Clenbuterol
Encyclopedia
Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine
used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant
and bronchodilator
. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma
use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier. It is most commonly available as the hydrochloride
salt clenbuterol hydrochloride.
and salbutamol
, but its effects are more potent and longer-lasting as a stimulant and thermogenic drug. It causes an increase in aerobic
capacity, central nervous system
stimulation, and an increase in blood pressure
and oxygen
transportation. It increases the rate at which body fat is metabolized, simultaneously increasing the body's BMR
. It is commonly used for smooth muscle
relaxant properties. This means that it is a bronchodilator
and tocolytic
.
Clenbuterol is usually used in dosages anywhere from 20-60 micrograms (mcg) a day when prescribed. A dose of about 120 mcg (women) or 140 mcg (men) should never be exceeded in a day.
Clenbuterol is also prescribed for treatment of horses; however, equine use is usually the liquid form of clenbuterol.
. It is commonly used as a slimming aid despite lack of sufficient clinical testing either supporting or negating such use.
and is now banned for IOC-tested athletes. In the U.S., administration of clenbuterol to any animal that could be used as food for human consumption is banned by the FDA.
of Spain was suspended from cycling after testing positive for the drug at the 2010 Tour de France. He has been cleared by the Spanish cycling federation, which canceled its January 26 proposal for a one-year ban.
American swimmer Jessica Hardy
tested positive at the U.S. trials in July 2008. She served a one-year suspension, having claimed she unknowingly took the drug in a contaminated food supplement. Former New York Mets
clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski
admitted to distributing clenbuterol to dozens of current and former Major League Baseball players and associates in his plea deal.
Polish
sprint canoer
Adam Seroczyński
was disqualified for taking this drug after he finished fourth in the K-2 1000 m
event at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, and Chinese cyclist Li Fuyu
tested positive for it at the Dwars door Vlaanderen
race in Belgium on March 24, 2010.
In September 2010, St. Louis Cardinals
minor league shortstop Lainer Bueno received a 50-game suspension for the 2011 season as a result of testing positive for clenbuterol.
In June 2011, Mexican National team in soccer were found with this drug but were aquitted by WADA, they claimed that it was contaminated in their food. FIFA have also claimed that 109 players from the Under 17 World Cup in Mexico tested positive for this drug. Claiming that Mexican meat is contaminated.
were reported to have been poisoned by eating pork
contaminated by clenbuterol that had been fed to the animals to keep their meat lean.
In February 2009, at least 70 people in one Chinese province (Guangdong) suffered food poisoning after eating pig organs believed to contain clenbuterol residue. The victims complained of stomach aches and diarrhea after eating pig organs bought in local markets.
In March 2011, China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said that the government would launch a one-year crackdown on illegal additives in pig feed, after a subsidiary of Shuanghui Group, China's largest meat producer, was exposed for using clenbuterol-contaminated pork in its meat products. A total of 72 people in central Henan Province, where Shuanghui is based, were taken into police custody for allegedly producing, selling or using clenbuterol.
prohibit the use of clenbuterol in food-producing animals. It is, however, used in other parts of the world for the treatment of allergic respiratory disease
in horses, as it is a bronchodilator
. A common trade name is Ventipulmin. It can be used both orally
and intravenously. It is also used in cattle to relax the uterus in cows, usually at the time of parturition.
It is also a nonsteroidal anabolic and metabolism accelerator, through a mechanism not well understood. Its ability to increase the muscle-to-fat body ratio makes its illegal use in livestock popular to obtain leaner meats.
Amine
Amines are organic compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are derivatives of ammonia, wherein one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a substituent such as an alkyl or aryl group. Important amines include amino acids, biogenic amines,...
used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant
Decongestant
A decongestant or nasal decongestant is a type of drug that is used to relieve nasal congestion.-Pharmacology:The vast majority of decongestants act via enhancing norepinephrine and epinephrine or adrenergic activity by stimulating the α-adrenergic receptors...
and bronchodilator
Bronchodilator
A bronchodilator is a substance that dilates the bronchi and bronchioles, decreasing resistance in the respiratory airway and increasing airflow to the lungs. Bronchodilators may be endogenous , or they may be medications administered for the treatment of breathing difficulties...
. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier. It is most commonly available as the hydrochloride
Hydrochloride
In chemistry, hydrochlorides are salts resulting, or regarded as resulting, from the reaction of hydrochloric acid with an organic base . This is also known as muriate, derived from hydrochloric acid's other name: muriatic acid....
salt clenbuterol hydrochloride.
Effects and dosage
Clenbuterol is a β2 agonist with some structural and pharmacological similarities to epinephrineEpinephrine
Epinephrine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. In chemical terms, adrenaline is one of a group of monoamines called the catecholamines...
and salbutamol
Salbutamol
Salbutamol or albuterol is a short-acting β2-adrenergic receptor agonist used for the relief of bronchospasm in conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is marketed as Ventolin among other brand names....
, but its effects are more potent and longer-lasting as a stimulant and thermogenic drug. It causes an increase in aerobic
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means "living in air", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism...
capacity, central nervous system
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
stimulation, and an increase in blood pressure
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...
and oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
transportation. It increases the rate at which body fat is metabolized, simultaneously increasing the body's BMR
Basal metabolic rate
Basal Metabolic Rate , and the closely related resting metabolic rate , is the amount of daily energy expended by humans and other animals at rest. Rest is defined as existing in a neutrally temperate environment while in the post-absorptive state...
. It is commonly used for smooth muscle
Smooth muscle
Smooth muscle is an involuntary non-striated muscle. It is divided into two sub-groups; the single-unit and multiunit smooth muscle. Within single-unit smooth muscle tissues, the autonomic nervous system innervates a single cell within a sheet or bundle and the action potential is propagated by...
relaxant properties. This means that it is a bronchodilator
Bronchodilator
A bronchodilator is a substance that dilates the bronchi and bronchioles, decreasing resistance in the respiratory airway and increasing airflow to the lungs. Bronchodilators may be endogenous , or they may be medications administered for the treatment of breathing difficulties...
and tocolytic
Tocolytic
Tocolytics are medications used to suppress premature labor . They are given when delivery would result in premature birth...
.
Clenbuterol is usually used in dosages anywhere from 20-60 micrograms (mcg) a day when prescribed. A dose of about 120 mcg (women) or 140 mcg (men) should never be exceeded in a day.
Clenbuterol is also prescribed for treatment of horses; however, equine use is usually the liquid form of clenbuterol.
Human use
Clenbuterol is approved for use in some countries (via prescription only) as a bronchodilator for asthma patients. Recently though, the drug has been publicized for its off-label use as a weight loss drug, similar to usage of other sympathomimetic amines such as ephedrineEphedrine
Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant, and to treat hypotension associated with anaesthesia....
. It is commonly used as a slimming aid despite lack of sufficient clinical testing either supporting or negating such use.
Legal status
Clenbuterol is not an ingredient of any therapeutic drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationFood and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
and is now banned for IOC-tested athletes. In the U.S., administration of clenbuterol to any animal that could be used as food for human consumption is banned by the FDA.
Use as performance-enhancing drug
As a beta 2 sympathomimetic, clenbuterol has also been used as a performance-enhancing drug. In 2010, three cyclists were also accused of taking the drug. Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto ContadorAlberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
of Spain was suspended from cycling after testing positive for the drug at the 2010 Tour de France. He has been cleared by the Spanish cycling federation, which canceled its January 26 proposal for a one-year ban.
American swimmer Jessica Hardy
Jessica Hardy
Jessica Adele Hardy is an American swimmer who specializes in the breaststroke and freestyle stroke. She currently holds the world record in the 50 m breaststroke and the 100 m breaststroke ....
tested positive at the U.S. trials in July 2008. She served a one-year suspension, having claimed she unknowingly took the drug in a contaminated food supplement. Former New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski
Kirk Radomski
Kirk J. Radomski is a former batboy and clubhouse employee for the New York Mets Major League Baseball team from 1985–1995, who on April 27, 2007 pleaded guilty in United States district court to money laundering and illegal distribution of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, Clenbuterol,...
admitted to distributing clenbuterol to dozens of current and former Major League Baseball players and associates in his plea deal.
Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
sprint canoer
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
Adam Seroczyński
Adam Seroczynski
Adam Dariusz Seroczyński is a Polish sprint canoer who competed from 1997 to 2008. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the K-4 1000 m event at Sydney in 2000....
was disqualified for taking this drug after he finished fourth in the K-2 1000 m
Canoeing at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's K-2 1000 metres
The men's K-2 1000 metres competition in canoeing at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing between August 18 and 22. The K-2 event is raced in two-person kayaks....
event at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, and Chinese cyclist Li Fuyu
Li Fuyu
Li Fuyu is a Chinese professional road bicycle racer. Li rode with Marco Polo from 2005 to 2006, before switching to the Pro Tour under coach Johan Bruyneel for the 2007 season...
tested positive for it at the Dwars door Vlaanderen
Dwars door Vlaanderen
Dwars door Vlaanderen is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race. Traditionally, it is the start of the Flemish cycling week, with Gent–Wevelgem , the Three Days of De Panne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, a week and a half before the...
race in Belgium on March 24, 2010.
In September 2010, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
minor league shortstop Lainer Bueno received a 50-game suspension for the 2011 season as a result of testing positive for clenbuterol.
In June 2011, Mexican National team in soccer were found with this drug but were aquitted by WADA, they claimed that it was contaminated in their food. FIFA have also claimed that 109 players from the Under 17 World Cup in Mexico tested positive for this drug. Claiming that Mexican meat is contaminated.
Contraindications and cautions
- Hypersensitivity to the medicine
- Thyrotoxicosis
- TachycardiaTachycardiaTachycardia comes from the Greek words tachys and kardia . Tachycardia typically refers to a heart rate that exceeds the normal range for a resting heart rate...
- Subaortic stenosisStenosisA stenosis is an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel or other tubular organ or structure.It is also sometimes called a stricture ....
- Acute myocardial infarctionMyocardial infarctionMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
- HypertensionHypertensionHypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
- PregnancyPregnancyPregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
Overdosage
Excessive usage over the recommended dose of about 120 μg can cause muscle tremor, headache, dizziness and gastric irritation. Persons self-administering the drug for weight loss or to improve athletic performance have experienced nausea, vomiting, diaphoresis, palpitations, tachycardia and myocardial infarction. Use of the drug may be confirmed by detecting its presence in semen or urine.Food contamination
In September 2006 over 330 people in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
were reported to have been poisoned by eating pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
contaminated by clenbuterol that had been fed to the animals to keep their meat lean.
In February 2009, at least 70 people in one Chinese province (Guangdong) suffered food poisoning after eating pig organs believed to contain clenbuterol residue. The victims complained of stomach aches and diarrhea after eating pig organs bought in local markets.
In March 2011, China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said that the government would launch a one-year crackdown on illegal additives in pig feed, after a subsidiary of Shuanghui Group, China's largest meat producer, was exposed for using clenbuterol-contaminated pork in its meat products. A total of 72 people in central Henan Province, where Shuanghui is based, were taken into police custody for allegedly producing, selling or using clenbuterol.
Veterinary use
The United States and the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
prohibit the use of clenbuterol in food-producing animals. It is, however, used in other parts of the world for the treatment of allergic respiratory disease
Recurrent Airway Obstruction
Recurrent airway obstruction, also known as broken wind, heaves, or sometimes by the term usually used for humans , is a respiratory disease in horses...
in horses, as it is a bronchodilator
Bronchodilator
A bronchodilator is a substance that dilates the bronchi and bronchioles, decreasing resistance in the respiratory airway and increasing airflow to the lungs. Bronchodilators may be endogenous , or they may be medications administered for the treatment of breathing difficulties...
. A common trade name is Ventipulmin. It can be used both orally
Oral administration
Oral administration is a route of administration where a substance is taken through the mouth.-Terminology:Per os is an adverbial phrase meaning literally from Latin "by mouth" or "by way of the mouth." The expression is used in medicine to describe a treatment that is taken orally. The...
and intravenously. It is also used in cattle to relax the uterus in cows, usually at the time of parturition.
It is also a nonsteroidal anabolic and metabolism accelerator, through a mechanism not well understood. Its ability to increase the muscle-to-fat body ratio makes its illegal use in livestock popular to obtain leaner meats.