Shrek
Fucked up Kunce
Info resourced by Cirr & GTO @ Bodyline all credit to Cirr & GTO
What is Clenbuterol?
Clenbuterol is a beta-2 agonist and is used in many countries as a broncodilator for the treatment of asthma. Because of it's long half life, clenbuterol is not FDA approved for medical use. It is a central nervous system stimulant and acts like adrenaline. It shares many of the same side effects as other CNS stimulants like ephedrine. Contrary to popular belief, Clenbuterol has a half life of 35 hours and not 48 hours.
Dosing and Cycling
Clenbuterol comes in 20mcg tablets, although it is also available in syrup, pump and injectable form. Doses are very dependent on how well the user responds to the side effects, but somewhere in the range of 5-8 tablets per day for men and 1-4 tablets a day for women is most common. Clenbuterol loses its thermogenic effects after 6-8 weeks when body temperature drops back to normal. It's anabolic/anti-catabolic properties fade away at around the 18 day mark. Taking the long half life into consideration, the most effective way of cycling clen is 2 weeks on/ 2 weeks off for no more than 12 weeks. Ephedrine can be used in the off weeks.
Clenbuterol vs Ephedrine vs DNP
Ephedrine will raise metabolic levels by about 2-3 percent and 200mg of DNP raises metabolic levels by about 30 percent. Clenbuterol raises metabolic levels about 10 percent and it can raise body temperature several degrees.
DNP is by far the most effective fat burner but many people will never use it because of the risks associated with it. It also offers no anti-catabolic benefit. Although it does have anti-catabolic effect, ephedrine short half life prevents it from being all that effective.
As far as side effects, Clenbuterol's are certainly milder than DNP's, and some would even say milder than an ECA stack. There is no ECA-style crash on Clenbuterol and many users find it easier on the prostate and sex drive. This may in part be due to the fact that Clen is generally used for only 2 weeks at a time.
Side effects
NAUSEA
NERVOUSNESS
DIZZINESS
DROWSINESS
DRY MOUTH
FACIAL FLUSHING
HEADACHE
HEARTBURN
INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE
INCREASED SWEATING
INSOMNIA
LIGHTHEADEDNESS
MUSCLE CRAMPS
TREMORS
VOMITING
CHEST PAIN
The most significant side effects are muscle cramps, nervousness, headaches, and increased blood pressure.
Muscle cramps can be avoided by drinking 1.5-2 gallons of water and consuming bananas and oranges or supplementing with GNC potassium tablets at 200-400mg a day taken before bed on an empty stomach.
Headaches can easily be avoided with Tylenol Extra Strength taken at the first signs of a headache. You may need to take double the recommended dose.
Common Uses
Post-Cycle Therapy: Clen is used post cycle to aid in recovery. It allows the user to continue eating large amounts of food, without worrying about adding body fat. It also helps the user maintain more of his strength as well as his intensity in the gym. Diet: Roughly the same as on cycle.
Fat loss: The most popular use for Clen, it also increases muscle hardness, vascularity, strength and size on a caloric deficit. For the most significant fat loss, Clen can be stacked with T3. Diet: A high protein(1.5g per lb of bodyweight), moderate carb(0.5g to 1g per lb of bodyweight), low fat diet(0.25g per lb of bodyweight) seems to work best with Clen.
Alternative to Steroids: Clenbuterol has mild steroid-like properties and can be used by non AS using bodybuilder to increase LBM as well as strength and muscle hardness. Diet: A moderate carb, high protein, moderate fat diet work well.
Stimulant/Performance Enhancement: It can be used as a stimulant, but an ECA stack may be a better choice because of it's much shorter half-life. Diet: To take full advantage of the stimulatory effects of Clen, Carbs must be included in the diet. Keto diet do not work well in this case.
Precautions: Is Clen for you?
The same precautions that apply to Ephedrine must be applied to Clen, although some people find ECA stacks harsher than Clen. It should not be stacked with other CNS stimulants such as Ephedrine and Yohimbine. These combinations are unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Caffeine can be used in moderation before a workout for an extra kick, although its diuretic effects may shift electrolyte balance. Drink more water if you use Caffeine.
What else do I need to know?
Most users that report bad side effects and discontinue use are those who use high doses right at the start of the cycle. The worst side effects occur within the first 3-4 days of use.
A first time user should not exceed 40mcg the first day.
