacturers recommend 12 week cycles). Your body "acclimatizes"
to ephedrine rather quickly, so in order for it to remain effective
you really should take 2-4 weeks off every 6 weeks or so.
Occasionally,
I'll use an ephedrine based product and an ephedrine free product
together at the same time (I'm currently taking Prolab's
ThermaPro 1X daily in the morning (not recommended for "first
timers", it delivers 24 mg ephedrine per capsule), and
Xenadrine's
EFX (ephedrine free) 1-2X daily, in divided doses later
in the afternoon. This helps keep the jitters down when I've
got to be strapped to the computer all day.
OK,
the bottom line here is very simple...
Start
at the lowest dosage, and use common sense. Don't take if you
have ANY contraindicated symptoms. Read all the label directions
thoroughly, and never take more than is recommended. All you
really need to do is be fully aware of what you are taking.
Ephedrine must be treated with respect. Do that, and
you will be pleased with your results.
iv)
What product do I try?
For
beginners, I recommend a product that delivers a full dose in
3 - 4 capsules, so you can experiment with the smallest possible
dose to start.
Hydroxycut
(delivers full dose (24 mg) in 3 capsules) is a good quality
product -- I've used this myself many times. A single capsule
delivers 8 mg.
HydroBurn
(delivers a full dose (24 mg) in 4 capsules), has all the right
ingredients (at the right price), but I haven't personally tried
this product. A single capsule delivers 6 mg.
If
you'd like to check out other ephedrine based fat burners at
our new Super Store...
http://www.ultimatefatburner-store.com/
And
of course, there's plenty of reviews back home at...
