Several dietary supplements are available in the market, which may benefit people to build the body, strengthen immunity, and increase efficiency.
DMAA is one such dietary supplement consumed by several people, including bodybuilders and athletes, to benefit from it.
But, alongside multiple benefits, DMAA comes with many flaws that have put the supplement under several government scanners.
Hence, a question is still revolving around whether DMAA is safe or not. This article will give you all the essential details linked to the supplement.
What Is DMAA?
DMAA or 1,3 Dimethylamylamine is a pre-workout supplement that is believed to be prepared synthetically in the laboratory.
Previously, people used DMAA as a nasal decongestant, which was banned from selling in 1983.
Several products claim that the DMAA could be naturally extracted from the rose geranium oil, hence, they include rose geranium, geranium oil, or geranium stem in their ingredient list.
But, with no specific evidence, it would be difficult to say that naturally extracted DMAA is used in these products.
Scientists and food experts assume that the DMAA used in the dietary supplement is synthetic though the structure is similar to the compounds found in geranium.
Currently, the dietary supplement is under the scanner due to several safety issues for the consumers.
Moreover, experts believe that DMAA might work similarly to cocaine and methamphetamine, resulting in DMAA abuse[1] and side effects.
Hence, several athletic organizations and governments have banned these supplements within their territory.
What Does DMAA Do?
DMAA boosts the energy and stamina of an individual immediately. But, the exact mechanism behind the boost is still a question for many.
It is assumed that the role of DMAA in the human body is similar to adrenaline. Hence, you could experience a sudden kick or boost immediately after DMAA consumption.
DMAA works as a vasodilator and central nervous system stimulant for the consumers. It constricts the blood vessel and arteries and releases the fight-or-flight hormone in the body.
Moreover, similar to dopamine, it could activate the brain’s pleasure center as well.
DMAA Benefits
DMAA comes with a wide range of benefits; hence, a preferred dietary supplement for athletes and other people.
May Help Lose Weight
1,3 Dimethylamylamine might be linked to inducing fat-burning in humans. The supplement helps increase the capacity to produce excess heat in the body, which helps burn more fat.
Alongside increasing body heat, the supplement also controls an individual’s appetite. It may not allow the consumers to eat excessive calories that would help to cut down weight.
May Help To Elevate Sexual Arousal
DMAA might be helpful for people struggling to get optimum sexual arousal. The DMAA intake helps increase the production of neurotransmitters, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
These neurotransmitters may help you enhance your mood and increase your desire for sexual activity.
But, to date, no specific evidence or test has been found related to the benefit mentioned above, hence, it’s just an assumption related to DMAA.
May Have A Positive Effect On ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder most commonly seen in children. But, the issue may prolong till adulthood in some cases.
In ADHD, the individual might struggle to stay attentive and control impulsive behaviour. Here, DMAA might have a role as it increases the dopamine level in the body.
The increased dopamine could give you a positive feeling and a sense of achievement, positively impacting your concentration and impulsive behaviour.
May Elevate Physical Endurance
DMAA is a dietary supplement primarily used to increase an individual’s physical strength.
DMAA is known to stimulate a neurotransmitter called noradrenaline which may cause vasoconstriction and elevate the heart rate and breathing rate.
These effective changes in the body induce a positive feeling in the body that may increase an individual’s energy and physical endurance.
May Improve Brain’s “Lifting Power”
Without an active brain, all the physical power could be useless for an individual. But, DMAA could potentially boost the brain’s lifting ability to cooperate well with physical strength.
DMAA is known to boost the adrenaline level in the body that increases the oxygen supply to the brain. As the brain gets oxygenated, it performs tasks with better efficiency.
DMAA Pre-Workout
As the name suggests, DMAA Pre Workout is a pre-workout dietary supplement consumed by bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts to enhance workout productivity.
The supplement contains 1,3 Dimethylamylamine as its component, which is an amphetamine derivative. As the supplement has higher potency, it could immensely boost the performance of an individual.
A scoop of DMAA pre-workout would be enough to see the drastic changes at the workout session, as observed during the studies[2].
The supplement takes around 20-30 minutes to show its effect on the consumer. The supplement’s effect is potent, and it could make you lift additional weights after each set.