Example of a first cycle:
Day1: 20mcg
Day2: 40mcg
Day3: 60mcg
Day4: 80mcg
Day5: 80mcg(Note: Increase the dose only when the side effects are tolerable)
Day6-Day12: 100mcg
Day13: 80mcg (Tapering is not necessary, but it helps some users get back to normal gradually)
Day14: 60mcg
Day15: off
Day16: off
Day 17: ECA/ NYC stack
Example of a second cycle:
Day1: 60mcg
Day2: 80mcg
Day3: 80mcg
Day4: 100mcg
Day5: 100mcg
Day6-Day12: 120mcg
Day13: 100mcg
Day14: 80mcg
Day15: off
Day16: off
Day 17: ECA/ NYC stack
Do not take Clen Past 4pm and drink plenty of water: 1.5-2 gallons a day.
All brands are not equal when it comes to Clen, different brands will yield different results.
That about covers everything.
CLENBUETEROL
Is available in 10 - 20 mcg tablets or in the .016 mg/gram Ventapulmin Vet variety. Clenbuterol is known as a sympathomimetic. These hormones are taken to mimic adrenaline and noradrenaline in the human body. Clenbuterol is a selective beta-2 agonist that is used to stimulate the beta receptors in fat and muscle tissue in the body. Clenbuterol exhibits most of it's effects on the stimulation of both type 2 and 3 beta receptors. Clenbuterol is really one of bodybuilding's most misunderstood performance enhancement drugs. It is true that it is effective in helping to burn bodyfat but it is often been stated that clenbuterol is effective in causing anabolic gains and has in times even been compared to some of the weaker anabolic steroids. Books such as the World Anabolic Review, 1996, by P. Grunding and M. Bachmann state incorrectly that, "its effects, however, can by all means be compared to those of steroids.
Similar to a combination of Winstrol Depot and Oxandrolone...." These statements are inaccurate and misleading to say the least. A lot of these claims as to the anabolic effects of clenbuterol are derived from studying the effects of clenbuterol on livestock. Clenbuterol is effective in increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat loss in animals. The problem with the variation in anabolic effects between humans and livestock is that livestock have an abundance of the type 3 beta receptors whereas humans have little if any of the type 3 beta receptors. These beta-3 receptors increases insulin secretion and sensitivity, causing more glucose and amino acids to be transported into skeletal muscle thus causing the anabolic effects that we, humans, just aren't seeing. As Dan Duchaine stated in his Muscle Media article on clenbuterol, "In those animal research studies showing an anabolic effect from clenbuterol, it's my guess the anabolism happens specifically when the beta2 receptor stops working. At that point, the beta3 increases and causes the anabolic effect through insulin mechanisms." Since humans, again, have either very little or no beta-3 receptors, there is no chance of this anabolic effect. Just another of the studies where everyone assumed that what works in animals must work in humans. This is just simply not the case with clenbuterol.
Clenbuterol does work effectively as a fat burner though. It does this by slight increases in the body temperature. With each degree that the temperature in your body is raised from the use of clenbuterol, you will burn up approximately an extra 5% of maintenance calories. This makes it effective as a fat burner. Your body will fight this by cutting down on the amount of active thyroid in the body as well as through beta receptor down regulation which explains why you only have a limited effective period to take clenbuterol. While I am on the subject of beta receptor down regulation, I would like to dispose of another myth. This involves the two on/two off cycling theory that I believe was originated by Bill Phillips in the Anabolic Reference Guide and has somehow made it's was into every other steroid book since then including the WAR and Physical Enhancement with an Edge. The two on-two off theory simply will not work because of one main reason: the half life of clenbuterol. This 2-on/2-off idea was a THEORY ONLY, not by a doctor or scientist, and not based on specific knowledge of clenbuterol, but derived by imitation from other drug's with shorter half lives.
Clenbuterol has been reported as having a half life of about 2 days, but that is not actually correct, since it has biphasic elimination, with the half-life of the rapid phase being about 10 hours, and the slower phase being several days. Supposedly, this is one of the reasons the FDA never approved clenbuterol as an anti-asthmatic drug...the FDA frowns on drugs with long half-lives if drugs with more normal half-lives are available. So with a 2-on/2-off cycle you never have time to get enough of the clenbuterol out of your system for this theory to be reasonable. In actuality, it probably hasn't even dropped to 50% of your peak concentration before you are taking the drug again. With this all taken into account, there is no reason to think that this cycling would significantly reduce the problem of receptor desensitization. A more reasonable approach would be either one week on, one week off, or alternately, two weeks on two weeks off. The two week cycle has the disadvantage of a "crash" period afterwards. This crash period can be helped with the use of ephedrine to lessen the lethargy that you will experience. If you are interested in taking clenbuterol for anything other than fat loss then you might as well stay away from this compound. There is a lot of talk as to how clenbuterol compares to ephedrine as well. Most "experts" feel that clen gives a better bang for the buck than the ECA stack. It should be noted that clenbuterols results and effects are much shorter lived. They work through very similar mechanisms. Both products stimulate the beta-receptors but clenbuterol seems to be a more refined version, called a second generation beta-agonist drug, than ephedrine. Clenbuterol targets the proper receptors, being the beta-2 and 3 receptors than ephedrine more specifically which should in theory make clenbuterol more effective of a fat burner. Again, most of the so called "experts" say that clenbuterol is more effective than ephedrine. I, personally, get worse results with clen vs. the good old ECA stack. Clenbuterol also didn't blunt my hunger either and I ate more while taking it as well. I also seem to get much better effects out of cytomel as a fat burner as well.
