I enjoyed reading about your Bodyopus experience on the net. I have seen a new thermogenic aid which contains norephedrine, along with caffeine, aspirin, and yohimbe. Is norephedrine as effective as the standard ephedrine?
A: According to one rat study (so it may or may not be applicable to humans since there are some differences in receptor density, activity, etc) nor-ephedrine may be more thermogenic than ephedrine. The study compared a bunch of different sympathomimetics (compounds which mimic andrenaline and noradrenaline) and found that amphetamine was more thermogenic than norephedrine (also known as Phenylpropanolamine) which was more thermogenic than ephedrine which was more thermogenic than norpseudoephedrine which was more thermogenic than pseudoephedrine.
So if you’re burnt out on ephedrine (been using it for a while), switching to norephedrine may be worthwhile. Couple of comments. Norephedrine amplifies the effect of caffeine such that the caffeine in 2 cups of coffee will have the effect of 8 cups of coffee when taken with norephedrine (meaning: be careful of side effects). Also, the most effective dose of norephedrine appears to be 25 mg of instant release (NOT time release) taken 3 times daily. which can be hard to find. For what it’s worth, I got ahold of some instant release PPA and took it with caffeine and did notice a kick, something I don’t get out of the ECA stack anymore.
What about synepherine or products that stack it ephedrine? Are these worthwhile? Thanks for the insight!
I had to go to an outside source (my biochem nerd friend) to answer this one. While it is true that synephrine is a sympathomimetic, because of it’s structure, it’s mode of action is to stimulate alpha-2 receptors. It’s main effect, which makes it appear to be thermogenic, is to cause peripheral vasocontriction (meaning that blood vessels close up). This causes the body to feel warmer. This makes it appear as if true thermogenesis (burning calories to make heat) is ocurring but it is not and there is no data to show that synephrine is thermogenic. So save your money.
About the author
Lyle McDonald+ is the author of the Ketogenic Diet as well as the Rapid Fat Loss Handbook and the Guide to Flexible Dieting. He has been interested in all aspects of human performance physiology since becoming involved in competitive sports as a teenager. Pursuing a degree in Physiological Sciences from UCLA, he has devoted nearly 20 years of his life to studying human physiology and the science, art and practice of human performance, muscle gain, fat loss and body recomposition.