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On November 27, 2001 the National Football League (NFL) became the first professional sports league to ban the dietary supplement ephedrine. The NFL considers it to be a performance enhancer and has added it to the league’s steroid policy. The league also noted the “growing evidence linking these products to several life threatening conditions such as strokes, seizures, thermo-regulatory disorders and heart arrhythmia.” (Ephedra ban opens…). The complete list of banned substances include; Ephedrine alkaloids, including ephedra and ephedrine (also known as Ma Huang, Bishop’s Tea, and Chi Powder), methylephedrine, norephedrine (also known as phenylpropanolamine), pseudoephedrine, and norpseudoephedrine, phentermine, and penfluramine/ dexfenfluarmine (NFL bans ephedrine, other stimulants). The league claims these supplements, which previously were widely accepted among coaches and players, may cause serious health risks. Team coaches and employees are prohibited from disbursing any of the banned substances to players, or having them on club premises. Ephedrine is a popular diet supplement that was taken by a majority of league players until the ban. It is an over-the-counter dietary supplement and is not regulated by