Innovative Laboratories Diablos ECA Fire 90 caps

Ephedra and ephedrine

Ephedra (Ephedra sinica, ma huang) contains ephedrine alkaloids, which stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. Ephedrine is also a licensed medicine in some indications¹.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, reducing perceived effort and fatigue. It is found in coffee, tea and energy drinks and is a common ingredient in pre-workout products².

Dicaffeine malate (sold as Infinergy®) is caffeine bonded to malic acid. Its caffeine adds to the total caffeine in a product, but labels do not always state the caffeine equivalent.

Synephrine (bitter orange, Citrus aurantium)

p-Synephrine is the main protoalkaloid of bitter orange (Citrus aurantium). It is structurally related to adrenaline and is used in weight-loss and pre-workout products³.

Yohimbine (yohimbe bark, rauwolscine)

Yohimbine is an alkaloid from the bark of the African tree Pausinystalia yohimbe. It blocks α2-adrenergic receptors, which increases noradrenaline release. Rauwolscine (alpha-yohimbine) is a closely related alkaloid.

Ephedra and ephedrine

A meta-analysis of clinical trials found that ephedra or ephedrine produced modest short-term weight loss of about 0.9 kg a month more than placebo, with no data on long-term weight loss and insufficient evidence for athletic performance¹.

Caffeine

The International Society of Sports Nutrition concludes that caffeine consistently improves exercise performance when consumed in doses of about 3–6 mg per kg of body mass, with benefits for muscular endurance, movement velocity, strength, sprinting, jumping and aerobic exercise².

Synephrine (bitter orange, Citrus aurantium)

A review of human clinical studies reported small increases in energy expenditure and modest weight loss with bitter orange extract or p-synephrine products over 6–12 weeks, many in combination with other ingredients³.

Yohimbine (yohimbe bark, rauwolscine)

A small trial in professional soccer players found reduced body fat with yohimbine but no change in body mass, muscle mass or performance⁴. Larger, independent trials are lacking.

Ephedra and ephedrine

The trials were short and did not assess long-term outcomes¹.

Caffeine

Responses vary widely between people, partly because of genetics and habitual caffeine use. Many studies use pure caffeine, so results do not automatically apply to multi-ingredient products².

Synephrine (bitter orange, Citrus aurantium)

Most studies are small, short and use multi-ingredient products, and longer studies are needed to establish efficacy and safety³.

Yohimbine (yohimbe bark, rauwolscine)

Evidence for fat loss or performance is limited to small studies. Supplement labels are often inaccurate: of 49 US yohimbine supplements tested, only 2 gave accurate information on both the quantity and the known adverse effects⁵.

Ephedra and ephedrine

Use of ephedra or ephedrine with caffeine was associated with an increased risk of psychiatric, autonomic and gastrointestinal symptoms and heart palpitations¹.

Caffeine

EFSA concluded that single doses of up to 200 mg, and daily intakes of up to 400 mg from all sources, do not raise safety concerns for healthy adults. For pregnant and breastfeeding women, daily intakes up to 200 mg do not raise concerns for the foetus or infant⁶.

Higher intakes can cause anxiety, sleep disturbance, raised heart rate and blood pressure, and digestive upset. Combining several caffeine sources (coffee, energy drinks, pre-workouts) raises total intake⁶².

Synephrine (bitter orange, Citrus aurantium)

The reviewed studies did not report serious adverse effects at the doses tested³, but combining synephrine with caffeine and other stimulants increases cardiovascular stress. People with high blood pressure, heart-rhythm disorders or taking stimulant or antidepressant medication should avoid it.

Yohimbine (yohimbe bark, rauwolscine)

A review of poison-centre cases found that adverse events with yohimbine products had more serious outcomes than average exposures, including rapid heart rate, anxiety, high blood pressure and agitation⁷. People with heart conditions, high blood pressure, anxiety disorders or taking antidepressants should not use yohimbine.

Contains Ephedra. Ephedra species and their preparations are prohibited in foods, including food supplements, in the EU (Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006, Annex III, Part A). Contains yohimbe bark extract. Yohimbe bark and its preparations are prohibited in foods, including food supplements, in the EU (Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006, Annex III, Part A, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2019/650).

Ephedra and ephedrine

Ephedra species and their preparations are prohibited in foods, including food supplements, in the EU (Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006, Annex III, Part A)⁸. Ephedrine is prohibited in competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency above a urinary threshold⁹.

Caffeine

Caffeine is permitted in EU foods and food supplements, subject to labelling rules. It is not on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List⁹.

Synephrine (bitter orange, Citrus aurantium)

Bitter orange extracts are used in EU food supplements under national rules, which differ between Member States¹⁰.

Yohimbine (yohimbe bark, rauwolscine)

Yohimbine is a pharmacologically active substance. Its use in food is regulated under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 and national rules⁸, and several EU Member States treat it as a medicinal substance¹¹.