The vast majority of recreational gym-goers in the United States participate in fitness activities as a way to reduce body-fat and "tone up." In addition to cardio-respiratory exercise and strength training, there is a vast array of nutritional supplements available to assist these athletes in achieving their goals. While there is a variety of fat-loss supplements such as Nitric-Oxide, Hydroxycut and Xenadrine, the most popular of these supplements is the category of fat-burning thermogenics. While there is a variety of thermogenic supplements available, the most popular fat-burner by far is the classic ECA stack. ECA refers to ephedra-caffeine-aspirin.
Ephedra and Psuedo-ephedrine
Ephedra, derived from the plant Ma Huang, is a central nervous system stimulant. It induces tachycardia, or increased heart rate, and a resultant rise in systolic blood pressure, among a variety of other physiological effects that result in a rise in core body temperature. This occurs as the body works harder to keep up with the increased workload created by a higher volume of blood moving through the circulatory system. This increased workload causes more calories to be burned than the body would at rest.
Since the banning of ephedra-based products by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004, many supplement companies have replaced ephedra with the less effective synthetic psuedoephedrine. While it is approximately a quarter as effective as the original, pseudoephedrine still provides a dramatic thermogenic effect.
Caffeine
Often called the most popular drug in the world, caffeine, like ephedra, is a central nervous system stimulant. It produces many of the same physiological effects on the body. Although lethal in large doses (about the equivalent of 80 to 100 cups of coffee consumed in rapid succession), in moderate doses the benefits for fitness purposes can begin within 15 minutes.
Aspirin
Although not thermogenic in itself, aspirin, or acetylated salicyclic acid, is a critical element in the ECA stack. By thinning the blood within the circulatory system aspirin serves to enhance heat resistance in the body. This allows the working effect of the ephedra and caffeine to last longer, providing a better impact.
Conclusion
Taken together in combination, a "stack" of psuedo-ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin provide a synergistic effect for the consumption of stored body fat that is exponentially greater than the effect provided by any of the key ingredients alone.
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