The combination of ephedrine and caffeine has earned a reputation as an excellent fat burner. But the term “fat burner” doesn’t quite fit in this case, since fat is actually burned by physical exercise, especially aerobic exercise. It would be more correct to say “fat mobilizer”. Despite the many dire warnings about the effects of taking ephedrine or mahuang with caffeine, most of the problems are due to people already having diseases or high doses.
Ephedrine works due to its structural similarity to adrenaline, a catecholamine that interacts directly with specific cellular receptors called beta-adrenergic receptors. As a result of their activation in fat cells, a whole cascade of chemical reactions is initiated, ending with the release of fats into the blood. In addition, as a result of its similarity to catecholamines, ephedrine causes a kind of “fight or flight” reaction in the body, which is expressed in an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. In people with heart disease, this can lead to problems, so they are better off avoiding ephedrine or mahuang products.
But fat loss is also influenced by other adrenergic cellular receptors – alpha-adrenergic. Unlike beta-adrenergics, they block the release of fat from fat cells – lipocytes. Most scientists believe that women have such recalcitrant fat deposits in the thighs, chest and legs because there are more alpha-adrenergic cell receptors in these regions.
What can be done with them? It turns out that there is a product that blocks them, allowing the body to mobilize and burn fat normally. This is yohimbine, derived from an African tree and sold as an herbal extract called yohimbe. Most of these nutritional supplements contain an average of 3% yohimbine.
It is interesting (but not proven) that many bodybuilders believe that yohimbine is a testosterone booster. In the pre-Viagra era, the drug Yocon was used to treat male impotence, each pill containing 5.4 mg of yohimbine. Obviously, it acted by increasing the circulation of blood in the genitals. This led to improved erections in men, with a corresponding increase in sexual activity. Because testosterone does the same thing, it’s not hard guess why yohimbine has earned such a reputation.
But, although the effect of yohimbine on testosterone may be in question, its fat-mobilizing effect is absolutely proven. Yohimbine, blocking alpha-adrenergic cell receptors, promotes the release of norepinephrine, a catecholamine hormone, which not only provides a fat-mobilizing effect, but also promotes thermogenesis, the conversion of fat calories into heat. Unlike ephedrine, yohimbine does not increase the release of adrenaline, does not affect the heart, and does not increase blood pressure. Taken before exercise, yohimbine promotes a more powerful release of noradrenaline compared to what happens during a regular workout. Studies have shown twice the level of fatty acids in the blood of exercising people after taking yohimbine.
The main problem with yohimbine is that when taken with food, especially carbohydrates, it enhances the release of insulin, excess amounts of which contribute to the deposition of fat, blocking its release. Scientists have found that taking yohimbine during or relatively close to a meal completely eliminates its fat-mobilizing effects.
One recent study suggests that you take yohimbine at least four hours before meals.
The best time to dose yohimbine seems to be in the morning, on an empty stomach and before aerobic exercise. The generally recommended effective dose is 0.2 mg per kilogram of body weight. For a 100kg person, that’s 20mg, which is far more than what’s found in most fat burning supplements. The drug will work even better for women, due to the predominance of alpha-adrenergic receptors in fat cells in the fibers of the lower half of the body.
While you shouldn’t eat or drink anything with yohimbine other than water, coffee can enhance its fat-burning effects. Caffeine also promotes the release of norepinephrine. But still, you should not drink coffee, it is better to take caffeine tablets in doses of about 200 mg per day.
Ephedrine could also be included in this fat-burning combination, but it can cause some problems. Studies have shown that obese women who had no problems with pre-workout caffeine and ephedrine had some difficulty adding yohimbine to this combination. Their heart rate increased. The problems were caused by increased release of epinephrine and norepinephrine due to this combination of drugs.
Yohimbine itself can cause an increase in heart rate, especially during aerobic exercise, due to its powerful effect on norepinephrine. However, as we have already noted, it rarely leads to cardiovascular problems, especially when taken at the recommended doses of 0.2 mg per kilogram of body weight.
Observations of people taking large doses of yohimbine (from 200 to 350 mg) showed that the complications that occurred resolved themselves without any residual effects. But still, people prone to mania or anxiety are better off avoiding yohimbine. In these cases, norepinephrine plays a big role, and increasing its release worsens the situation.
If you are taking antidepressants that block the activity of norepinephrine, you should not use yohimbine. Taking yohimbine along with alcohol may lead you to alcoholism more than alcohol alone. Some men have reported spontaneous erections after taking yohimbine, which may or may not be desirable depending on various circumstances.
Another important thing is that most yohimbine-based supplements contain no more than 3% of yohimbine itself, which means that a 100-milligram dose of the supplement will give you only 3 milligrams of the substance itself. And that’s if you can find one, since most yohimbine supplements don’t actually contain yohimbine at all.