Ripped Fuel is another one of the many herbal combinations of the classic ephedrine/caffeine/aspirin stacks.

It is in the same class as: Xenadrine, Hydroxycut, Thermadrene, Ultimate Orange, Beta-Lean ... as well as just doing it the old school way of popping a 20mg ephedrine hcl tab, a 200mg caffeine tab (Vivarin, etc.), and a baby aspirin.

You must be VERY careful to read the bottle before purchasing/using any ephedrine based product, as certain health conditions can be made worse if ephedrine (or any stimulant for that matter) is consumed. Off the top of my head, I would say high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, heart diesase, diabetes, hypogyclemia ... hmm ... there's a few more. Just read the bottle.

On the plus side, it is one of the most effective supplements that can help with the early weight loss that is critical for motivation during a weight loss program. It has been studied extensively for safety and effectiveness ... high marks for this ephedrine/caffeine/aspirin combo (also called ECA stack).

Now for some long winded background ....

- Ephedrine is an alkaloid (bitter organic base) found in various plant species of Ephedra, also called Ma Huang. Ephedrine is useful because it acts as a nasal decongestant, a central nervous system stimulant and as a treatment for bronchial asthma.

- Ephedrine has been shown to be very effective in elevating body temperature which can help you achieve your weight loss goals. It is not advisable to exceed 75 mg per day, taken in three divided doses.

- Ephedrine is a beta-adrenergic agonist. What that means is that it acts like adrenelin (adrenergic) in your body. However, it only acts on alpha receptors. Because of ephedrine's adrenalin-like pioperties it is very thermogenic which means that it causes your body to generate heat, which will in turn cause you to burn more calories.

Studies? OK ... It's a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo, but I put smileys at the key points if you wanna scroll down to them ...

Title: The effect and safety of an ephedrine/caffeine compound compared to ephedrine, caffeine and placebo in obese subjects on an energy restricted diet. A double blind trial.

Author(s): Astrup A Breum L Toubro S Hein P Quaade F

Journal: Int-J-Obes-Relat-Metab-Disord. 1992 Apr; 16(4): 269-77 1992

Abstract: The sympathomimetic agent ephedrine has potent thermogenic and anti-obesity properties in rodents. The effect is markedly enhanced by caffeine, while caffeine given alone has no effect. This study was undertaken to find out if a similar weight reducing synergism between ephedrine and caffeine is present in obese patients.

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind study, 180 obese patients were treated by diet (4.2 MJ/day) and either an ephedrine/caffeine combination (20mg/200mg), ephedrine (20 mg), caffeine (200 mg) or placebo three times a day for 24 weeks. Withdrawals were distributed equally in the four groups, and 141 patients completed the trial.

Mean weight losses was significantly greater with the combination than with placebo from week 8 to week 24 (ephedrine/caffeine, 16.6 +/- 6.8 kg vs. placebo, 13.2 +/- 6.6 kg (mean +/- s.d.), P = 0.0015).

Weight loss in both the ephedrine and the caffeine groups was similar to that of the placebo group.

Side effects (tremor, insomnia and dizziness) were transient and after eight weeks of treatment they had reached placebo levels. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure fell similarly in all four groups.

We conclude, that in analogy with animal studies, the ephedrine/ caffeine combination is effective for the treatment of human obesity.

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Title: The effect of chronic ephedrine treatment on substrate utilization, the sympathoadrenal activity, and energy expenditure during glucose-induced thermogenesis in man.

Author(s): Astrup A Madsen J Holst JJ Christensen NJ

Journal: Metabolism. 1986 Mar; 35(3): 260-5 1986 0026-0495

Abstract: Chronic ephedrine treatment of man has recently been found to enhance the thermogenic response to an acute dose of ephedrine.

Conceivably, this sensitization to beta-adrenergic stimulation might also affect the facultative component of diet-induced thermogenesis. The glucose-induced thermogenesis (GIT) was studied in five healthy female subjects after 3 months of chronic peroral ephedrine treatment.

Similar experiments 3 months after cessation of treatment served as controls.

During chronic ephedrine treatment a sustained 10% elevation of the metabolic rate was found compared to that in the control study. Plasma epinephrine levels were increased 87% during treatment. These increases tended to be positively correlated (r = 0.54, P less than 0.07). GIT expressed as a percentage of the ingested energy load was unaltered during chronic ephedrine treatment compared with that in the control study (9.0% v 8.9%).

The respiratory quotient (RQ) indicate that relatively more lipid was oxidized during chronic ephedrine treatment than in the control study. This change was observed in the fasting state as well as after glucose administration.

Certain effects of ephedrine seems to be appropriate to a thermogenic drug for the treatment of obesity:

A single dose of ephedrine stimulates thermogenesis, an effect that is enhanced during chronic treatment; Chronic treatment elevates the metabolic rate; and The substrate utilization is changed in favor of lipid oxidation. (otherwise know as "fat burning")

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Title: Effects of chronic administration of ephedrine during very-low-calorie diets on energy expenditure, protein metabolism and hormone levels in obese subjects.

Author(s): Pasquali R Casimirri F Melchionda N Grossi G Bortoluzzi L Morselli Labate AM Stefanini C Raitano A

Journal: Clin-Sci-Colch. 1992 Jan; 82(1): 85-92 1992 0143-5221

Abstract:

1. We investigated the effects of the chronic administration of a sympathomimetic agent on energy expenditure, protein metabolism and levels of thyroid hormones and catecholamines in 10 obese subjects after a 6-week very-low-calorie-diet programme (1965 kJ, 60 g of protein, 45 g of carbohydrates).

L-(-)- Ephedrine hydrochloride (50 mg three times a day by mouth) or placebo were administered during 2-week periods (weeks 2-5 of the VLCD programme) in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design. Five subjects began with ephedrine and five with placebo.

2. The results were analysed separately in the two groups. No difference was found between them as regards weight loss during the very-low-calorie diet and drug treatments.

Conversely, ephedrine therapy induced a significantly lower daily urinary excretion of nitrogen (and, consequently, a better nitrogen balance) with respect to placebo, independently of the drug sequence. Daily urinary levels of 3-methylhistidine during ephedrine and placebo treatments were similar.

The fasting resting metabolic rate (oxygen consumption, ml STP/min) fell significantly during the very-low-calorie diet in both groups, but this effect was partially and significantly prevented by administration of ephedrine.

(This study shows that ephedrine by itself doesn't really help with weight loss, but it will help you maintain positive nitrogen balance, which is critical for keeping muscle mass during dieting. Trust me it's a good thing ... SO ... If you take ephedrine be sure to take it with caffeine. Most products come mixed that way. Caffeine is also known as guarana.)