Jacobs, I., Pasternak, H., & Bell, D. G. (2003). Effects of ephedrine, caffeine, and their combination on muscular endurance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35, 987-994.

Males (N = 13) ingested either caffeine (4 mg/kg), ephedrine (0.8 mg/kg), a combination of caffeine and ephedrine, or a placebo 90 minutes before performing a weight-training circuit. Weight-training exercises were leg press (80% 1 RM) and bench press (70% 1 RM). Three supersets (exercise to exhaustion) were performed with 2-min rest intervals between each set.

The two conditions involving ephedrine produced significantly better performances than the non-ephedrine trials only in the first superset of each exercise.

Implication. The effect of ephedrine on muscular endurance is initially significant but then dissipates. Ephedrine enhances performance at the beginning of highly strenuous muscular endurance activities.

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