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07/21/09
If you follow sports news, you know that every few months, the sporting world is saddened by the loss of a young athlete very suddenly. These deaths may be attributed to many causes, but the underlying foundation for the problem is usually that the human body is being pushed just too hard. The use of certain drugs, deprivation of some compounds the body needs, and pushing the body further than ever before often leads to new athletic feats and better performance on the field. It also leads to death in the rare but growing number of cases where the athlete’s body is simply unable to keep up with the compounds being consumed, and cardiac arrest occurs.
In the past five years, the use of ephedrine has been linked to several deaths both in and out of the sporting world. We have also seen a number of athletes collapse from exhaustion or heatstroke, and their toxicology reports have never been made public. In many of these cases, ephedrine – among the most popular and effective fat loss compounds – may have been responsible. Let’s delve into the details of ephedrine use, and see how we can plan our own usage in order to keep our use safe and consistent.
Understanding the Stigma
Ephedrine, by itself, is a very effective decongestant used to help people suffering from asthma and sinusitis or allergies to breathe more easily. It can be taken up to 4 times per day, using a 25 mg dosage. When coupled with caffeine (200 mg) and aspirin (250 mg), its use must be restricted to twice per day maximum, as you now enjoy a synergistic fat-burning effect which can elevate heart rate and bump up the metabolism by three percent maximum. Some users have abused ephedrine, and as mentioned above, this can lead to sudden death through heart failure. With many drugs, such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen, overuse doesn’t manifest itself in terms of life-threatening symptoms for months or years. With ephedrine, one can overdose and perish on the first day of use, if the maximum two-dose daily limit is breached.
Buying practices
Spread your purchases over multiple chains of pharmacies or drug stores. Aside from being a great fat-loss stimulant, ephedrine is also used in the production of illicit drugs. You will have your personal information recorded when making a purchase. However, this should not encourage you from keeping an adequate amount of ephedrine on hand for the next big banning session, which seems to occur every three years and lasts until another judge overturns the ruling. Buy in advance and observe all expiration dates.
Take breaks
Many young bodybuilders tend to live on ECA in both the off-season and pre-contest phases. Don’t fall into this trap. Instead, use it for a maximum of 6 weeks at a time, followed by a two-week break. Off-season gains are going to be limited with any stimulant in your body, so you should already be cutting back your use in the off-season. When using ECA, enjoy at least one day per week without any ephedrine in order to keep your body from adapting to the ephedrine, at which time the drug will no longer lead to positive effects.
