ECA Stack - Ephedra, Caffeine, Aspirin
ECA stands for 'E' for ephedra,
'C' for caffeine, and 'A'
for aspirin which are the
three ingredients for the so called ECA Stack. Combining these
three ingredients, is said to increase your body’s ability to burn fat at a greater
rate than with just using ephedra alone. Moreover, the ECA Stack is said to have
anti-catabolic properties, which means it will minimize muscle loss while dieting.
- Ephedra:
increases the bodies thermogenesis to burn fat
- Caffeine:
the second key ingredient to the ECA Stack. Caffeine is generally derived from Kola
Nut and green tea extract. Caffeine works by increasing adreneline levels along
with fatty acid concentrations which improves mental alertness.
- Aspirin:the
final ingredient in the ECA Stack is a popular name for acetysalicylic acid. Aspirin
will increase the body's heat tolerance, thereby allowing the effects of the ephedra
and caffeine to persist for a much longer time.
Many popular dietary supplements which contain
ephedra, also contain
caffeine and aspirin.
While the ratio between the three ingredients vary, a generally accepted ratio for
an ECA Stack is 25mg of ephedrine, 250mg of caffeine and 80-300mg of aspirin. Many
people buy the three stack components separately and adjust the ratio of ingredients
to their liking or preferences. While many people start taking a full ECA stack
dose immediately, some prefer to
gradually work their way up to a full ECA stack dose - they say this reducesses
the chances of side-effects.
Traditionally, people will use an ECA stack for about 4 weeks, then give their body
a rest for 1 week before starting up again. Many people believe that your body will
get used to the effects of the ECA stack, thereby minimizing the effects over time
from continuous use without a break - also, many people say that
taking an ECA stack dose at a certain time will maximize it's effectiveness.