Dear Tom, I've been reading a lot lately about the dietary supplement, Xenadrine. I'm 5'8'', about 175 lbs, and looking to lose the extra weight and tone up. I currently work out about 4 times a week, mostly on the ellipticals and treadmills for about 45 minutes - 1 hr. Xenadrine contains ephedra, also known as Ma Huang, which is a source of ephedrine.
Ephedrine is a bronchodilator and a potent stimulant.
When combined with caffeine, which amplifies ephedrine's effects, it has been proven in published studies to reduce appetite, spare lean body mass, increase fat burning and increase metabolism through a process called thermogenesis. In Xenadrine, the amino acid L-Tryosine has been added because it provides adrenal and thyroid support and helps to reduce the jitteriness caused by the EC combo. Herbal products such as Xenadrine are not the same things as pure ephedrine and caffeine. Ephedra has been used in Chinese medicine for over 5000 years for asthma and respiratory problems. Willow bark is the herbal analog of aspirin.