The sudden hype in the performance due to DMAA pre-workout could negatively impact an individual. As soon as the supplement’s effect starts to fade away, you may experience a sudden crash.
Moreover, if you consume excessive DMAA pre-workout, you may start feeling horrible.
DMAA Side Effects
DMAA could be great for building muscles and boosting the strength of an individual, but it isn’t safe for a healthy person. It comes with plenty of disastrous side effects that could turn fatal if left unnoticed.
Rapid Heartbeat
DMAA is known to increase the heartbeat of an individual to boost stamina. But, the increased heartbeat could negatively impact[3] a person.
Due to an increased heartbeat, your heart won’t get optimum oxygen supply.
Increased Blood Pressure
1,3 Dimethylamylamine could be life-threatening as it elevates[4] the blood pressure beyond normal. The increased blood pressure could harden and thicken the arteries that may cause heart attack, strokes, etc.
Moreover, high blood pressure could make your blood vessels weak and bulge to form an aneurysm. Aneurysm could be life-threatening if it ruptures at any time.
May Worsen Glaucoma
The stimulant effect of dimethylamylamine might cause constriction in blood vessels. The constricted blood vessels could worsen glaucoma in any individual.
Hence, you should avoid taking DMAA if you are diagnosed with glaucoma.
Could Cause Complications With Surgery
If you have ever undergone surgery, DMAA is never going to be a great choice to build muscles. DMAA’s nature to elevate blood pressure and heartbeat might cause further complications with previous surgeries.
Is DMAA Illegal?
Currently, several governmental organizations and countries have imposed a permanent ban on the consumption of DMAA.
They consider it to be unsafe from the health perspective of an individual. The World Anti-Doping Agency has included dimethylamylamine in the list of prohibited supplements for athletes in 2010.
Hence, no athlete is allowed to consume DMAA in any sports event. In Canada, dimethylamylamine is a drug; hence, consuming DMAA is completely illegal within the country.
Moreover, New Zealand has also imposed a ban on dimethylamylamine as they believe that DMAA consumption could be life-threatening for people.
The US Army has removed or banned the selling of dimethylamylamine in the military stores and considered it illegal to consume it within their territory.
Conclusion
1,3 Dimethylamylamine or DMAA could be a great option to shed excess fat and build strong muscles quickly, but it’s never a great choice when health is considered.
It may slowly and permanently deteriorate the health of a healthy individual in a few cases. Hence, it is advised to consume after consulting with the concerned doctors.
References/Sources
Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.
- Sean B. Dolan, Michael B. Gatch. Abuse Liability of the Dietary Supplement Dimethylamylamine. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 Jan 1; 0: 97–102.
Published online 2014 Nov 25. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.11.006. - Matthias Dreher, Tobias Ehlert, Perikles Simon, Elmo W. I. Neuberger*. Boost Me: Prevalence and Reasons for the Use of Stimulant Containing Pre Workout Supplements Among Fitness Studio Visitors in Mainz (Germany). Front Psychol. 2018; 9: 1134. Published online 2018 Jul 17. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01134.
- Triston B. Smith, MD, Brian A. Staub, MD, Gayathri M. Natarajan, MD, David M. Lasorda, DO, Indu G. Poornima, MBBS. Acute Myocardial Infarction Associated with Dietary Supplements Containing 1,3-Dimethylamylamine and Citrus aurantium. Tex Heart Inst J. 2014 Feb; 41(1): 70–72. Published online 2014 Feb 4. doi: 10.14503/THIJ-12-2870.
- Brian K Schilling, Kelley G Hammond, Richard J Bloomer, Chaela S Presley, Charles R Yates. Physiological and pharmacokinetic effects of oral 1,3-dimethylamylamine administration in men. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol. 2013; 14: 52. Published online 2013 Oct 4. doi: 10.1186/2050-6511-14-52.
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Otella has an experience of around eight years of writing about health and nutrition-related topics. She is a full-time mother and a housewife, and the time she has left after doing her mother and household duties is spent writing for Working for Health as a full-time writer. Her life goal is to raise both her boys into a gentleman, and at the same time, she wants to educate people on how to keep themselves fit by tweaking their daily diet.