Effective Dose:
80-140 mcgs. / day in split doses throughout the day. Anything over 140 mcg a day is overkill since the beta receptors can only take so much of a product and then more is just wasteful.
Side Effects:
Restlessness, palpitations, tremors, headache, increased peassure, nausea. alot of these effect are temporary that usually subside in about a week.
Beta agonist rage – the anabolic properties of asthma drugs
By Jerry Brainum
Clenbuterol has acquired a near-legendary status among some power athletes. This reputation is is based on the drug's alleged anabolic and fat-burning properties. Although never approved for sale in the United States, clenbuterol is available in other countries under various trade names, including Clenasma, Monores, Norvegan. Prontovent and Spirovent. The drug is sold either in tablet form or as a solution in various concentrations.
Clenbuterol is often mistakenly identified in the popular media as a "steroid". In fact, it is classified as a beta-2 agonist because of its interactions with adrenergic cell receptors, especially beta-2 adrenergic receptors. Since these receptors are involved in bronchodilatation (expansion of the bronchial air passages), the drug is prescribed to help control asthmatic symptoms.
Clenbuterol and similar beta-2 agonists, such as cimatero) and fenoterol, differ from other common beta-2 agonist drugs in that they remain active in the body longer. For example, clenbuterol has a half-life of 27 hours, taking about five days to dear from the body. In contrast the longest-acting beta-2 agonist sold in the United States, salmeterol lasts only about 12 hours.
However, most researchers believe that the longer a drug takes to clear from the body, the higher the risk of side effects. This explains why beta-2 agonists such as clenbuterol have never been approved for sale in the United States. In addition, from the standpoint of asthmatic therapy, the longer-acting beta-2 agonists show no significant therapeutic benefit over existing asthma drugs, so the profit motive for drug companies is also lacking.
CRITTERS ON CLENBUTEROL
Long-acting beta-2 agonists are attractive to athletes for the drugs' putative muscle-building and fat-burning effects. Animal research using various species (e.g., horses, sheep,chickens and cattle) demonstrates that clenbuterol acts as a "repartitioning agent" That is clenbuterol seems to increase the density of type-II muscle fibers (the type most prone to growth in humans) and concomitantly favors bodyfat losses. One study found a 20% gain in muscle coupled with a 20% loss of fat when clenbuterol was given for just eight to 14 days.
Extrapolated to humans, the doses provided in animal research far exceed what any human could safely tolerate. For instance, the average dose range of clenbuterol needed to provide an effective repartitioning response in animals was between 0.33 and two milligrams per kilogram (a kilogram equals 2.2 pounds). The suggested therapeutic dosage to treat asthmatic symptoms in humans is much less. Doses equivalent to those given to the research animals would most likely kill a human.
THE MYSTERY OF CLENBUTEROL
It's uncertain how clenbuterol and similar long-acting beta-2 agonists work to provide anabolic effects. Animals experience a rapid upgrade in muscle-protein synthesis that lasts for only about five days. After that protein synthesis induced by the drug diminishes: then comes decreased muscle-protein degradation, an anticatabolic effect.
A similar scenario occurs with anabolic steroids — an initial increase in muscle-protein synthesis, followed by an extended anticatabolic effect. Both the protein-synthesizing actions and anticatabolic effects of anabolic steroids are known, but how clenbuterol exerts similar activity (in mega-doses) isn't as clearly established.
No formal clinical studies using clenbuterol as an ergogenic agent in humans exist, probably because of the relatively gargantuan dosages needed to produce anabolic effects in test animals. From an anecdotal point of view, most athletes who've taken the drug use it more for its "thermogenic" or fat-burning properties than for its anabolic effects.
