At the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, we have long been looking for ways to help professionals and athletes understand the dangers of ephedra. Now that the Food and Drug Administration has banned the substance, we'd like to help you navigate what's quickly become a new buzzword in the sports nutrition and supplement industries: ephedra-free.

Many manufacturers are now using alternative ingredients, some of which may present risks of their own. Just because ephedra is no longer listed on the label doesn't mean the supplement is safe. Reputable companies follow stringent manufacturing practices to assure that their products are free from potentially harmful ingredients and contaminants. This is certainly true for Gatorade products.

In this article, Susan Kundrat, M.S., R.D., L.D., the sports nutrition consultant for the Northwestern University Wildcats in Evanston, Ill., takes a closer look at these potentially dangerous substances.

We hope you find this information useful.

Bob Murray, Ph.D., FACSM
Director, Gatorade Sports Science Institute

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rang in the New Year with a ban on the controversial supplement ephedra. Spurred by the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler and the rising concerns of health professionals, the agency made the sale of products containing the dangerous substance illegal.

Yet, as millions of athletes continue to look for the competitive edge, what are the "ephedra-free" alternatives? What's in them? How are they being marketed? And, more importantly, what should you know about them? Here's a brief recap.

Not long ago, a colleague showed me a new product being marketed as an ephedra-free dietary supplement specifically for athletes. Press materials claimed the product complied with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) guidelines.

A closer look at the ingredients, however, revealed a compound called Citrus Aurantium (also known as Bitter Orange). This compound is similar to ephedrine, which is banned by the NCAA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and pseudoephedrine, which is banned by the IOC.* Yet, it is doubtful most athletes would make this connection.

* The IOC identifies a positive test for pseudoephedrine as a concentration in urine greater than 25 micrograms per milliliter.

Unfortunately this scenario is all too familiar, adding to the already growing concern that some ephedra-free products may be as harmful as those that actually contain the substance.

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While athletes continue to seek a competitive advantage via supplements, sports health professionals must know and educate players about the risks associated with ephedra-free products. After all, in light of the FDA's recent actions, they're bound to proliferate in an already flooded market.

Still, many of the purported uses of these supplements lack solid research. Some supplements have the potential to interact poorly with certain medications and foods to produce potentially dangerous side effects. To help you help your athletes navigate the options during training and competition, here is a list of ingredients and effects to watch out for:¹