DMAA: What Is It, Uses, Benefits, Side Effects And More

Medically reviewed by Maria Sarino, MD FACT CHECKED

Dimethylamylamine is a medication that is synthesized in a lab. Originally, it was used as a nasal decongestant.

Dimethylamylamine is available as a dietary supplement for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is also known as ADHD.

Dimethylamylamine also aids in bodybuilding, weight loss, and sports performance enhancement. Some brands claim that rose geranium oil naturally contains Dimethylamylamine.

On the label of supplements containing this ingredient, you could see geranium stems, rose geranium, or geranium oil.

However, laboratory testing indicates that this substance is unlikely to be derived from this natural source.

It is thought that instead of obtaining this substance naturally, these makers intentionally added it to the supplement.

In many parts of the world, Dimethylamylamine is classified as a controlled substance and is not allowed in natural health products or dietary supplements.

In this article, we will be looking at what DMAA is, its benefits, side effects, and a lot more.

DMAA

DMAA, or Dimethylamylamine, has been used in weight loss and sports performance products, many of which are advertised as dietary supplements.

As DMAA is not a dietary element, items containing it that are sold as dietary supplements are prohibited and their marketing is illegal.

DMAA is also known as geranium extract or methylhexanamine. It is often marketed as a natural stimulant. However, people are unaware of any scientific evidence that DMAA occurs naturally in plants.

Although DMAA was once licensed as a nasal decongestant, it is no longer permitted for this use, and there is no medical use for it currently.

Consumers could be in danger from DMAA, especially when combined with certain stimulant chemicals, such as caffeine.

DMAA might cause cardiovascular issues, such as heart attack, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. It might also raise blood pressure.

FDA has also added 1,4-DMAA to the list of ingredients that they think should not be added legally in the ingredients of supplements that come under dietary supplements.

What Does DMAA Do?

Although the specific mechanism of action of DMAA is unknown, it mimics the effects of human hormones, such as adrenaline.

DMAA raises blood pressure by acting on blood vessels and boosts energy by acting on the brain’s reward system, according to research.

It induces the flight-or-fight response, similar to different stimulants, by imitating adrenalin. This might result in subjective misuse and high.

It is usually advertised as a legal high. It has been used in the military, for weight reduction, to boost energy during exercises, and as party pills.

DMAA is a performance enhancer that has been banned by several sporting organizations.

DMAA behaves similarly to methamphetamine and cocaine, has significant addiction potential, and might cause major negative effects, according to studies.

DMAA Benefits

Here are some of the potential benefits of DMAA:

  • Weight Loss

    There is limited research that talks about DMAA and weight loss. However, the consumers who believe in DMAA claim that they were able to lose weight when they regularly consumed it as a pre-workout supplement.

    If you google more about DMAA about weight loss, you will come up with a bunch of results where a certain product has been banned by the FDA or other governmental authorities that were being marked as dietary supplements that could help in weight loss.

  • Good Athletic Performance

    Consumers that have used DMAA claim that they were able to observe an improved performsnce in the gym when they consumed DMMA as a pre-workout. However, WADA has also added DMAA in the prohibited list so that no athlete uses any supplement or product that contains DMMA.

    That is the reason, it is not at all recommended for any athelete to consume DMAA and participate in any sport or event.

  • Good Cognitive Performance

    It is natural for your cognitive powers to decrease as you age. Your memory might not be as sharp as it once was. You are going to have to put up with this for a while. However, people who consume DMAA claim that it helped them reverse this tendency, and they stopped feeling like they were losing their ability to think and comprehend information.

    According to them, when you look for DMAA supplements through a reputable company, you might notice that several supplements contain specific cognitive formulae that might assist you. Some of your cognitive talents might be regained as you age or lose them completely. You do not have to endure the aggravation that usually comes with losing cognitive capacities as you age. Investing in the correct minerals and vitamins, you might try to recover your memory and brain activity.

