www.aasraw.com
10 things you have to know before taking DMAA（1） 10 things you have to know before taking DMAA..........................................................1 What’s DMAA?........................................................................................................ 2 What is DMAA used for?......................................................................................... 3 1. Burning of fats.............................................................................................. 4 2. Body Building................................................................................................5 3. Helps to improve short-term memory and reflex action.............................. 6 Are DMAA Supplements Safe?................................................................................ 7 What do you need to know before taking DMAA supplements?........................... 9
DMAA is a synthetically manufactured drug which helps in body building, burning of body fats and for the improvement of short-term memory and reflex action. This article includes DMAA dosage benefits and possible side effects of 1,3-dimethylamylamine.
1
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com
www.aasraw.com
What’s DMAA? Understanding what is DMAA should be one of the things that any performance enhancing athlete should emphasize before getting down to use the supplement. DMAA which is the short form for the chemical dimethylamylamine is a drug that was formerly believed to be an extract from the natural geranium oil. However, through research, it has been established that 1, 3 dimethylamylamine is synthetically manufactured in laboratories. Also called 1,3 DMAA, the drug shares a similar structure with germanium derived drugs. This was the reason many people thought that DMAA also belonged to the same class of drugs. DMAA pre workout is a term that is synonymous with people who use the supplement as it is mainly used by those who want to start their bodybuilding and cutting sessions. DMAA powder was first brought in the market by Eli Lilly and Company in 1944. The drug found much use in medicine as a nasal decongestant. The drug was used for this purpose as it was found to deliver similar results to the use of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. At first, many people believed that DMAA was derived from the rose geranium oil. For that reason, it is common to find many firms that produce DMAA supplement indicating pictures of the rose geranium plant parts such as the roots and stem. However, despite this belief lingering for long, laboratory tests on DMAA has shown otherwise. It has been proved that DMAA is synthetically obtained in the laboratory and it is not as natural as it has been believed for long. After its first introduction to the market, the drug was massively sold as athletes were impressed by its results. This was until 1983 when the supplement was removed from the market. The withdrawal was induced by claims that it was not safe for sale in public pharmacies. This ban caused a shortage of the drug though it was still on sale in the black market. Public sale of DMAA supplement was resumed in 2006 when it traded under a new name, Geranamine. DMAA supplement was not solely sold. Instead, it was incorporated in weight loss supplements and was classified as an athletic performance improvement drug. The reintroduction of the drug in the public chemists has called for more controversies about the safety of its use to the performance enhancing athlete. 2
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com
www.aasraw.com
The concerns have been so critical that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have as far as asking the producers of the supplements to prove its suitability for use without causing alarming effects. Countries such as Canada have also raised concerns about its purpose, and it has been banned. It is also not safe for use by competing athletes as in 2010, and the World Anti-Doping Agency recently listed it as a harmful substance that is prohibited for use. Therefore, an athlete found to be using the drug is highly likely to get banned from participating in competitive sports. As a result of controversies linked to its use, DMAA is also prohibited in the US military. The supplement has been recently withdrawn from the military stores to control its use. In New Zealand, use of the drug is also not allowed. It is also considered to be illegal in the United States currently.
