5280, this is what you said a while ago …
Nicely researched. My only suggestion is that when you drop the hammer this way, you may want to quote, so that it can’t be changed. I don’t think 5280 would do that, just suggesting good legal practice! BTW–your leg muscles are huge!
It is way better then coffee or GOFAST or Red Bull for a energy burst.<<<
What is GOFAST??
A buddy was taking an ephedra based product for weight loss and now has permanent heart problems (valve issues). Passed out, admitted, and the whole nine (he’s only in his 20’s with no previous heart ailments).
Dude, leave that shit alone!!! If you add its effects to endurance activity you are really asking for it.
It’s illegal for a reason…
Since it is on the list of banned substances, I won’t take it. I’m not one for lots of suppliments anyway. I’m surprised how many have taken it in reference to training or racing. Did you not know it was banned, or do you think those rules don’t apply to you for some reason?
Well, I’m almost out so I might as well throw the rest of it away.
Anyways, I haven’t “raced” in almost two years. And actually was quite naive on the whole PED scene even when I regularly competed in triathlons. It wasn’t until I got onto Slowtwitch a year ago did I regularly read on the Professional arena of triathlons and cycling. I competed in local tris and did great on a personal level, and even sometimes broke into the top 5 in my age-group.
Anyways#2, I started using Chromium supplements to help me lose weight when I graduated from college and started to run (and lose weight: 180#s on a 5’3 body made me look like a teeter tooter who won’t fall down). Well, it wasn’t until later that I found out that it was actually the ephedra/caffeine combo that was the main weight loss ingredients (or so claimed). I continued to use sparingly (because of budget constraints and being a tight wad) only for weight management, definitely not for any competition advantage.
Now most of my training is sans suppliments also (with the exception of what I wrote in my first post, which I think was fairly insignificant amount, and was more placebo than anything else), opps I still use caffeine though in the form of two cups of coffee. Just hard work and dedication. That makes it more satisfying.
Anyways#3, thanks all for your input.
Chris
I used it like cafeine, half a pill and it keeps me awake without having to pee. I tried using it in an event and I thought it did nothing for me. It made my heart race and in my opinion that just put me closer to my max heart rate. That can’t be good as you want to not redline. I never used it for training or racing or anything but staying awake during a long meeting. Haven’t even taken a half in two years as caffeine is now a better friend to me. I think it should not be outlawed as the few deaths are pretty statisticly low and might have died anyway. If ephedra kills, then we all die, if it kills some, they cant follow instructions or have some other disposition. Just think if this uproar were applied to a statisticly significant product like alchohol.
not sure how you know but anyway, they are all natural… 
wish I lost some
I took it daily for about a year in 1998-1999.
My experience was occasional weird heart rates for no apparent reason. This was a particular anomaly that began when I began ephedra use and ended when I stopped. After one year I began feeling so “ragged” and on edge that I stopped taking it. I instantly returned to normal. Since that experience I have sworn off any and all supplements outside of a daily multivitamin. I don’t believe they are as safe as the companies want you to believe they are. I also don’t believe that many supplements are effective, at least in the miniscule amounts recommended.
However, ephedra does, indeed raise your alert levels (something very key when you’re spending 24+ hours in an ambush position, or going several days between sleep). I never took more than recommended amounts, and never felt any drop-off in its effectiveness even 12 months after starting to take it. Herein lies its “effectiveness” in the body composition department. Your body is always racing along, and burning more calories. The downside is that you compromise your ability to really REST. Hence, after one year I began to feel ragged. Do you really want to compromise your ability to rest and recover?
But the truly bottom line here is, as Francois notes, it is now a BANNED SUBSTANCE, and therefore not appropriate for you to consider taking if you are going to be competing in our sport. Frankly, I finally reexamined my own penchant for looking to supplements for some LEGAL edge in my training. Regardless of the current “legality” status of any particular supplement, I feel it is unethical to search for better performance through chemistry. After coming to that personal position, I took my current stance where I only take multivitamins and use “un-herbal-supplement-adulterated” gels, bars, and drinks. I find that my performance is the same or better now as it ever was. I don’t believe you need any of these supplements, even if they are legal. I cannot “untake” that year of ephedra use. I don’t beat myself up for it either, based on my ethical concerns. But it taught me some very valuable lessons.
Keep it simple, train hard, train right, refuel, recover, repeat (consistently).
“I feel it is unethical to search for better performance through chemistry”
Very interesting comments, I tend to feel the same way about suppliments in general. Do you think making improvements to a sports drink, for example Gatoraide Endurance falls under this statement?
