What is ECA - what is it used for, its side effects

Ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin (ECA) are a combination of drugs that is actively used to burn fat, some athletes call it one of the non-steroidal anabolics. Due to its properties, it has gained particular popularity among bodybuilders, people involved in fitness. We cannot include it in anabolic steroid rating, because these drugs do not belong to anabolic steroids.

ECA Efficiency

Many clinical trials have been conducted regarding this combination of drugs. The first was to compare the effectiveness of ephedrine without the use of training. As practice has shown, without loads, the control group practically did not lose weight. However, in the case of a course with a combination of ECA and exercises on the treadmill, it turned out that ECA increases the efficiency of fat burning from aerobic exercise by 450-500%.

If you take the real results, then for the course of ECA with the right diet and training, you can reduce the percentage of adipose tissue from 30% to 20%. Moreover, the result did not depend on the mass of the athlete, but only on the intensity of training. At the same time, people who took ECA for the first time and practically did not go in for sports before that noted less effectiveness. It was associated with less performance during training, due to which excess energy was returned back to adipose tissue.

ECA Components

1. Ephedrine is a substance that stimulates the central nervous system. In bodybuilding, athletes use it for the same purpose as caffeine and guarana extract. It increases the heart rate and blood pressure, as well as the level of thermogenesis, which explains its fat-burning effect. Some bodybuilders call it one of the approved anabolics, but this drug is similar to Clenbuterol. Read more about Clenbuterol and its fat-burning effect in this article.
2. Caffeine. Strong energetic, thanks to which the body increases energy consumption. It also works as an adrenaline-replacement.
3. Aspirin. Reduces the chance of side effects from the previous two drugs. It helps to thin the blood, reduce the risk of stroke in athletes who are professional bodybuilders.

Drug`s action

First, under the influence of ephedrine and sugar, a small amount of insulin enters the blood, opening fat cells. Further, fat under the influence of "pseudo-adrenaline" - caffeine, enters the bloodstream and breaks down into simple glucose.

All this glucose circulates in the blood, giving an extraordinary emotional boost and a significant increase in energy for the whole day. Caffeine, continuing its effect, slightly accelerates the heart muscle, which increases calorie expenditure per unit time.

Then the following happens. If the body (thanks to training) was able to squander all the excess energy (after serious cardio loads), then after a person loses up to 150-250 g of adipose tissue in one training session. If the energy released during exposure to the substances was not spent, then over time it is converted back to polyunsaturated fatty acids and returned to the fat depot.

Fat-burning effect of ECA

Caffeine is one of the most powerful diuretics, ephedrine enhances the effects of caffeine, which leads to an increase in body temperature. An increase in temperature not only promotes fat burning but also leads to increased sweating during exercise. This in turn creates a gigantic level of dehydration. Therefore, during training, you need to consume enough water.

If you do not maintain the water-salt balance, the blood thickens. This can lead (albeit unlikely) to form clots that can clog the vessel. Aspirin can prevent blood thickening under the influence of glucose and dehydration. In fact, he acts as a stabilizer of the reaction and does not directly participate in fat burning.

Aspirin has been proposed to prolong the action of ephedrine and improve fat burning. However, in practice, it turned out that it does not give a beneficial effect regarding fat burning. However, over the past fifteen years, he has not been removed from the formula. But we already found out why - aspirin reduces the chance of side effects of caffeine and ephedrine associated with dehydration. In addition, it relieves a headache, which often occurs as a result of a response from the vascular system to a sharp withdrawal of caffeine from the blood.

Can I drink this fat-burner without aspirin?

Yes, it is possible, but athletes prefer to leave it in the composition. The main goal of aspirin is to mitigate side effects. For professional athletes before performances, it is necessary to thin the blood. Since many athletes before the competition consume a huge amount of diuretics to get maximum drying, in a dry weight gain steroids course. For them, aspirin is the only way to not only relieve a headache but also to avoid a stroke due to excessive thickening of the blood.

Contraindications

Despite the fact that the dangers of ephedrine and caffeine are excessively exaggerated, it is highly discouraged to take during lactation and pregnancy, in the middle of the menstrual cycle. But due to its high fat-burning properties, it is widely used by women in bodybuilding.

With caution, it should be used in the presence of problems with blood pressure, dysfunctions of the cardiovascular system or increased irritability. It is forbidden to use ECA in case of individual intolerance to one of the components or allergic reactions.

It can do harm with an improper water-salt balance, the absence of physical exertion, peptic ulcer and other problems with the gastrointestinal tract, in case of renal dysfunction.

Side effects

1. An increase in the load on the heart muscle, which also leads to an increase in blood pressure.
2. Change in water-salt balance in view of increased sweating - it is recommended to consume up to 4 litres of water per day and at least 2 g of salt or another substance containing sodium.
3. Caffeine and ephedrine can cause gastrointestinal irritation, leading to acid release. This can aggravate the symptoms of gastrointestinal ulcers.
4. Due to excess water metabolism, increased stress on the kidneys and the genitourinary system. So, we don`t recommend including ECA in the first course of steroids.

Conclusions

The result of losing weight can be the discharge of up to 30 kg of exclusively adipose tissue while preserving the muscles as much as possible. So many bodybuilders include ECA or the ephedrine itself in the course for quality mass without water. At the same time, it is important to understand that if you are not a professional athlete, the risk of side effects and undermining health can significantly outweigh the effect of losing weight.