Years before 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate gained notoriety, chemists were sorting through a vast library of amphetamine derivatives, looking at how different substitutions on basic structures could change the way compounds interact with the body. The compound didn’t start as a consumer-focused ingredient; it emerged from research into central nervous system stimulants. The search for new, legal ways to spike energy and performance in sports nutrition carried over from the long pharma tradition of tweaking amine structures. After regulatory scrutiny cracked down on DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine), a structurally similar molecule, laboratories pivoted. They looked for close cousins that could replicate the sought-after stimulatory effect but still flying under the legal radar for a while. 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate appeared on supplement ingredient lists, marketed by brands eager to grab onto trends and loopholes as government safety nets lagged behind market innovation.
Manufacturers sell 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate as a white or off-white crystallized powder. In the supplement scene, it goes by names like DMBA or AMP Citrate, and companies push it as a pre-workout booster and fat burner. Users pick it up hoping for sharper focus, more energy, and thermogenic effects—a new hope for those missing the old DMAA “kick.” Many labels promise enhanced athletic performance, but there’s hardly transparency on source material or purity. Most folks grabbing a pre-workout tub off the shelf don’t realize regulators never reviewed the compound for safety before it showed up in their drink mix. For years, it slipped through as “natural,” derived from tea plants according to some claims, yet there’s little hard proof that the natural version even exists in substantial amounts.
On the bench, 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate looks straightforward: a colorless to white powder, with moderate solubility in water, especially in its citrate salt form. Its molecular structure follows a simple amine backbone—carbon chain, amine group, two methyl substitutions—giving it lipophilic qualities that let it cross cell membranes fairly efficiently. Citrate salt increases ease of manipulation and mixing, but the core amine is volatile and can act as a weak base. Its physical footprint reminds me of so many generic amines in the lab, but once inside the body, that same structure opens up potential for stimulant-like effects and all the unpredictability that entails.
Walk into any supplement shop, and you’ll likely see the product labeled as “AMP Citrate,” “DMBA,” or, less often, its full chemical name. Label claims vary, from dosages between 50 mg to over 200 mg per serving. Companies rarely disclose third-party testing details or batch purity. Some brands try to lengthen the ingredient deck with “natural” labeling, yet official chemical specifications call for product to maintain over 98 percent purity, with moisture and heavy metal content tightly controlled—at least in industrial supply chains. Since supplements aren’t tightly policed on the same level as pharmaceuticals, what’s in the tub can differ wildly from batch to batch, and label claims don’t always match reality.
Synthetically, most labs start with a butylamine backbone and introduce methyl groups at the 1 and 3 carbons using straightforward alkylation techniques. The final amine gets neutralized with citric acid, forming the citrate salt. This two-step route doesn’t require high-cost reagents or equipment—market suppliers can churn it out in bulk with relatively little oversight. In a landscape marked by gray-market actors, this open access increases risk for contamination, side-products, and inconsistent product. From my time in organic chemistry, I know a rushed alkylation or crude purification leads straight to questions about safety, especially for compounds targeting everyday consumers.
Beyond the basic synthesis, chemists look for ways to tweak the activity profile or mimic the structure to sidestep regulation. Modifying the amine’s side chains, playing with the salt forms, or introducing new substituents can all change the compound’s potency or metabolic breakdown. The body’s own enzymes will process 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine along known paths—deamination, oxidation, and eventual excretion. What worries toxicologists is the unpredictability of metabolites and potential for stress on the heart or nervous system. These reactions aren’t always straightforward, and users can feel the effects in real time with spikes in blood pressure or heart rate.
Industry marketing has generated a long list of aliases to keep shoppers and regulators guessing. “AMP Citrate” and “DMBA” represent the most prominent names, but eagle-eyed readers spot it as “4-amino-2-methylpentane citrate” on some ingredient panels. Online forums toss around regional names, and in technical supply listings, the product shows CASA numbers: 71776-70-0 for the citrate variant. These synonyms create a fog for anyone trying to track safety or regulation, leaving consumers with little real insight into what’s inside.
Safety protocols in large-scale production borrow heavily from pharmaceutical good manufacturing practices. Staff wear gloves, masks, and eye protection, handle reagents within fume hoods, and use sealed vessels to control airborne release. Testing standards involve high-performance liquid chromatography for purity, routine screens for heavy metal contamination, and stability checks at set intervals. Once 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate leaves the factory and hits supplement production lines, oversight often drops away. Dietary supplement regulations rarely cover these newer compounds, so unlabeled risks creep in. Having worked in quality assurance, I’ve seen firsthand how profit motives challenge rigorous operational standards when the pressure of speedy supply chains collides with the slow, deliberative pace of regulatory science.