Just looking for some clarification, not agreeing or disagreeing.
Short answer, no, I do not. Electrolytes are required nutrition just as the carb/fat/protein macronutrients are. Some of us require additional electrolytes in severe heat or long competitions just to keep our body chemistry balanced. I don’t believe Gatorade Endurance formula adds anything other than a bit of extra sodium and potassium, and has the same macronutrient mix as standard Gatorade.
I should also add that I did not suddenly come to the conclusion afterward that I NOW feel performance through chemistry is unethical. I have ALWAYS felt that way. But such is the power of marketing that I got into taking all of this stuff without conciously considering its correlation to my ethical stance. I also took Androstenedione for a short while (a couple of bottles, if I recall). I think I wasn’t really paying attention to the ethical part of it, as regards my participation in multisport competition, simply because I was paying more attention to the fact that I was spending a lot of time in the gym jacking steel with the former baseball and football playing Lieutenants of my infantry company. I wouldn’t call it peer pressure or anything like that. We were simply into jacking steel and improving our physiques and were taking just about everything that was marketed at that time…Andro, ephedra stacks, creatine, etc. Plus, with the ephedra, the real benefit to us was the “awake” factor during our infantry operations, as I alluded to in my first post. As an aside, I ended that year weighing about 180 with only 4-5% bodyfat. I was running a ton too, and was in great shape for a 1/2 marathon I ran on Okinawa. While I ran a respectable 1:21, it was far off my normal 1:15 or so and the biggest factor in my slower time was the additional upper body mass I was carrying around. Its taken me 5 years now to reduce that musculature down to my best racing weight of 165. And I’m pretty sure that 99.9% of those muscle gains I made were simply from all the weightlifting we were doing, rather than the supplements we were taking.
I sincerely hope that folks will take my advice to heart to stay away from supplements. You don’t need them to become the best multisport athlete you can be. I believe them more likely to be dangerous than helpful, particularly in the case of ephedra and the like. Beyond that, consider the ethics (versus the actual legality) of the situation. If you are attempting to alter your basic body chemistry in an effort to improve performance…you are riding a slippery slope.
not sure how you know
Met you at IMAZ, also saw pics on ST.
“Plus, with the ephedra, the real benefit to us was the “awake” factor during our infantry operations, as I alluded to in my first post.”
I have never been in a combat or really any real life dangerous situation so I am a bit intrigued by this statement. I would think that my natural adrenalin/fear produced in this situation would be more than enough to keep me alert. But if you have been up for 30 hrs without sleep in a intense situation I would imagine you as would still get tired. Ephedra in this situation seems as it would be a low risk stimulant to assist in being sharp and alert though.
I do hope they get caught. My use of ephedra was most importantly before I raced in any triathlon or belonged to USAT or any governing body. I don’t, nor have I ever, taken any banned substance while racing in triathlon. Sound like Lance:) I know it is a small distinction but I also see a difference between those who make a living by racing and are representatives of professional organizations and an AGer like me who is not going to take away a title or paycheck from anyone. (Not to say you should be allowed to cheat as an AG either)
Good memory though, but I guess that shouldn’t suprise me about you:)
GOFAST is a competitor to Red Bull and big here in CO. It is hard to find in stores and not even sure if it is nationwide. http://www.gofastsports.com/
They became “famous” withe extreme sports but are crossing over and sponsor some triathletes now too.
I wouldn’t do that:) I am fine with that quote because it is true, see my reply to Francois.
thanks for the clarification
.
No problem, no way for you to know any of that from my previous post. Ephedra is as far out on the fringe, in terms of substances and chemicals, I have ever put in my body if you don’t count alcohol and coffee.
I do see how pro athletes get sucked in though because if it helps you feel stronger it is a rush. It is the same with steroids and high school kids. I know when I was 17 or 18 I would have loved to bulk up like some of these kids and once they start all they see is the reward and no risk. I think pros are the same because the chances of a negative impact on them and their racing seems so low.
Open question to all…
First…my impression is that ephedra was banned primarily due to the health risks, not because it was that great of a PED. I think it’s benefits are probably pretty similat to caffeine whn you looks at all the studies - and we all know that caffeine is not a banned substance (anymore).
Do you all consider current ephedra users
cheaters
foolish for taking unnecessary health risks
both
neither
How about recreational marijuana users (also banned by WADA) - are they cheaters?
Ephedra was banned because it IS a performance enhancer. So is caffiene (above a certain level). The health part of it is a witch-hunt by the pharmaceutical companies.