Ephedra let players lose weight, gain energy

But controversial supplement has been linked to 100 deaths in last decade

Ephedra has been called “legal speed.”

That’s how one company advertised its ephedra products on its Web site before the Food and Drug Administration earlier this month ordered it to stop. The company offered “energizing herbs” that “felt like an acid trip” claims that FDA rules prohibit.

Bottles of Ripped fuel metabolic enhancer, which contains ephedra, are shown in this photo. Many NFL players were taking the stimulant when it was banned by the league last September.

Ephedra (pronounced e-FED-drah) also known as Ma huang, Ephedra sinica or Chinese ephedra is an herbal stimulant, an amphetamine-like compound found in about 200 supplements that promote weight loss, bodybuilding and energy buildup.

It is also legal. Under a 1994 federal law, the FDA does not test dietary supplements before they are marketed and cannot restrict sales unless it proves there is a danger.

A chemical form, called ephedrine, has long been used in drugs such as cold medicines, but synthetic ephedrine is forbidden in dietary supplements. Some doctors want the FDA to ban ephedra, the herb, as well, blaming it for deaths.

However, the Bush administration has instead ordered research on the safety of ephedra, a move one doctor called “a black day in medicine.”

An analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine two years ago said at least 54 deaths and about 1,000 reports of complications have been linked to ephedra since the mid-1990s. This month, Dr. Sidney Wolfe of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen said the number of deaths was 100.

The Ephedra Education Council, a group funded by supplement makers, has accused Public Citizen of “crying wolf.” It said Wolfe “continued to rely on the emotion of reported deaths without offering evidence of any causal link between the reports and ephedra.”

The council disavows those who sell ephedra as a drug alternative, as in the “legal speed” claim. But the group also insists ephedra can be used safely.

“With overweight Americans being a national epidemic and Americans wanting to have the freedom to make choices on how to deal with their own individual health issues, it is irresponsible to call for a ban on a product that is used successfully by millions of Americans without scientific justification,” the council said.

NFL players have found ephedra attractive because it enhances metabolism, which can help rid excess weight gained in the offseason, and it can give an energy boost just before a big game or practice.

A popular ephedra product among players has been Ripped Fuel. The company Vitanet sells Ripped Fuel on its Web site, saying that the product is used to “enhance athletic performance.”

It also contains the warning: “Individuals who consume caffeine with this product may experience serious adverse health effects.”

There is concern among many doctors that ephedra can overstimulate the heart. Two years ago, Dr. John Lombardo, the NFL’s chief adviser on steroids, told players there was growing evidence linking ephedra products to fatal heart rhythm, strokes and seizures.

In September 2001, the NFL banned ephedra and will begin random testing for it next month. The ban also prohibits teams and players from endorsing manufacturers or distributors of ephedra substances.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Eric Moulds had to stop endorsing a company because it sold steroid or ephedra products, even though the specific product Moulds endorsed a bodybuilding supplement isn’t banned.