Nutritional supplements dominate current demand. Brands add 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate to pre-workout formulas, complex fat-burners, and mood enhancers. The hook: amplified energy, focus, and drive, especially in sports and bodybuilding communities. Users seeking an “edge” gravitate toward these formulas despite growing health warnings. Small-scale compounding pharmacies experiment with it as an active ingredient in compounded “energy” blends, but the mainstream stickiness lands squarely on gym shelves. Some research circles toy with pharmaceutical applications mimicking classic stimulants, but any real medicinal prospects remain far off.
So far, published research on 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate trails well behind its popularity. Most available studies focus on how closely it mimics DMAA rather than illuminating its unique pharmacology. Government and independent labs flag it as potentially risky but concrete, peer-reviewed human studies are rare. A handful of metabolism papers use animal models to draw faint maps of how the body handles it. This research gap bothers public health workers and clinicians—I’ve felt the pinch myself collecting data on supplement ingredients with a much longer history. Without controlled human trials, nearly everything about the compound’s health impact turns on anecdote and assumption, setting the stage for controversy when side effects surface.
Lab scientists classify 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate as a central nervous system stimulant. Animal studies hint at a pattern of adverse cardiovascular effects, including arrhythmias and elevated blood pressure. Reports from users back these findings—some have landed in the hospital with heart palpitations or high blood pressure after supplement use. Regulators in the United States, Australia, and several European countries have moved to restrict sales over safety alarms. Nonetheless, companies keep formulating around it. Toxicology basics warn that such compounds demand robust human data, yet with DMAA’s history as a cautionary tale, few well-designed clinical studies step up to fill the knowledge gap. Anyone who’s spent time in a clinical setting knows firsthand the cost of playing catch-up after real harm surfaces in the population.
Increasing scrutiny from health agencies signals the days for 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate as an over-the-counter supplement may be closing out. The chemical will likely remain a focus for underground chemists as regulators tighten oversight. In regulated markets, supplement manufacturers scramble for novel “legal” stimulants, prompting a cat-and-mouse cycle with agencies struggling to keep up. The science field still looks at stimulant amines for pharmaceutical use, so research doesn’t disappear, but consumer product use faces an uphill battle as safety and transparency become non-negotiable. Stepping back as a health science observer, I sense a repeating pattern: as regulatory and consumer awareness rises, shady ingredients fade and demand for proven, well-characterized compounds takes their place, gradually lifting the baseline for supplement safety and consumer trust.
If you’ve been checking the labels on pre-workout powders or “fat burner” supplements, you might have seen 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate pop up. Some call it DMBA. This ingredient gets a lot of attention in fitness circles, promising to boost energy, mental focus, and performance. Some companies use it as a replacement for DMAA, another stimulant that’s been banned in several places because of serious health risks. DMBA works by acting as a stimulant, and the sale pitch often highlights a supposed increase in alertness or stamina.
It’s easy to see why some people reach for supplements containing DMBA. Life feels busy, workouts demand energy, and there’s a constant push to do more. People look for something extra — and ingredients sold as metabolic boosters or energizers have a simple story: take this, feel more alert, push harder, last longer. The idea is attractive if you hit the wall after work, or want a little more from your morning at the gym.
What’s often left out on the flashy packaging is what we don’t know. Researchers at Harvard found DMBA in several over-the-counter supplements back in 2014 and raised a red flag: there wasn’t enough evidence about how the substance actually works in the body. The FDA hasn’t approved it as a food additive or supplement ingredient in the United States. Even with that warning, some companies kept it on shelves, tucked under different names or chemical forms. That kind of secrecy ramps up worries about what you’re really putting into your body.
Reports have linked DMBA to serious heart problems, high blood pressure, and nervous system issues. I’ve talked with folks who didn’t realize they were taking a strong chemical relative of amphetamines until they felt chest pain or headaches. There’s an assumption that if something is sold in a big-name store, it’s been tested or approved. That’s just not how the supplement market works. The oversight for supplements is much lighter than for prescription medicines.
