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Research compound — not a dietary supplement
DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) is a research compound, not a regulated dietary supplement. It is sold for research or off-label use. The evidence below is largely preclinical (animal and in-vitro) or early-stage, so no evidence score is assigned. This page is provided for transparency and education — it is not a recommendation to use. Consult a qualified healthcare provider, and be aware that purity, dosing, and legal status vary by jurisdiction.
What the evidence says
Most DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from mixed-quality randomised trials published 2010–2018 with a typical study size of 10 participants.
Based on 6 studies · 1 RCT · 10 total participants
Confidence
LowBy outcome
DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) has an evidence score of 3/10 — emerging evidence based on 6 indexed studies. A sympathomimetic 'amphetamine-like' stimulant once sold in pre-workout and fat-burner supplements (Jack3d, OxyELITE Pro). It raises blood pressure with NO proven performance or fat-loss benefit, and it is linked to hemorrhagic stroke, heart attack, cardiac arrest, and deaths — including in young soldiers. The FDA banned it from dietary supplements in 2012-2013 and it is prohibited by WADA. This is a harm-reduction entry: DMAA is not a supplement and not safe to use. Representative study: PMID 22030947.
The commonly studied dose of DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) is No safe or recommended dose — DMAA is a banned, removed-from-market stimulant linked to strokes, heart attacks, and deaths. We do NOT provide a dosing protocol. Historical pre-workout products contained roughly 25-75 mg per serving; controlled human studies dosed single 25-75 mg amounts and measured a blood-pressure rise, not a benefit. None of this constitutes a recommendation.. Individual needs vary — start at the lower end of the range and adjust based on how you respond.
Yohimbine
Mostly mechanism / observationalThe purified alkaloid (not crude yohimbe bark) — an alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist with modest evidence for erectile dysfunction and fasted fat loss, but real anxiety and cardiovascular risks and notoriously mislabeled supplement potency.
Ephedrine
Mostly mechanism / observationalLast reviewed June 2026 · evidence from 6 studies · how we score
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine, methylhexanamine) — banned pre-workout stimulant
A sympathomimetic 'amphetamine-like' stimulant once sold in pre-workout and fat-burner supplements (Jack3d, OxyELITE Pro). It raises blood pressure with NO proven performance or fat-loss benefit, and it is linked to hemorrhagic stroke, heart attack, cardiac arrest, and deaths — including in young soldiers. The FDA banned it from dietary supplements in 2012-2013 and it is prohibited by WADA. This is a harm-reduction entry: DMAA is not a supplement and not safe to use.
DMAA is a sympathomimetic stimulant with no credible human evidence of any performance or fat-loss benefit — the only controlled human data show it raises blood pressure. It is causally implicated in cerebral haemorrhage, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, and deaths (including in soldiers), was banned by the FDA from dietary supplements, and is prohibited by WADA. Real, serious harm against zero proven benefit defines the low score; this is a harm-reduction entry, not a recommendation.
DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine, also called methylhexanamine or 'geranamine') is a synthetic sympathomimetic stimulant — structurally and pharmacologically amphetamine-like — that was patented by Eli Lilly in the 1940s-50s as a nasal decongestant and later reappeared, marketed as a 'geranium extract,' as the headline ingredient in pre-workout and fat-burner supplements such as Jack3d and OxyELITE Pro, and in 'BZP-free party pills.' Its supposed appeal was energy, focus, appetite suppression, and 'fat burning.' Here is the load-bearing fact, and the reason this entry scores LOW: there is NO credible human evidence that DMAA improves athletic performance, endurance, or fat loss.
The only controlled human pharmacology shows it does what a vasoconstricting stimulant does — it raises blood pressure.
A double-blind crossover study (Bloomer 2011) found DMAA alone and with caffeine increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure and rate-pressure product in a dose-dependent way (peak systolic rise ~20%), without any measured performance benefit.
A 2016 critical review (Dunn) found the entire evidence base is a handful of low-powered studies — several from a single industry-tied group — with no robust efficacy data and a consistent acute blood-pressure rise. Against that absent benefit sits real, serious harm.
Case reports link DMAA-containing supplements to cerebral haemorrhage in a 21-year-old (Gee 2010), acute myocardial infarction in a previously healthy 22-year-old (Smith 2014), and cardiac arrest in a 21-year-old (Karnatovskaia 2015).
Poison-control data captured tachycardia, nausea, and vomiting among reported exposures (Forrester 2013). DMAA drew intense scrutiny after it was tied to the deaths of US soldiers during exertion, prompting the Department of Defense to pull DMAA products from on-base stores.
On that basis the FDA declared DMAA an illegal dietary-supplement ingredient (warning letters 2012, formal action 2013), warning of cardiovascular risks 'ranging from high blood pressure to heart attacks,' and the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits it in sport.
The honest summary: a dangerous, banned amphetamine-like stimulant with no demonstrated benefit, a clear blood-pressure-raising mechanism, and documented cardiovascular catastrophes including death. It is not a dietary supplement, not a medicine, and not a longevity compound — it is a removed-from-market drug of harm.
DMAA is an amphetamine-like sympathomimetic amine that activates the sympathetic nervous system, producing vasoconstriction and central stimulation — the basis for its 'energy' and appetite-suppressing effects and for its blood-pressure rise.
