Clenbuterol
November 07, 2021Clenbuterol is classified as an anabolic agent in WADA's prohibited list. It is a Beta-2 agonist which means it is a bronchodilator and used to treat the symptoms of asthma, however there seem to be additional effects of this drug, which are not well studied.
The popularity of this drug among some athletes is due to the anabolic effect together with the fat reducing effect of this drug, even though there is, to my knowledge, no clinical evidence that can support such effects. The likely explanation is that the fat is re-distributed into the muscle. In many countries clenbuterol is only prescribed to animals and is used e.g. for respiratory disease in horses and in cattle to relax the uterus at the time of parturition. It is also used illegally in pigs to obtain leaner meats. There have been several reported occasions where people have been poisoned by eating pork contaminated by clenbuterol.