During the past two years, several highly publicized deaths among college and professional football and baseball players were linked to their use of ephedrine containing stimulant supplements.

Although banned by the NCAA and other national and international sports governing bodies because their stimulant effect could confer an unfair competitive advantage, these ephedrine-containing supplements have been legally available and widely advertised due to a loophole in federal law that regulates drugs and supplements.

Although they are still legally available, ephedrine-containing products are now a potential legal liability for supplement manufacturers and distributors. Therefore, they have been searching for alternative stimulant products that don't have ephedrine's bad reputation. Many new products are now appearing in the stimulant and weight-loss enhancer markets. They are advertised as "ephedrine-free," implying that they are safe and acceptable. But stimulants as a class of drugs are banned by the NCAA, regardless of whether they are "ephedrine-free."

Two other stimulants that may be substituted in "ephedrine-free" products are synephrine and phenylephrine. Synephrine is also known as citrus aurantium. Phenylephrine is also known as neosynephrine.

Neither one of these chemicals has been carefully studied under the severe stresses of competitive athletic training. So, it is not currently known whether their use as sports stimulants or weight reducers could lead to heart problems and death in the manner of ephedrine. However, they are classified as stimulants by the NCAA, and the penalty for their detection on an NCAA drug test is a one-year suspension and loss of one year of eligibility.

The bottom line for student-athletes and athletics departments is: Don't fall for advertising claims of "ephedrine-free" energy boosters, stimulants and weight-loss enhancers. They may contain other banned stimulants, and the penalty will be the same.

Arnold Mazur is a staff physician at Boston College Health Service, and is a member of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, and its drug-testing and drug-education subcommittee.