What is DMAA used for? The actual working mechanism of, DMAA has not been proved. However, the drug is thought to mimic the action of natural adrenaline. Upon use, DMAA directly affects the central nervous system. 3
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com
www.aasraw.com
The drug is known to produce high stimulation that is synonymous with the use of caffeine. However, the mode of action of DMAA is different from that of caffeine. When taken, DMAA causes the production of noradrenaline which is a hormone that is activated during periods of stress or fear. The hormone is synthesized in the adrenal glands that are found just above the kidneys. Upon release, the hormone is circulated in the blood, and this causes an increase of the heart rate. Production of noradrenaline also prompts the body system to release glucose from the glycogen reserves. This leads to improved energy flow in the body muscles, and this is what most athletes desire before a workout. Use of DMAA will also lead to some improvement in some aspects such as alertness, motivation and timed reaction. This is one of the primary reasons why DMAA is widely used by athletes before initiating a workout session. The drug delivers a feeling of high energy making the athlete want to engage in an activity that will consume the excess energy. The use of DMAA has saved athletes from the average feeling of energy that comes with the action of commonly used caffeine. DMAA is an improvement of caffeine, and those who use it for long may start developing an addiction. This means that controlled use is imperative. When used, it provokes the brain to induce a feeling of tremendous energy boost. A high surge of blood pressure accompanies this. As a result of this mode of action, many people tend to abuse the drug. However, some athletes use the drug with a constructive intention on their bodies. The following are some of the positive uses of DMAA:
1. Burning of fats Usually, the body naturally burns the excess fats. However, this can be happening at a slow rate than what is desirable. To hasten the process the use of supplements has been adopted by performance enhancing athletes. Mostly some of these supplements are steroids such as Nootropics. Use of such supplements adequately improves the rate of burning. DMAA is as effective as other known supplements in burning of excess fats. Most workout sessions are designed to achieve numerous results, chief among them being the reduction of the excessive body fats that give the body an undesired appeal. 4
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com
www.aasraw.com
Excess fats also pose a risk to the wellbeing of the athlete as such a situation can enhance blockage of blood veins. When this happens, there would be a minimal flow of oxygen in the blood and the general activity of the individual would be highly affected. Now the key to avoiding such a situation is through the use of a drug such as DMAA that provides your body with high levels of energy. Once energetic, the user is raring to engage in activities that will consume the energy, and as a result, there would be a reduction of the harmful and undesired body fats.The drug has been found to be very effective in the burning of body fats, and this is important for athletes who want to achieve this especially during offseason cutting. The effectiveness of the drug is almost limitless. When coupled with a stimulant such as caffeine, DMAA has been found to improve the body metabolic activity by about 35%. This, in turn, helps to improve the fat burning rate by a large notable margin. The drug works by ensuring that it triggers fat burning earlier before the body signals for it to occur naturally. As DMAA’s action is directly linked to the central nervous system, the drug ensures that it triggers this action at a faster pace. On stimulation, the CNS reacts by inducing chain reactions that enable fat burning. Therefore, it’d be rightful to compare the action of DMAA with other top fat burning supplements in the market.
2. Body Building The most crucial thing before a workout is energy. That’s why you need to look at what is likely to provide you these chunks of energy to get you going ahead. Mesomorph pre workout dmaa is the kind of thing to give a body builder the appropriate head start that you require to make your workout successful. As captioned earlier, the drug is known to provide effects that are similar to pseudoephedrine. This drug will get the user to a ‘high’ mode. This provides one with a large energy reserve that is necessary for weightlifting. For best results, a drug that provides high energy should be taken before a workout session. This will pile the user with bouts of energy that is just what every performance enhancing athletes require to get their days started on a high note. Such a drug does this by influencing one of the natural physiological processes of the body.
5
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com
www.aasraw.com
Upon intake, the drug enhances vasodilation. This is a process that occurs typically when there is excessive heat in the atmosphere. The body reacts by increasing the size of the veins. This is meant to bring more blood to the skin’s surface for cooling. Most performance-enhancing drugs contain nitric oxide that promotes the expansion of the blood vessels through induced vasodilation. This is an added advantage for the athlete, especially during a pre-workout. Once large, the surface area for carrying more blood is highly enhanced. This will provide the athlete with an allowance for movement of blood that never existed before consumption of the drug. Subsequently, intense training is possible, and the athlete has loads of energy to promote muscle development. However, the use of DMAA on this respect has been found to be contrary to what most people would expect concerning a performance-enhancing drug. Instead of enhancing vasodilation like most nitric oxide drugs, DMAA does the opposite. It causes vasoconstriction which is common during periods when the temperatures in the atmosphere are low. At such a time, the body struggles to maintain its temperature, and this is caused by the withdrawal of blood from the skin’s surface. This, however, occurs when the dosage is excessively high and shouldn’t be a worry for someone who’s planning to take DMAA.