    However, I will never recommend DMAA to anyone, as it could have multiple side effects when it comes to long-term and short-term usage of DMAA. One such case was found when a young man who consumed a supplement containing DMAA had a cardiac arrest. Hence, if you want to keep your body safe, you should avoid using supplements containing DMAA.

  • Burns Fat

    OxyELITE Pro is a DMAA-containing dietary supplement. It has helped 30 healthy adults lose body fat by giving them a pill per day for one week, according to randomized controlled research.

    In the randomized controlled experiment, it also enhanced body temperature and fat breakdown in 15 adults, which is expected to help in long-term fat loss.

DMAA Pre-Workout

When you start a fitness routine or a new sport, your ultimate goal is to achieve excellence. You look for techniques and everything else which could bring you there as quickly as possible.

In recent years, studies have been developed to help people attain their goals and improve their performance. Pre-workout supplements are what they are called.

They include several components which have an impact on the cerebral function and the skeletal and muscular systems.

One of these components is 1,3-Dimethylamylamine. Its popularity as a brain stimulant stems from its potential to boost people’s overall performance, strength, energy, and stamina.

DMAA Side Effects 

Here are some of the side effects of DMAA:

  • Liver Damage

    In a 2013 study, 35 people were hospitalized for liver damage after using OxyELITE Pro, a nutritional supplement containing DMAA.

    One individual died and two needed liver transplants out of the 35. These participants were taking the prescribed daily dose, which is 1-2 pills or scoops.

    However, 26 of the participants were using OxyELITE Pro without DMAA. These are super thermo capsules. It is impossible to say which component was poisonous.

  • Bleeding In The Brain

    There have been at least five instances of people experiencing brain hemorrhage as a result of using DMAA. The users admitted to using DMAA with caffeine or alcohol regularly.

    After taking the recommended dose of 2 scoops of Jack3d, which is a nutritional supplement containing DMAA, a 28-year-old healthy male got a brain hemorrhage and severe headache, according to research.

  • Interactions Between Drugs

    DMAA inhibited the activity of two key enzymes, 3A4 and cytochrome P450 2D6 in a cell study, which breaks down about 26% of routinely used medicines.

    They aid in the removal and breakdown of cardiac medicines, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and opioids. Drugs might pile up in the body and reach dangerously high levels if they are inhibited, potentially causing liver damage.

  • Blood Pressure And Heart Rate Rise

    In a randomized controlled experiment, 15 healthy people who took one capsule of a dietary supplement containing DMAA, OxyELITE Pro, saw an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.

    The researchers looked at 58 cases of DMAA exposure in healthy persons for side effects, the majority of which (85%) came from using OxyELITE Pro before it was prohibited.

    A noticeable rise in heart rate was observed in nearly a third of the patients. However, this effect might be attributable to certain drugs, such as caffeine.

    In 6 healthy adults, a dose of 26 mg of DMAA did not affect blood pressure or heart rate.

Is DMAA Illegal?

The use of DMAA has been linked to possibly deadly adverse effects. Therefore, some countries, including Canada and the United States, have made DMAA-containing goods illegal.

When introducing a new supplement to the market, it is always essential to do as much research as possible.

While it might be tempting for some to try something new as there is a lot of buzz about it in the market, it is always advisable to take supplements cautiously.

Perhaps a safe version might emerge in the future, but taking or promoting DMAA at this time would be inappropriate.

Conclusion 

DMAA is not a naturally occurring substance. It is created synthetically in pharmaceutical facilities. It was once used as a nasal decongestant.

Because of its properties of fat burning, potential energy, focus, strength, and alertness it has recently returned as an ingredient in weight loss and pre-workout dietary supplements.

Unhappy with this breakthrough, the FDA declared it to be illegal and hazardous. This notion appears to be supported by several reports and studies.

Because of the similarities in molecules, supplement manufacturers began to claim that their products were manufactured from the geranium plant.

The FDA was not convinced, and the debate is going on to this day. The FDA and everyone else need additional investigation before certifying it safe to use as it is a novel ingredient.

Before using any supplements, check your healthcare practitioner for permission, diagnosis, and accurate medical information.