cause serious, sometimes fatal, side effects. Some indi-
viduals choose to ignore this warning. In that case,
people with high blood pressure, heart problems, thy-
roid problems, enlarged prostate, and glaucoma,
should avoid ephedra because there is a high risk the
supplement will worsen their condition and could
cause serious complications. Ephedra-containing sup-
plements should not be given to children, pregnant
women, orbreastfeedingwomen.Interactions
Studies have shown that ephedra interacts with
many drugs used in conventional medicine, especially
those used to treat heart problems and monoamine
oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) used to treat mental
depression, anxiety, and phobias.Complications
At low doses, adverse side effects include head-
ache, restlessness, anxiety, sleeplessness, nausea, diffi-
culty urinating, and racing heart. At high doses,
adverse reactions include sweating, enlarged pupils,
fever, spasms, and death, usually through heart failure
or stroke.Parental concerns
Ephedra is a dangerous herbal supplement and
should not be given to children. Accidental use of
ephedra by children can result in serious side effects.
In the case of accidental poisoning in the United
States, call the national poisoning hotline at 1-800-
222-1222, the local hospital emergency room, or emer-
gency services.Resources
BOOKS
Fillon, Mike.Ephedra Fact and Fiction: How Politics, the
Press and Special Interests are Targeting Your Rights to
Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs.Orem, UT: Woodland
Pub., 2004.
PDR for Herbal Medicines,3rd ed. Montvale, NJ: Thomp-
son Healthcare, 2004.
Pierce, Andrea.The American Pharmaceutical Association
Practical Guide to Natural Medicines.New York: Wil-
liam Morrow, 1999.
PERIODICALS
Bent, S., et al. ‘‘The Relative Safety of Ephedra Compared
With Other Herbal Products.’’Annals of Internal Med-
icine138, no. 6 (March 18, 2003): 468-71.
Harrison, Todd. ‘‘Ephedra: The Real Story.(INDUSTRY
NEWS).’’Nutraceuticals World9, no. 9 (2006): 24-25.
Shekell, P., S. Morton, M. Maglione, et al. ‘‘Ephedra and
Ephedrine for Weight Loss and Athletic PerformanceEnhancement: Clinical Efficacy and Side Effects.’’Evi-
dence Report/Technology Assessment No. 76AHRQ
Publication no. 03-E022, (February 2003).
ORGANIZATIONS
Alternative Medicine Foundation. P.O. Box 60016, Poto-
mac, MD 20859. Telephone: (301) 340-1960. Fax: (301)
340-1936. Website:<http://www.amfoundation.org>.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Med-
icine Clearinghouse. P.O. Box 7923, Gathersburg, MD- Telephone: (888) 644-6226. TTY: (866) 464-
- Fax: (866) 464-3616. Website:http://
nccam.nih.gov.
Natural Standard. 245 First Street, 18th Floor, Cambridge,
MA 02142. Telephone: (617) 444-8629. Fax: (617) 444- - Website:http://www.naturalstandards.com.
Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of
Health. 6100 Executive Blvd., Room 3B01, MSC 7517,
Bethesda, MD 20892-7517 Telephone: (301)435-2920.
Fax: (301)480-1845. Website:http://dietary-
supplements.info.nih.gov.
OTHER
‘‘Ma Huang.’’Drugs.com. February 13, 2004. [cited May 3,
2007].http://www.drugs.com/mtm/ma_huang.html.
Mayo Clinic Staff. ‘‘Ephedra (Ephedra sinica)/Ma Huang.’’
MayoClinic.com. [cited May 3, 2007].http://
[http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ephedra/NS_patient-](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ephedra/NS_patient-)
ephedra.
Medline Plus. ‘‘Ephedra (Ephedra sinica).’’ U.S. National
Library of Medicine, December 1, 2006. [cited May 3,
2007].http://www.nlm.nih/gov/medlineplus/drug
info/natural/patient-ephedra.html.
‘‘Ephedra Consumer Advisory.’’ National Center for Com-
plementary and Alternative Medicine. October 2004.
[cited May 3, 2007].http://nccam.nih.gov/health/
alerts/ephedra/consumeradvisory.htm.
Tish Davidson, A.M.Ergogenic aids
Definition
Ergogenic aids are substances, foods, or training
methods that enhance energy production, use or
recovery and provide athletes with a competitive
advantage.Purpose
New ergogenic products claiming to enhance per-
formance appear on the market almost every week.
Most are offered as supplements. Unfortunately, this
means that both the contents of the product and theErgogenic aids