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Clenbuterol: a substitute for anabolic steroids?
I D Prather1, D E Brown, P North
1Department of Family Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Forth Worth 76107; USA.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|August 1, 1995
Summary
Clenbuterol, a bronchodilator drug, is misused by athletes for muscle gain and fat loss. Animal studies show it increases lean mass and reduces fat, but human data and safety information are lacking.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Sports Medicine
- Animal Husbandry
Background:
- Clenbuterol, a beta-2 agonist, is used as a bronchodilator internationally.
- It is banned by the United States Olympic Committee due to purported anabolic and lipolytic effects.
- Physicians require accurate information on clenbuterol for athlete care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on clenbuterol's effects relevant to athletic use.
- To identify gaps in human safety and efficacy data.
- To inform healthcare providers about the drug's known and unknown properties.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on animal husbandry studies.
- Analysis of clenbuterol's effects at doses exceeding bronchodilatory levels.
- Assessment of data extrapolation from animal models to human usage.
Main Results:
- Animal studies indicate clenbuterol increases lean mass deposition and reduces adipose tissue gain at high doses.
- No human studies on efficacy or safety are available.
- Long-term cardiovascular side effects in humans remain uninvestigated.
Conclusions:
- Extrapolation of animal data to unsupervised human use is concerning.
- Potential legitimate medical applications exist if lean mass preservation is confirmed in humans.
- Further human trials are necessary to establish clenbuterol's efficacy and safety.