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CNN Live At Daybreak

Ephedrine: Death in a Bottle?

Aired August 16, 2001 - 08:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Ephedrine: lightning in a bottle or death in a bottle? It is an ingredient in many of the supplements taken by athletes, amateur and pro.

But the recent deaths of two college football players have raised new questions about ephedrine, as CNN's Laura Okmin reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURA OKMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the aftermath of the deaths of Devaughn Darling and Rashidi Wheeler, the word ephedrine has been introduced into the lexicon of sport.

A central nervous system stimulant, ephedrine is banned by the NCAA. But it is readily available in over-the-counter products sold for weight loss and for athletic performance.

DR. JOHN XEROGEANES, EMORY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Well, to put it simply, ephedrine is a stimulant. It's very similar to caffeine or other drugs in the stimulant family. What it actually does is act like speed.

It will make you -- it will make you have more energy. Thus, you get a better workout. So it will hype you up. It's like taking five or six cups of coffee. The caffeine will take effect. You become jittery. Thus you can get a better workout because you have more energy. So it actually probably doesn't do anything to make you stronger, but it makes you mentally go at it harder.

DON SUMMER, TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY: I think it's bad information. I also think it's psychological. It gives you the feeling: Hey, you know, I'm faster or I'm bigger.

It's not going to do anything, I don't think, besides speed up your metabolism and increase your heart rate.

OKMIN (on camera): Whether or not ephedrine actually improves an athlete's workout, it has raised the question of whether the substance played any role in the deaths of these two young football players, though it hasn't been directly linked to either.

The autopsy report of Darling, a Florida State backer, was inconclusive. But ephedrine was found in his system. (voice-over): The inquiry into Wheeler's death is not complete. But several of Wheeler's teammates at Northwestern have said that Wheeler was using a drink mix called Ultimate Orange, which contains ephedrine. Ultimate Orange has been discontinued by its manufacturer, but it's still in stock in some stores, including General Nutrition Centers, the nation's largest retailer of speciality supplements.

Doctors have long been aware of ephedrine's potentially harmful side effects when combined with other stimulants of certain medications. Rashidi Wheeler suffered from chronic asthma and routinely used an inhaler during practice. The label on Ultimate Orange advises against use of the product by those taking an asthma medication.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, at least 17 people died and 800 became ill from dietary supplements containing ephedrine between 1993 and '96. And for athletes, there is always a risk.

TODD NALDER, TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY: If the athlete doesn't know that he has some type of heart condition or anything like that, it could be deadly because it will speed up the heart rate. And it could speed it up to the point where -- normally, you and I standing here, our heart rate is about 70, 80 beats per mint.

When they're out on the field practicing at a normal rate and they're not taking anything, it could be up where it's 150, 160 beats per minute. But when you take this supplement, it's going to shoot it up past 200, possibly. So that's the complications that could come from it.

OKMIN: But for many athletes, the pressure to perform outweighs the risk. Ephedrine now joins androstenedione and creatine among those legal substances whose use by athletes has raised concern. But a representative of the supplements industry say that Ephedra, a popular source of ephedrine, is safe if used wisely.

JOHN CORDARO, RESPONSIBLE NUTRITION COUNCIL: There's also a responsibility that exists on the part of the consumer. Consumers should read the label. And consumers should follow directions. I think it is unfortunate that, for those segments of the population that may find ephedrine dietary supplements to be useful and to be beneficial that we would in effect throw the baby out with the bathwater by saying that no one can use them because some people have abused them.

XEROGEANES: We ask them to tell us everything they are taking over the counter and then tell them the dangers. And then the easiest way for us to do it is to tell them: Listen, anything you take, run it by us.

NALDER: They are asked point blank right off the bat if they are taking any supplements: What is it? Where did it come from? Where did you buy it? Let me see the package. You can't take until I see the package and our strength coach sees the package and we approve it.

SUMMER: If you teach them the right way to do things, that there's no magic pill in bottle, I think you are going to have positive results.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We try to let the athletes know that eating a well-balanced diet, hydrating, that there isn't really a pill out there or a supplement that is a quick fix. Nothing substitutes hard work and good nutrition and good hydration.

OKMIN: The dream of reaching the pros is part of what pushes college and high school players to work so hard. But just this week the NFL took the first step from prohibiting player from endorsing certain nutritional supplements in hopes of setting an example that athletic performance cannot be purchased in a bottle.

I'm Laura Okmin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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