Ephedra has the efficacy of sweating and dispersing cold, promoting the lungs and calming asthma, as well as inducing diuresis and eliminating edema. It is used in the treatment of wind-cold cold, chest congestion and coughing, and wind-water (sudden edema of the head, face and limbs) and other conditions. Ephedra is pungent, slightly bitter and warm. It belongs to lung and bladder meridians. Ephedra is light and pungent and warm in flavor, good at reaching the surface of the muscle, going through the meridians, can relieve the surface of the wind and dispel the wind evils, and eliminate cold toxins. Ephedra is strong in sweating when used raw and weak when used roasted. Generally speaking, it is suitable to be used raw for sweating to relieve the surface of the body through sweating, and roasted for promoting the lungs and calming asthma. It is important to note that ephedra should be used with caution in those who suffer from spontaneous sweating (involuntary sweating during the day, aggravated by a little movement), night sweating (abnormal sweating after falling asleep, stopping sweating after waking up) and coughing with deficiency of the lungs and kidneys. In addition, ephedra can excite the central nervous system, constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure, so athletes should be cautious. The adverse effects of ephedra are still unclear, in the application of ephedra treatment, need to follow the doctor’s instructions, do not use on their own, so as not to cause adverse effects.