I’ve always believed that transparency should come first. If you want to push harder at the gym or find a more reliable energy source, you deserve to know exactly what’s in your supplement bottle and how it can affect your health. Checking the label often doesn’t give the full picture. For DMBA, even experienced athletes can get caught by surprise. The European Food Safety Authority and other major health organizations have advised against its use. There’s been a move to ban it in sports competitions, and some countries simply pulled it from store shelves.
Better regulation could protect people from these hidden risks. The public needs stronger rules for what ends up in supplements, clear warning labels, and honest advertising. Until the rules catch up, talking with your doctor or a registered dietitian before using new supplements makes sense, especially if you have a heart condition or take other medications. It isn’t always easy to pick through the hype, but nothing replaces real research and open information. We all deserve better than to gamble with our health for a short-lived energy boost.
Plenty of supplement bottles list 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate as an energetic boost, sometimes going by DMBA. It’s a stimulant, somewhat like DMAA, which once made waves in pre-workouts and fat burners before regulators pulled it from shelves. Gut feeling already kicks in, but it’s worth diving into what we really know.
Buyers see bold promises—sharper focus, a jolt of energy, maybe faster weight loss. Safety isn’t always clear. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration flagged DMBA because companies toss it into capsules without proper studies. In 2015, the FDA even sent warning letters to manufacturers selling DMBA as an “unapproved new drug.” They didn’t mince words: “not recognized as safe.”
No one likes to guess on health. In the published research I looked at, studies on DMBA in humans remain rare. The ingredient barely appears in any recognized list as safe or even acceptably tested. Animal studies raise eyebrows, showing increased blood pressure and heart stress. Nothing offers long-term reassurance. For consumers, it’s tough to weigh the risks without seeing good data. Most stories come from watchdog labs or case reports from emergency rooms. That should tell us something.
I’ve seen workout buddies chase new supplements, eager for any legal edge. Enthusiasm often dims after a few rough side effects—pounding heartbeats, jitters, and the dreaded crash. One friend, eager to trim fat, tried an early formula that included DMAA—his sleep vanished, and so did his focus at work. He ditched that bottle fast.
The supplement world moves fast, and formulas pop up that slip regulatory nets. It feels like chasing after what’s latest instead of what’s tested. Without proper oversight, a single serving could bring unsafe surprises. I stick with what’s well documented and steer clear of the rest.
The big trouble with DMBA and similar ingredients comes down to trust. Most people can’t decode chemical names, so they rely on the industry’s honesty. Transparency matters. Brands that push new blends must show that what’s inside won’t hurt the user. As it stands, undocumented, lab-created stimulants like DMBA don’t give that peace of mind.
Checking the label helps, but it never tells the full story. Third-party testing and clear research data matter. Groups like ConsumerLab or NSF Certified for Sport offer a way forward by screening products. If a label doesn’t spell out sources and safety, it’s a red flag. The trend of borrowing chemical cousins to skirt regulations puts too much risk on the public. People deserve to know exactly what’s going into their bodies and how it might act once inside.
We do not need mystery chemicals to unlock health. A diet rich in real food, exercise, and enough sleep outpaces any exotic supplement. Anyone who wants an edge would do better to focus on proven routines before looking to a bottle. Doctors and dietitians can help find safe and effective strategies.
Government agencies must keep a sharp eye on new synthetic ingredients, acting quickly when safety data falls short. The industry itself can step up, fund independent studies, and share results with the public. Responsible brands earn loyalty by building trust, not hype.
Stay skeptical, ask hard questions, and remember that flashy results on a label never replace real evidence. Your health deserves more than guesswork.
Products promising better workouts or more energy often carry ingredients that seem impressive on a label but less so in terms of our health. 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate (sometimes called DMBA or AMP Citrate) fits that bill. Used in some pre-workout blends and fat burners, this compound appeared on shelves after DMAA—a similar stimulant—faced heavy regulation and controversy. That switch wasn’t based on better safety. Instead, companies found a loophole to provide a similar kick.
Anyone who’s ever downed too much caffeine knows the shaky hands and racing heart that follow. 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine ramps these effects up. This compound fires up your central nervous system, the same way powerful stimulants like ephedrine or amphetamines do. Some folks feel jumpy, others sweat more than normal, and a few have reported their heart skipping beats. In my own gym days, after trying a pre-workout containing DMBA, my resting pulse shot up for hours, making sleep near impossible.
Blood pressure responds almost immediately to strong stimulants. Research from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has shown significant increases in blood pressure after using DMBA. This isn’t just tough on those with known hypertension; even healthy users could run into trouble over time. High blood pressure puts extra stress on arteries and the heart, upping the risk for strokes or heart attacks. Climbing blood pressure isn’t always obvious—you might not feel anything until real damage sets in.
