Ephedra 101 part 2

Properties

Ephedra is an alkaloid which contains ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. These two substances are commonly found in many decongestants. In the olden days, ephedrine was also used in the hospital settings to increase blood pressure in patients who were in shock.

Ephedrine is a brain stimulant and is also considered a performance enhancing drug. Of course, it is banned by most sports organizations.

Uses

Ephedrine is often classified as a brain stimulant and also as a thermogenic agent. Its primary effects are due to ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. These chemical can stimulate the brain, increase heart rate, raise blood pressure and also make breathing a lot easier. As a thermogenic agent it can increase metabolism, generate more energy and also produces heat. Because of the thermogenic properties, it was once widely used as a weight loss agent.

Herbal products

Ephedra containing herbal products include apricot kernel, gypsum, and licorice

Ephedra in sports

Ephedra is still widely used by athletes. While there is no real proof that it does anything, individuals who take it claim that it allows them to perform better and improves exercise endurance. For sporting activities which require sudden bursts of energy, there is evidence that ephedra can provide a boost. Weight lifters have indicated that after taking ephedra, they are able to lift more weights. The other reason why ephedra is taken is because it can help one get rid of body fat. It is a potent weight loss agent.

When combined with caffeine and aspirin, it can cause weight loss of at least 2-3 pounds/month- all fat. Many studies have shown that in short term, this formulation is quite effective for weight loss. The only reason ephedra is not prescribed for weight loss is because of its adverse effects.

Ephedra is widely used at all levels of sports. Beside professional athletes, the alkaloid is also used at the college levels and in high schools.

Epogen (erythropoietin EPO)

Physiology

EPO is a glycoprotein (protein-sugar conjugate) that has been shown to regulate synthesis of red blood cells in the bone marrow. When released from the kidneys it directs it activity in the bone marrow and helps stimulate the differentiation of stem cells into red blood cells. It is a normal body chemical which control hemoglobin synthesis and red blood cell concentration. Human EPO is a medium sized molecule (30,400-dalton) and contains 165 amino acids which are coupled to a few carbohydrate and sialic acid residues. There are several sub classes of EPO in the body- they only differ in the carbohydrate content.

At birth, EPO is manufactured in the liver but shortly afterwards the kidneys become the primary source of EPO. The regulation of EPO is based on concentration of oxygen in the blood crossing the kidneys. When the kidneys sense a low oxygen concentration in blood, EPO synthesis is increased. Human Epogen was isolated from urine nearly 40 years ago. Since then we have developed recombinant DNA methods to produce EPO in the laboratory. The drug is made by Amgen and widely available globally


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