3. Helps to improve short-term memory and reflex action Everybody would love to remember everything that they need to. However, this is not usually the case as people’s lives are encountered by numerous occurrences that make it hard for this to happen. DMAA can be a helpful supplement on this front. Studies done of users of this supplement have revealed that those involved had better short-term memory than before using it. Therefore, although not many people will take the drug with the aim of achieving this, it will come as an add-on effect of its consumption. And that’s one of the primary advantages that many people reap from using DMAA even thou this happens without their planning. High reflex action is also a characteristic that many athletes would wish to experience. Use of DMAA causes the body to be highly alert, and this improves performance agility. This means that DMAA users are more active especially during bodybuilding or in competitions. The drug operates by improving the rate of the body’s metabolism. 6
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com
www.aasraw.com
This subsequently causes the body processes to occur at a rapid rate than normal. This is visualized physically by having an individual who is so active and alert. However, the only blot on this particular front is that the use of the drug in competitions is prohibited. Therefore, its use to improve reflex action during athletics is not allowed. It can however still be used by athletes during offseason to achieve bulking and improvement of speed.
Are DMAA Supplements Safe? This should be a concern for anyone participating in competitive games. The drug has been listed among the drugs that are unsafe for use by the world’s doping organization. Many other bodies have the restricted the use of DMAA in particular jurisdictions. However, this is a topic that has drawn wide varying views. The United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency considers DMAA supplements to be unsafe for human consumption. The agency argues that there is no information regarding the action of DMAA that qualifies it to be a safe drug for use. On the agency’s website, the body advises people to avoid using the drug at all costs as it is capable of getting them at risk of health hazards. One of the primary concerns of FDA is the ability of the drug to cause vasoconstriction. This they argue is a precursor of high blood pressure which can ultimately lead to death if not handled early enough. Other respiratory tract effects that are likely to be experienced with the use of DMAA include difficulties in breathing, heart attack and a high likelihood of seizures. According to FDA, the use of the drug is also likely to cause neurological disorders as it mainly operates through influencing the central nervous system. This can be dangerous as it can result in paralysis as well as other fatal complications. FDA has been so resilient in ensuring that DMAA containing supplements are eradicated from the market in entirety. Key among the various steps that they have undertaken is issuing drug chemists with letters that warms them from selling DMAA containing supplements. If they happen to find such supplements on the shelves, the agency asks the sellers to destroy them and refrain from making another order from the manufacturers.
7
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com
www.aasraw.com
So far, many firms have been compliant. This campaign began in 2012, and it has taken full effect as there is the current very low sale of DMAA supplements. There have also been cases whereby some firms continue to produce DMAA even after being asked to stop by FDA. Such cases were witnessed in 2013 when a firm called USPLabs refused to stop manufacturing the supplements. FDA stopped their operations, and the firm in question had to destroy the products that were already in the market. Their projected retail value was about $8 million. This shows how far the agency is willing to go in ensuring that production of DMAA supplements is brought to a halt and not a single drug of the same finds its way to the country’s citizens. FDA has gone a step further and listed the various names that manufacturers can use to prevent consumers from knowing that they are consuming DMAA. This was after the agency realized that many companies were producing the drug in disguised names to prevent the consumers from directly identifying the banned drug. Some of the blacklisted names include Geranamine and Methylhexanamine. Other companies indicate that the supplement contains Geranium plant extracts. This is an indicator of the presence of DMAA. FDA warns consumers to be wary of any supplement that contains extracts from Geranium. The restrictions are similar in other countries such as Canada and New Zealand and many others in the world. The main concern all over is its effects on the respiratory system. The world’s anti-doping agency has also listed DMAA powder among drugs that are unsafe for human use. This means that it is banned for use by athletes who are involved in competitions such as the World Cup. It is however allowed for use in some competitions especially in low dosages that are within the allowed levels. However, it is always good to be certain concerning the restrictions of the competition that one participates in before taking the drug to avoid landing in trouble. The topic of whether DMAA is safe took another twist after various lawsuits between FDA and other companies. The companies still insisted that there was no harm concerning selling the narcotic supplement. One investigation yielded that DMAA was truly a product of the Geranium plant and this was opposed by FDA. However, the agency didn’t give any supporting evidence to back its claims that the drug was artificially obtained. According to a doctor who investigated the claims of unsafety of using the supplement, no adverse effect would be expected in a normal 8