By constricting blood vessels, DMAA raises systolic and diastolic blood pressure and rate-pressure product (cardiac workload). This was demonstrated dose-dependently in a controlled human study and is the mechanistic route to hypertensive crises, hemorrhagic stroke, and cardiac events.
The same vasopressor/stimulant action that DMAA was sold for is what makes it dangerous: combined with exertion and often with caffeine, it has precipitated cerebral haemorrhage, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, and death in young, otherwise healthy users.
How DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) works — from molecular targets to health outcomes. Click an edge to see supporting research.This visualization is in beta — pathways are being refined and expanded.
Tap node to isolate • Pinch to zoom • Tap edge for research
No safe or recommended dose — DMAA is a banned, removed-from-market stimulant linked to strokes, heart attacks, and deaths. We do NOT provide a dosing protocol. Historical pre-workout products contained roughly 25-75 mg per serving; controlled human studies dosed single 25-75 mg amounts and measured a blood-pressure rise, not a benefit. None of this constitutes a recommendation.
Can be taken without food
| Form | Type |
|---|---|
| 💊None — banned stimulant removed from the dietary-supplement market over cardiovascular harm | Recommended |
There is no legitimate form. DMAA is not a medicine and not a lawful dietary-supplement ingredient; products are frequently mislabelled as natural 'geranium extract.'
Minimum: 1 weeks
Optimal: 1 weeks
Cycling: Not required
Note: No approved or validated timing — DMAA is a banned stimulant with no demonstrated benefit and documented fatal cardiovascular events. This library does not endorse or schedule its use.
Dose-response data unavailable. The current published research for DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) does not provide sufficient dose-specific outcome data to generate reliable dose-response curves.
Refer to the Dosage & Timing section above for recommended dose ranges based on available evidence.
There is no credible human trial showing DMAA improves athletic performance, endurance, or fat loss. The marketing claims were never substantiated; the only controlled human data measured cardiovascular responses, not benefit.
A controlled crossover study showed DMAA alone and with caffeine raised systolic and diastolic blood pressure dose-dependently (peak systolic rise ~20% at 60 minutes), increasing cardiac workload.
DMAA-containing supplements are linked in case reports to myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, and cerebral haemorrhage in young, previously healthy people — often during or around exercise.
DMAA was tied to soldier deaths during exertion and pulled from military stores; the FDA declared it an illegal dietary-supplement ingredient over cardiovascular risk, and WADA prohibits it in sport.
Avoid — DMAA has no proven benefit and is linked to strokes, heart attacks, and deaths; it was banned from supplements for this reason.
Avoid absolutely — the exertion + caffeine + DMAA combination is the setting of the worst outcomes, and DMAA is WADA-prohibited.
Avoid entirely — unstudied and a vasoconstricting stimulant.
DMAA is almost always combined with caffeine in pre-workout products; the combination raises blood pressure and cardiac workload more than either alone and is the typical context of reported cardiac events and strokes.
Combining DMAA with other sympathomimetic or pressor agents risks a dangerous additive rise in blood pressure (hypertensive crisis).
Tip: There is no mitigation — case reports describe cerebral haemorrhage in young users after DMAA. Avoid entirely. Human frequency is unquantified; treat as a serious, potentially fatal risk, not a measured rate.
Tip: There is no mitigation — heart attack and cardiac arrest have occurred in previously healthy young people, often around exercise. Seek emergency care for chest pain, collapse, or palpitations after use.
Tip: DMAA reliably raises blood pressure (and, with caffeine, heart rate). This is the mechanism behind the severe events; there is no safe way to use it.
Tip: Reported among poison-control exposures; supportive care only.
Timing is flexible for DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) — consistent daily use matters more than the time of day. There is no validated or endorsed human dosing schedule.
DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) should be used with caution — talk to a healthcare provider before taking it. The most commonly reported side effects are hemorrhagic stroke / cerebral haemorrhage, myocardial infarction / cardiac arrest, raised blood pressure / tachycardia / palpitations. Use caution if any of these apply to you: Anyone — DMAA is linked to hemorrhagic stroke, heart attack, cardiac arrest, and death, including in young healthy people during exertion; Any cardiovascular condition, hypertension, or family history of stroke/sudden cardiac events; Combined with caffeine or other stimulants — additive blood-pressure and cardiac risk (the typical pre-workout combination).
A sympathomimetic stimulant — the 'E' in the ECA (ephedrine/caffeine/aspirin) fat-loss stack. Ephedrine plus caffeine genuinely produces MODEST fat loss in 6-month RCTs (~0.9 kg/month more than placebo, ~3 kg over a controlled diet trial). But that is the whole upside: ephedra alkaloids were BANNED from US dietary supplements in 2004 after the FDA tied them to cardiovascular and psychiatric harms and deaths (the JAMA meta-analysis found a 2.2–3.6× increase in psychiatric/autonomic/GI symptoms and palpitations). Pharmaceutical ephedrine survives only as a restricted behind-the-counter decongestant/vasopressor. NOT a dietary supplement, NOT a longevity drug — a gated harm-reduction entry.
DMAA opposes blood-pressure-lowering therapy, undermining control and adding cardiovascular strain.