Insomnia pops up again and again in reports. People finding themselves wide awake long after bedtime, feeling restless or unable to focus the next day. Over time, lost sleep chips away at mental health, focus, and immune strength. There’s also a risk for headaches, especially those that throb after intense activity, making daily life tougher.
Stimulants that get processed by the liver can build up or react with other substances, leading to liver inflammation or injury. DMBA’s chemical cousin, DMAA, caused liver problems in some documented cases. The body often treats DMBA the same way. While short-term use might slip by unnoticed, repeated doses can push the liver too hard. The scary part? Liver damage doesn’t always announce itself. You might only find out after lab tests, or when symptoms like yellowish skin or dark urine show up.
Strong regulation never caught up with DMBA the same way it did with other banned stimulants. For years, supplements could sneak in this substance without the FDA’s thumbs-up for safety or testing. Real studies on humans remain scarce. Most information comes from animal data or scattered reports, which increases the risk for anyone who chooses to try this compound.
Chasing performance boosts shouldn’t come at the cost of health. Simple changes—long walks, proper sleep, enough water—go much farther without unpredictable side effects. Supplements filled with shady ingredients rarely deliver lasting value. If you’re looking for energy, the old advice still wins: move more, eat well, and ask a real doctor before jumping into anything that feels like a shortcut.
Plenty of fitness enthusiasts keep asking about 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate, a stimulant often found in pre-workout supplements. Some gym-goers swear it helps them power through tough sessions, citing sharper focus and an extra boost in energy. The hype comes easy but digging deeper reveals the need for caution with substances like this, especially since it's similar to the controversial DMAA, which landed on regulatory radars for some worrying side effects.
Personal experience tells me that chasing quick results feels tempting. College days spent cramming for both exams and tireless workouts saw friends reaching for unregulated pills in hopes of squeezing out better performance. Many skipped the step that would make sense for any other serious medication: double-checking if the stuff is even safe. The difference? No doctor or pharmacist stands at the supplement shelf shelling out advice.
If someone wants to try 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate, the first move should be a blunt conversation with a healthcare provider. That’s not just lip service. The FDA hasn’t given this substance its stamp of approval. There’s no official guideline for dosing, and research on long-term effects in humans barely scratches the surface. Side effects can range from headaches and jitters to rapid heartbeat and high blood pressure. For anyone with heart conditions, even young or seemingly healthy athletes, it can trigger real problems.
Companies selling this ingredient often hide exact amounts in "proprietary blends," making it tough to know what you’re actually taking. That approach leaves users rolling the dice with their health. Published studies and reports from the likes of the FDA have found that some supplement labels flat out misrepresent content, and you can’t always trust the claims you see online.
Choosing to use any potent stimulant should come wrapped with purpose and awareness. For most folks wanting to build muscle or burn fat, proven routines—balanced diets, consistent training, and proper rest—deliver more reliable results without unknown risks. If you’re set on 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate, read every label closely. Track how you feel, log changes, and start at the lowest possible amount. Never combine it with other stimulants, like caffeine or ADHD medications, since stacking these can increase strain on the heart. And any sign of chest pain, dizziness, or trouble breathing is an immediate sign to stop and get checked by a professional.
It’s easy to see why some people get drawn in by promises of shortcut energy. In reality, few things in fitness or health work better than slow, steady habits. Doubt and questions around unproven stimulants can act as a reminder to value health over hype. If a product isn’t transparent or isn’t backed by strong science, skipping it looks a lot less risky than blindly following trends.
People who pay attention to what's in supplements often spot ingredients like 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate on pre-workout labels. The promise always sounds familiar: fast energy, tougher workouts, sharper focus. For years, ingredients like DMAA showed up everywhere, until regulators started raising concerns about heart risks and pulled products off the shelves. Supplement makers turned to alternatives—1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate among them.
A lot of folks expect a simple answer: is this ingredient banned, or not? Reality gets messy fast. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate for use in dietary supplements. The agency even sent warning letters to brands for using it. Having seen this up close in supplement shops, I’ve watched brands pull stock or change formulas overnight. Shelves get rearranged, but there’s always someone asking why their favorite “hardcore” pre-workout vanished.
