A plant-derived stimulant that speeds energy burning, shifts it toward fat, and blunts hunger, producing moderate fat loss and some muscle preservation over up to six months. The same stress-signalling switch drives faster heartbeat, disrupted sleep, anxiety, and rare serious heart and brain events. It does not act on ageing; long-term costs are unknown. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Resting heart rate | 50–65 bpm; a rise of more than 10 bpm from baseline is a stop signal | Most sensitive and earliest indicator of excess adrenergic load |
| Blood pressure | Below 120/75 mmHg; stopping threshold 140/90 mmHg on two occasions | Detects the pressor effect that trials found inconsistent but case reports found dominant |
| Serum potassium | 4.2–4.8 mmol/L | β2 stimulation drives potassium into cells; low potassium predisposes to arrhythmia |
| Serum magnesium (red blood cell) | 5.0–6.5 mg/dL | Low magnesium compounds potassium loss and arrhythmia susceptibility |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone with free T3 and free T4 | TSH 1.0–2.0 mIU/L | Excess thyroid hormone amplifies adrenergic sensitivity and is an absolute contraindication |
| Estimated glomerular filtration rate with cystatin C | Above 90 mL/min/1.73 m² | Ephedrine is cleared largely unchanged by the kidney; reduced clearance raises exposure |
| Apolipoprotein B with a full lipid panel | Apolipoprotein B below 80 mg/dL | Captures the favourable lipid shift and the underlying cardiovascular risk the stimulant effects act upon |
| Fasting glucose with haemoglobin A1c | Glucose 75–86 mg/dL; haemoglobin A1c below 5.4% | Catecholamine release raises glucose acutely while fat loss lowers it chronically |
| Corrected QT interval on electrocardiogram | Below 440 ms | Identifies the electrical vulnerability underlying the arrhythmia risk before exposure |
| Body composition by DEXA | Fat mass falling with fat-free mass held within 1 kg | The lean-mass-sparing property is the main reason to use this compound and is invisible on a scale |
| Resting metabolic rate by indirect calorimetry | Rising or held flat against the fall expected during dieting | Directly confirms the thermogenic effect rather than inferring it |
Cadence: Baseline before the first dose; resting heart rate and blood pressure daily for the first 2 weeks, then twice weekly; laboratory repeat at 4 weeks and at the end of each 8–12 week cycle; a full panel including electrocardiogram before starting any subsequent cycle.