However, the beta-cell receptors that clenbuterol interacts with are exquisitely sensitive and are known to "down-regulate" or close up if exposed to concentrated doses of beta-agonist drugs. Athletes often attempt to circumvent this biological limitation by using a "two-days-on, two-days-off" dosing schedule. Even so, the drug usually stops exerting thermogenic effects in as little as two weeks.
NOW, YOU'RE MAKING ME MAD
Clenbuterol is similar in structure to epinephrine, and like epinephrine, clenbuterol can excessively stimulate the heart, resulting in a rapid heartbeat, or tachycardia. Other possible side effects include muscle tremors, heart-rhythm disturbances, headaches and muscle cramps. The latter problem is thought to occur because beta-2 agonist drugs affect potassium distribution in the body.
A few recent inquiries point to a possible behavioral side effect from using beta-2 agonist drugs. An increase in hostility and anger has been observed in men after a down-regulation of beta-adrenergic cell receptors. One study, published in Psychosomatic Medicine (59:481-87, 1997), found that men with decreased cellular adrenergic receptors also showed greater plasma catecholamine (epinephrine) and cortisol responses to anger provocation.
What's curious about this research is that a similar situation - the infamous 'roid rage is reported to occur in some anabolic-steroid abusers. What happens to an athlete taking clenbuterol and anabolic steroids concurrently is still unknown. Could the anger/rage effect be cumulative? And could the danger be compounded further, since investigations have linked increased anger to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease?
The research on clenbuterol isn't completely negative. A study published in Brain Research (717:44-54,1996) found that giving clenbuterol to rats and mice increased a protective brain substance called "nerve growth factor." This effect was especially evident in the hippocampus, a brain area vital to memory storage and intellectual functioning. If this work is reproducible in humans, it may prove that drugs such as clenbuterol might prevent certain types of degenerative brain diseases.
ARE ASTHMA INHALERS ANABOLIC?
Many athletes familiar with clenbuterol might wonder if using commonly available metered-dose asthma-drug inhalers would produce similar responses. It's not unreasonable to assume that such drugs would offer some ergogenic benefits, since they fall into the same beta-2 agonist category as clenbuterol.
The first thing to consider about asthma inhalers is their highly selective distribution. In essence, most of the drug is delivered to the lungs, with some slight spillover into the general blood circulation. Also, the dosage used in such sprays is usually in micrograms — not enough to promote any type of true ergogenic activity.
Despite these notable shortcomings, however, some investigations have confirmed an increase in power in non-asthmatics given asthma inhalers. For example, a 1988 study (Canadian Jouma; or Sports Science. 13:144-4 found that subjects showed improved prolonged exercise performance (lasting more than an hour) after inhaling a commonly available asthma spray drug called albuterol. Most other research has failed to confirm this effect, although a 1992 investigation did find increased power output with the same drug.
A recent report in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (29:1631-36.1997) looked at the effects of another asthma drug inhaler, terbutaline, on 20 elite male athletes from various sports. The drug was used during tow-temperature conditions, which often provoke exercise-induced asthma. The study, however, found no increase in exercise performance in any of the athletes who used the inhaler.
In another case, reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (99:443-49,1997), a newer type of commonly available asthma inhaler called salmeterol was examined for its ability to increase power output in athletes. Salmeterol is sold commercially as Serevent inhaler and differs from other asthma inhalers because of its extended activity. It binds to beta-cell receptors with an affinity 50 times greater than that of the other most popular asthma inhaler, albuterol. As a result, it lasts twice as long as albuterol (12 hours versus six) in providing increased bronchodilatation.
Any type of beta-2 agonist drug is capable of raising muscle strength by stimulating an influx of calcium into a portion of the muscle called the sarcoplasm. This in turn, leads to an increase in the binding of muscle contractile proteins (actin and myosin), resulting in more potent muscular contraction.
Actually, this process does not usually occur. Regular exercise leads to a release of catecholamines such as epinephrine, which interact with muscle beta-adrenergic receptors. This constant exposure to epinephrine leads to a down-regulation of the muscle receptors (as occurs when drugs such as clenbuterol are used). The result is lowered muscle responsiveness to beta-2 type drugs, such as various asthma inhalers.
The study on salmeterol confirmed the lack of ergogenic or power increases in athletes inhaling this drug in standard doses (two puffs or inhalations). Based on this finding and others discussed above, most asthma inhalers are deemed legal for use in international athletic competition. In contrast, similar drugs, such as clenbuterol are banned.
The main problem with asthma drugs is the same as that typically occurring with clenbuterol — cell-receptor downgrade. Some doctors fear that with continual usage, some asthma inhalers may not work at all thus endangering asthmatics who depend on them. Salmeterol, unlike albuterol, isn't for emergency use anyway; it takes 20-180 minutes to begin opening up the lungs, while albuterol works immediately.
