Refinancing Click here for the list of all Consumer Reports stories Americans spend well over a billion dollars a year on sports supplements. These pills, drinks and powders promise to help you bulk up, slim down, and improve your prowess. But Consumer Reports cautions they can be hazardous to your health.
Some products contain the herbal stimulant called ma huang, also known as ephedra.
Consumer Reports found ephedra in dozens of sports supplements sold in stores and on the Internet and warns it can be dangerous. The use of products containing ephedra has been associated with irregular heart beats, high blood pressure, seizures, and even death. Consumer Reports also has concerns about two other ingredients found in sports supplements. One is androstenedione. The use of androstenedione can upset the hormonal balance in the body.