Addition to post 2/12/2009 New article now added:
Ephedrine & Ephedra, and the Associated Alkaloids and Compounds which includes information on ECA and herbal preparations. It's a detailed article in 2 parts:
Part 1
Part 2
For US and UK legaility information see
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/fb.ashx?m=1726169 ECA = Ephedrine/Caffeine/Aspirin stack
Standard dosage would be:
Ephedrine 20-30mgs
Caffeine 200mg (equivalent to approx 2.5 cups of coffee)
Aspirin 75mg
the theoretical ratio is E:C:A=1:10:3
Ephedrine and Caffeine have been shown to work synergistically; that is, the total is greater than the sum of the parts ie. 1+1=3
They work TOGETHER to promote weight-loss, boost energy and enhance athletic performance. It's debatable as to the importance of aspirin in the grand scheme. It is included in the hope that it acts as a prostaglandin inhibitor and an enhancer of lipolytic activity. I believe it not to be an essential ingredient; indeed, many people are intolerant to Aspirin. Another thing worth noting is that ECA has some anti-catabolic properties, which means that we can retain some muscle even while cutting.
To give you an idea, eph is a central nervous system stimulant and, therefore, works in a similar way as Clenbuterol. However, eph increases your metabolism by about 3% whereas clen increases your metabolism by 5-10%. Although it may appear that eph is second rate when compared to Clen, it more than makes up for it when you consider the strong appetite suppressive qualities, something which is very important when exposed to calorie restriction.
It is recommended that users start their ECA stack by using just one dosing (as per above dosages) per day, either first thing in the morning 30minutes before breakfast, or 30minutes prior to their workout/cardio. Many find that this will provide them with plenty of stimulation and will negate the necessity to increase the frequency of dosages for maybe a week or more. In time, the user becomes more tolerant of the effects and will look to progress to 2 dosings per day. It is considered that 3 dosings per day is the maximum that a user should consume, with the last dose taken prior to 6pm to avoid sleep problems. Cycle length would normally be limited to 12 weeks, so the prospective user must give consideration to how long they will need to reach their goals. Should this exceed 12 weeks, then the ECA should be introduced later into the cutting regime, not immediately at the outset. I would then advise taking at least 12 weeks abstinence from ECA use to limit over-dependance problems.
As a first timer, you will experience a wired feeling, perhaps to the extent of being a bit "jumpy". This is normal, and gradually subsides. Heart rate will increase with many users conciously aware of this occurrence. Also, you will probably notice an increase in gym performance, especially during aerobic activity (cardio). It's worth pointing out that anyone with heart problems or high blood pressure should NOT use ephedrine or similar products.
In addition to pharmaceutical Ephedrine hydrochloride (hcl), there is also Mother Nature that we can turn to for essentially the same ECA stack:
HERBAL VERSIONS The herbal form of ephedrine is Ma Huang. The plant is standardised to varying degrees so the user must calculate exactly how much eph is contained in the preparation. For example, MaHuang 335mg (6% ephedrine) is the equivalent of 20mg pure ephedrine. As such, one version isn’t "stronger than the other" as long as the quantities are respected. The only snag with herbal versions is that we don’t know what the other 90% of the herb is doing to out body!
Guarana Extract (22% caffeine) therefore 910mg of guarana is equivalent of 200mg caffeine.
Kola nut contains 20% caffeine
Lastly, White Willow Bark (15% salicin) is the equivalent of Aspirin.
You can buy either eph hcl or a ready made herbal stack from
www.astronutrition.com . My personal favourite available at present would be something like 'Grenade' available from
www.musclefinesse.com . Strong, sound product, albiet slightly 'tut' worthy packaging!
Alternatively, visit Boots and ask for "Do Do Chesteze". Chesteze helps when you have a tight chest so u can tell the vendor that your chest isn’t too good. One chesteze contins 18.3mg ephedrine. it also contains theophylline. Some people react to theophylline so if you are using chesteze, always start at a low dose for the first 3 days to see how you will react.
Caffeine can be bought from various online retailers (
www.myprotein.co.uk www.monstersupplements.com etc) or can be bought from chemists or your local supermarket in the form of ProPlus, though these work out more expensive than the online options. (each proplus pill contains 50mg caffeine)
Possible Side Effects Anxiety, shaking, increased sweating, lightheadedness, dizziness, light headache, gastrointestinal distress, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, increased heart rate, heart palpitations, inreased blood pressure, stroke, seizures, psychosis etc..people who are easily depressed should be on a watch out because the eph will increase their depression. Increased sweating/heat production means you need to drink more water. Moreover, ephedrine can be addictive if taken for more than 6 months.
<message edited by James on 02 December 2009 17:11>