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DoD names 39 workout stimulants to avoid

  • Published
  • By Air Force Times
DMAA, an ingredient found in some workout supplements and banned by federal
regulators in 2013,remains widely available online, according to the Defense
Department's Human Performance Resource Center.

Nearly 40 supplements containing 1,3 dimethlyamylamine, sometimes called
"geranium extract," can be purchased through online retailers, according to
the center.

"Many [products with DMAA] are still being produced (or produced again), and
some are even new," HPRC officials stated in a news release. "That means
it's very important to read dietary supplement product labels carefully to
make sure yours doesn't contain this potentially dangerous ingredient."

Originally developed and sold as a nasal decongestant, DMAA is advertised as
a fat-burner or body-sculpting product. It is known to elevate blood
pressure and can cause health problems ranging from heart attacks to
shortness of breath, the FDA says.

Before it sent warning letters requiring manufacturers to remove DMAA
products from the market, the FDA had received 86 reports of illnesses or
death associated with the substance.

The Defense Department removed DMAA products from military exchanges and
on-base GNC stores out of concern it may have contributed to the deaths of
at least two soldiers who suffered heart attacks during physical training.

After the deaths and several other incidents involving DMAA, defense
officials launched a two-year review of the ingredient that concluded there
was insufficient evidence to prove it caused the service members' deaths.

But the authors of the review also agreed that the ingredient posed enough
of a health risk to keep it off the shelves of military stores.

However, these "adverse event reports" indicate only a patient either
developed symptoms or died after or while using the product - and does not
necessarily mean the ingredient was responsible for the illness or injury.

According to the HRPC website, the FDA's declaration of DMAA as illegal for
use as a dietary supplement ingredient specifically means "service members
should not use dietary supplement products that contain it."

The families of the two troops who died, Pvt. Michael Sparling and Sgt.
Demekia Cola, filed lawsuits against GNC and USPLabs, the manufacturer of
Jack3d, OxyElite Pro and other products containing DMAA. A jury trial has
been postponed in the Sparling case until 2016; the mother of Demekia Cola
reached a settlement with USPLabs on July 13.

Muhammed Islam, CEO of Total Body Nutrition, marketers for 1,3 D Bomb, a
product that hails itself as the "most potent 1,3 dimethylamylamine
available," said he is breaking no laws by selling a pure DMAA powder
online, because "it is pure and not actually 'adulterating' any product."

He said as with any substance ingested, it should be consumed
with caution.

"If you consume a lot of anything, you can get sick. If you eat too much
chicken, you would be sick," Islam said. "I can see people in the military
thinking, 'I'm in the military, I can handle it.' But it must be taken
carefully."

Roughly a quarter of the 40 products containing the ingredient are made by
Georgia-based Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, which has filed a lawsuit against the
Food and Drug Administration, alleging it illegally seized products
containing DMAA in 2013 and failed to take the legal steps required to
restrict the substance.

The government contends that DMAA is an unapproved food additive, and
because the FDA considers it unsafe, the agency acted legally in banning it
and confiscating products containing the ingredient, since those products
are considered "adulterated."

While the suit makes its way through the judicial system - a judge in April
denied the government's motion to dismiss - some DMAA products remain
available online.

"Not only could it be dangerous to your health, it could also be dangerous
to your military career," HPRC officials wrote on their website. "Keep in
mind, though, pre-workout, weight-loss or other performance dietary
supplements without DMAA also may not be safe for your health."

For more information on dietary supplements visit http://hprc-online.org/ or contact the Health Promotions Office at (509) 247-5590.