Makes of 'Craze' Workout Supplement Suspend Production

A workout supplement may contain a compound similar to methamphetamine, a new study says. (Image credit: Muscular guy photo via Shutterstock)

The manufacture of Craze, a workout supplement which some studies have found to contain a methamphetamine-like compound, has halted production and sales of the product for the foreseeable future, according to a statement from the company.

On Tuesday (Oct. 15) the company, Driven Sports, said it took action a few months ago to suspend production of Craze after media reports said that amphetamine-like compounds had been found in the product.

The company's announcement came shortly after the publication of a study that found the product contains a chemical cousin of methamphetamine, called N,α- DEPEA, which has not been studied in people.

Driven Sports said its own studies show that Craze is safe, and does not contain amphetamines. The company said Craze contains a compound related to N,α- DEPEA, but one that is safe. The presence of this similar compound may have caused some to conclude that N,α- DEPEA is present when it is not, Driven Sports said.

The researchers that found the methamphetamine-like compound in Craze said that they are confident of their results, and that the compound would have acted differently in their tests if it was not N,α- DEPEA, according to USA Today.

In a statement, Driven Sports said that although the company believes the product is safe, "The confidence of our retailers to sell the product, and our consumers to buy the product is our primary concern, so we will continue the suspension of the production and sale of Craze for the foreseeable future until these issues are resolved."

Walmart and the website Bodybuilding.com stopped selling Craze online this summer, USA Today reported.

Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.