Turn to Canada, and Health Canada places this compound under the Natural Health Products Ingredients Database—marked as “non-compliant.” Customs agents will seize any supplement containing it, leaving customers to wonder why their package never arrives. The European Union and United Kingdom have landed on a similar position, treating this ingredient as unapproved for supplements, which means retailers play a risky game by advertising powders that contain it.
Digging deeper, countries like Australia treat 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate under strict rules. The Therapeutic Goods Administration doesn’t permit its sale in supplements. Australia’s border force screens packages for it, tacking on those steep fines that make even casual supplement importers think twice.
A lot of the concern centers on potential side effects. 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine Citrate, chemically similar to banned stimulants, doesn’t just boost energy; it also pushes up blood pressure and stresses the cardiovascular system. There’s not enough safety data for regulators to call it safe. Shaky hands, racing heart, insomnia—these go beyond a pump at the gym. This isn’t just theory. Reports from users and emergency room visits back up the risky profile. The history with DMAA made folks wary, so regulators have kept a firm line here. Risking a heart problem for extra reps simply isn’t worth it.
Reading ingredient labels closely helps, but companies sometimes try to disguise banned ingredients under obscure names. I learned a lot by double-checking listed substances through government websites or independent labs. If a supplement includes unfamiliar ingredients, quick research online might reveal legal warnings or health advisories. A registered dietitian proved invaluable when I wasn’t sure about something new in my stack, offering more reliable guidance than a fitness forum.
Lobbying for better transparency pays off. Brands with nothing to hide provide third-party lab results and real information about sourcing. If a label feels vague, or if a product gets pulled from multiple countries, that’s enough of a red flag to stay away. Strength should come from good habits and trust in what you’re putting in your body, not from chemicals hiding in legal gray areas.
The supplement world changes fast, with new ingredients always around the corner. Laws can shift quickly when health consequences pop up. Staying informed—checking on official government updates and listening to medical experts—keeps athletes and everyday gym-goers safe from the fallout. That’s worth more than the rush from any compound no regulator wants on shelves.
| Names | |
| Preferred IUPAC name | 2-(1,3-dimethylbutylamino)ethane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid |
| Other names |
4-Methyl-2-pentanamine citrate 1,3-DMBA citrate AMP citrate |
| Pronunciation | /waɪ æn θri daɪˈmɛθɪlˌbjuːtɪlˌæmiːn ˈsɪtreɪt/ |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | 71776-70-0 |
| 3D model (JSmol) | `JSmol.loadInline("data/mol/1_3-dimethylbutylamine_citrate.mol")` |
| Beilstein Reference | 3839142 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:80444 |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL539266 |
| ChemSpider | 10954008 |
| DrugBank | DB11590 |
| ECHA InfoCard | 03e4c249-720e-4080-bf5a-7c10f40d9c21 |
| Gmelin Reference | 318777 |
| KEGG | C36446 |
| MeSH | D09.698.680.224.800 |
| PubChem CID | 90482664 |
| RTECS number | GU7550000 |
| UNII | 7Q77U77H97 |
| UN number | UN3337 |
| CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | EPA CompTox Dashboard DTXSID: DTXSID5089F65T |
| Properties | |
| Chemical formula | C10H25N3O7 |
| Molar mass | 335.39 g/mol |
| Appearance | White crystalline powder |
| Odor | Odorless |
| Density | 1.08 g/cm³ |
| Solubility in water | soluble |
| log P | -2.0 |
| Acidity (pKa) | pKa = 3.13 |
| Basicity (pKb) | pKb: 3.27 |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.437 |
| Dipole moment | 2.81 D |
| Hazards | |
| Main hazards | Harmful if swallowed. Causes skin irritation. Causes serious eye irritation. May cause respiratory irritation. |
| GHS labelling | GHS07, Warning, H302, H315, H319 |
| Pictograms | GHS05,GHS07 |
| Signal word | Warning |
| Hazard statements | H302: Harmful if swallowed. |
| Precautionary statements | P264, P270, P280, P301+P312, P330, P501 |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | 1-1-0 |
| LD50 (median dose) | LD50 (oral, rat): >2000 mg/kg |
| NIOSH | Not listed |
| PEL (Permissible) | Not established |
| REL (Recommended) | 5 mg |
| IDLH (Immediate danger) | Not established |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds |
1,3-Dimethylbutylamine 1,3-Dimethylamylamine (DMAA) Methylhexanamine Octodrine (2-amino-6-methylheptane) Phenylethylamine Geranamine Synephrine |
