The Truth About Pre-Workout Supplements Containing Yohimbine

Are you taking pre-workout supplements such as 3XT-Pump, ANARCHY, or 1.M.R. Vortex, which contain the active ingredient yohimbine? Bodybuilding.com alone retails 18 dietary supplements containing yohimbine.

Many of you know that I’ve always been a proponent of using mainstream national brand supplements to help to fill nutritional gaps (e.g. multivitamins). However, this ingredient, like DMAA (formerly found in Jack3d), is another potentially dangerous stimulant to avoid.

The compound yohimbine is found in the bark of Yohimbe, an evergreen found in the jungles of West Africa. Yohimbe has traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac although it is increasingly used to enhance athletic performance.

Yohimbine, Yohimbe bark, and Yohimbe extracts dilate blood vessels, resulting in vasocongestion. Yohimbine can cause a substantial rise in blood pressure and heart rate at doses of 20-30 mg.

Common yohimbine side effects may include anxiety, restlessness, chills and shivers, nausea, headache, dizziness, and increased irritability, among others.

Other more infrequent cases of kidney failure and hallucinations have also been reported in studies.

Yohimbine in other countries

Many countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have already banned products containing yohimbine due to potential serious health effects. 

Yohimbine hydrochloride (yohimbine HCl) is available as a prescription medication in the US, approved for treatment of male sexual dysfunction, and sold under the names Yocon and Aphrodyne.

However, the FDA currently classifies Yohimbe as an unsafe herb, containing ”the toxic alkaloid, yohimbine, and other alkaloids” and does not permit it to be marketed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in supplement form.

Conclusion

In addition to the reported dangers of Yohimbe use, there is very little evidence that Yohimbe benefits people when taken as a supplement. 

The only proven way to effectively lose weight is through proper diet and exercise. Dietary supplements should be used as part of a healthy lifestyle and not a substitute for other healthy habits.  Workout supplements promising bold effects likely do not work, and are often more harmful than beneficial.

Other chemical names for yohimbine:
Yohimban-16-carboxylic acid
Yohimbine HCl
Aphrodyne
Corynine
Quebrachine

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