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Ephedra: Are the risks worth the edge?

Date 3/20/2003 12:00 AM | Topic: Features

As today's athletic standards continue to soar, athletes are often left searching for a way to gain an edge over others. The herbal and sports supplement industries have responded to this need with an outpour of products that claim in one way or another to help athletes perform better.

"Each day, a new supplement comes onto the market, boasting how it will make you run faster, jump higher, give you more energy," states Amy Knoke, pharmacy manager at Wal-Mart.

Mike Knipper ('03), a wrestler for Luther, also acknowledges the trend toward taking sports supplements.

"It started when I was in high school, when Creatine (a supplement that claims to provide extra energy to athletes) first came out."

One particular herbal ingredient that has gained recent popularity is ephedra. Known for its ability to boost energy levels, ephedra is currently one of the hottest ingredients to enter the sports supplement market.

The herb ephedra is derived from evergreen plants of the Ephedra genus. Dried branches from the plant are what constitute ephedra, also known as Ma Huang and epitonin. The plant also produces two key alkaloids, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine - which is found in low quantities in most cold medicine, such as Sudafed, Tylenol Cold and Robitussin.

According to Tom Blakley, supplement manager at the Decorah Co-Op grocery store, ephedra has been used for thousands of years in ancient eastern medicine to treat diseases of the respiratory tract, such as asthma and nasal decongestion. The herb works by acting as a bronchial dilator, opening an individual's airway to allow more air to pass through.

However, two high-profile deaths (Korey Stringer, a Minnesota Vikings' tackle, who died August 2001 and Steve Bechler, a pitching prospect for the Baltimore Orioles, who passed away Feb. 23, 2003) have called into question the dangers of using ephedra.

As a follow-up to the deaths, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires that all products containing ephedra must list so on their labels.

Concerns over the use of ephedra in sports supplements have risen in recent years as manufacturers began to combine the herb with other stimulants, such as caffeine and guarana, to create high-energy supplements. Products such as Ripped Fuel, Metabolife, and Metab-o-lite (all of which can be found at Wal-Mart) may contain over 200 mg of ephedra, or Ma Huang, in addition to packing in 200 mg of caffeine or guarana. Xenadrine FRA.1, the product linked to Bechler's death, provides the most powerful combination with 335 mg of Ma Huang and 910 mg of guarana.

It is these high-power mixtures, which athletes use for weight loss and to provide a quick "pick-me-up" that have health professionals alarmed.

According to a report issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1998, possible health hazards of ephedra include: high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, liver and kidney damage, nerve damage, injury, insomnia, tremors, headaches, seizures, stroke and even death. The risk for these hazards increases when ephedra is combined with caffeine or caffeine-like ingredients.

The dangers in using ephedra and caffeine together were further illustrated in the March 2003 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine. A study published in the magazine found that despite the fact that ephedra makes up less than 1 percent of supplement sales, it has accounted for 64 percent of the serious side effects that have been reported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in association with dietary supplements.

In October 2002, members of the American Medical Association testified before Congress about the hazards of ephedra and urged the FDA to ban the herb from dietary and sports supplements.

"Using the supplements can greatly increase the chances of significant cardiac problems in seemingly healthy individual, who have no other history of problems," reports JoEllen Anderson, director of Health Services at Luther and Nurse Practioner.

With so many risks, the International Olympic Committee, NCAA and NFL have all banned their athletes from using products containing ephedra.

Luther's Athletic Director, Joe Thompson, agrees with the decision to ban ephedra.

"Without a doubt, I think the NCAA is right to ban certain supplements, including ephedra. There needs to be some type of monitoring to ensure the wellness and safety of athletes."

Assistant athletic trainer, Brian Solberg, adds, "[Luther's athletic department] never recommends athletes take supplements."

Knipper also supports NCAA's decision to ban ephedra but for reasons of fairness when competing.

"It's not fair for some athletes to use something to give them an extra edge. It should be more about actual performance."

Other more serious concerns about ephedra stem from the fact that sports supplements are not regulated by the FDA. Due to this lack of regulation, manufacturers are not legally bound to list every ingredient their products contain.

"This is where the real hazard comes in," reports Anderson. "People assume that if it being sold in a store, it must be safe. But because manufacturers don't have to list every ingredient, you can't be absolutely certain of the components of the products."

With so many risks, why would an athlete choose to use sports supplements?

Although tests vary concerning ephedra's abilities to enhance athletic performance, there is still a strong inclination among the public that sports supplements are the quick way to bulk up muscle while cutting weight.

Rugby player Justin Solsvig ('03) reports that he uses sports supplements containing ephedra in order to boost his energy while playing and working out.

"It's the same as drinking energy drinks or protein shakes. You want an edge for when you perform."

When asked if the recent media attention devoted to ephedra's danger had changed his mind about sports supplements, he simply replied, "I've been taking them for eight years and I'm not dead yet."

Despite ephedra's persistent popularity, health officials maintain their belief that too little is certain about the herb and its effects when used in sports supplements.

In a statement issued to the Associate Press on Feb. 20, 2003, by Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services for the FDA, he stated, "I wouldn't use it, would you?"

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Kristie Johnson
Staff Writer

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