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com
www.aasraw.com
healthy person who used the supplement correctly. The medic argued that the amount of DMAA found in the pre-workout supplements was way below what is considered to be toxic for human use. In another probe, young people who were using DMAA as a stimulant during parties were found to develop a common ailment, cerebral stroke. This further strengthened FDA’s claim concerning the safety of using DMAA in supplements. However, another investigation shredded FDA’s supporting evidence to pieces after it was found that the young people in question had used an extremely high dosage of the drug. It was revealed that they took pills that each contained around 600mg of the active substance. This was relatively high as in a normal scenario, and the most expected amount is around 60mg in one supplement pill. This means that these young people consumed ten times of what they were supposed to take. In a nutshell, from a scientific point of view, the drug can be considered as a safe pre-workout drug provided that the appropriate doses of the drugs are taken. If DMAA is taken in dosages of higher than 75mg, there are chances of elevation of blood pressure to unwanted levels, and thus that should be considered. The drug should only be used by individuals who have had no history of high blood pressure in the past as its use can worsen the situation. Also, although FDA has been disapproved by many companies who are producing the drug, they have a point about the safety of DMAA use. It is therefore not advisable to discredit their concerns and continue purchasing the supplements from the black market. Consultations with a doctor before the use of DMAA pre-workout powder are imperative. This will ensure that the desired results are achieved without bleaching the health safety of the user.
What do you need to know before taking DMAA supplements? There are numerous facts that any performance enhancing athlete should come to terms with before settling down on DMAA as the pre-workout drug of choice. Some of these things include the side effects that one is likely to encounter as well as the benefits you will reap from its use. 9
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com
www.aasraw.com
Primary among the things that you need to know is that the effects of using this drug are similar to what can be experienced after the use of cocaine and methamphetamine. This means that the probability of developing an addiction is very high as it ranks top among the most powerful known stimulants. You should be aware that you might be opening up your body to one of the strongest addictions as you try to improve your workout. To avoid chances of addiction, you should ensure that you strictly follow what your doctor believes is most safe for your health. It is also imperative to understand that the use of the drug is going to impact the central nervous system directly. DMAA acts similarly to caffeine by alleviating the reception rate of the CNS making your body highly alert. The drug is stronger than caffeine and will give your body an energy gush that you need to begin your workout session on a high note. It is therefore again important to check on the dosage that you consume as the drug directly influences one of the most sensitive body parts. In a case reported in 2012, a group of young people resorted to using the drug during a party session. They consumed ten times more than what is necessary for a one-time dosage. The intention was to get ‘high’ rapidly, and this turned to be their undoing. The drug affected their central nervous system, and most were found to have a cerebral stroke which is a terminal illness. Users also ought to understand that unlike many other pre-workout supplements that contain nitric oxide, DMAA causes vasoconstriction of veins. This means that an individual who has taken DMAA pills will have shrunk blood vessels than another who hasn’t. This situation can be fatal if it happens to someone who has a problem of high blood pressure as it is likely to extend the severity of the ailment. Therefore, an individual who suffers from high blood pressure should refrain from using DMAA. Use of the drug is likely to cause increased blood flow and a feeling of high energy. Coupling the supplement with other performance enhancing drugs can be dangerous as this can cause your body to have immense energy that you can’t possibly handle. It is advisable to understand that DMAA is primarily a pre-workout supplement that shouldn’t be used for any other purposes. Some people have in the past used it as a sex enhancement drug, but this is so wrong. It can lead up to passing out into a coma if abused and this should always be considered during use. 10
AASraw Biochemical Technology Co.,Ltd aas14@aasraw.com