Is available in 10 - 20 mcg tablets or in the .016 mg/gram Ventapulmin Vet variety. Clenbuterol is known as a sympathomimetic. These hormones are taken to mimic adrenaline and noradrenaline in the human body. Clenbuterol is a selective beta-2 agonist that is used to stimulate the beta receptors in fat and muscle tissue in the body. Clenbuterol exhibits most of it's effects on the stimulation of both type 2 and 3 beta receptors. Clenbuterol is really one of bodybuilding's most misunderstood performance enhancement drugs. It is true that it is effective in helping to burn bodyfat but it is often been stated that clenbuterol is effective in causing anabolic gains and has in times even been compared to some of the weaker anabolic steroids. Books such as the World Anabolic Review, 1996, by P. Grunding and M. Bachmann state incorrectly that, "its effects, however, can by all means be compared to those of steroids.
Similar to a combination of Winstrol Depot and Oxandrolone...." These statements are inaccurate and misleading to say the least. A lot of these claims as to the anabolic effects of clenbuterol are derived from studying the effects of clenbuterol on livestock. Clenbuterol is effective in increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat loss in animals. The problem with the variation in anabolic effects between humans and livestock is that livestock have an abundance of the type 3 beta receptors whereas humans have little if any of the type 3 beta receptors. These beta-3 receptors increases insulin secretion and sensitivity, causing more glucose and amino acids to be transported into skeletal muscle thus causing the anabolic effects that we, humans, just aren't seeing. As Dan Duchaine stated in his Muscle Media article on clenbuterol, "In those animal research studies showing an anabolic effect from clenbuterol, it's my guess the anabolism happens specifically when the beta2 receptor stops working. At that point, the beta3 increases and causes the anabolic effect through insulin mechanisms." Since humans, again, have either very little or no beta-3 receptors, there is no chance of this anabolic effect. Just another of the studies where everyone assumed that what works in animals must work in humans. This is just simply not the case with clenbuterol.
Clenbuterol does work effectively as a fat burner though. It does this by slight increases in the body temperature. With each degree that the temperature in your body is raised from the use of clenbuterol, you will burn up approximately an extra 5% of maintenance calories. This makes it effective as a fat burner. Your body will fight this by cutting down on the amount of active thyroid in the body as well as through beta receptor down regulation which explains why you only have a limited effective period to take clenbuterol. While I am on the subject of beta receptor down regulation, I would like to dispose of another myth. This involves the two on/two off cycling theory that I believe was originated by Bill Phillips in the Anabolic Reference Guide and has somehow made it's was into every other steroid book since then including the WAR and Physical Enhancement with an Edge. The two on-two off theory simply will not work because of one main reason: the half life of clenbuterol. This 2-on/2-off idea was a THEORY ONLY, not by a doctor or scientist, and not based on specific knowledge of clenbuterol, but derived by imitation from other drug's with shorter half lives.
Clenbuterol has been reported as having a half life of about 2 days, but that is not actually correct, since it has biphasic elimination, with the half-life of the rapid phase being about 10 hours, and the slower phase being several days. Supposedly, this is one of the reasons the FDA never approved clenbuterol as an anti-asthmatic drug...the FDA frowns on drugs with long half-lives if drugs with more normal half-lives are available. So with a 2-on/2-off cycle you never have time to get enough of the clenbuterol out of your system for this theory to be reasonable. In actuality, it probably hasn't even dropped to 50% of your peak concentration before you are taking the drug again. With this all taken into account, there is no reason to think that this cycling would significantly reduce the problem of receptor desensitization. A more reasonable approach would be either one week on, one week off, or alternately, two weeks on two weeks off. The two week cycle has the disadvantage of a "crash" period afterwards. This crash period can be helped with the use of ephedrine to lessen the lethargy that you will experience. If you are interested in taking clenbuterol for anything other than fat loss then you might as well stay away from this compound. There is a lot of talk as to how clenbuterol compares to ephedrine as well. Most "experts" feel that clen gives a better bang for the buck than the ECA stack. It should be noted that clenbuterols results and effects are much shorter lived. They work through very similar mechanisms. Both products stimulate the beta-receptors but clenbuterol seems to be a more refined version, called a second generation beta-agonist drug, than ephedrine. Clenbuterol targets the proper receptors, being the beta-2 and 3 receptors than ephedrine more specifically which should in theory make clenbuterol more effective of a fat burner. Again, most of the so called "experts" say that clenbuterol is more effective than ephedrine. I, personally, get worse results with clen vs. the good old ECA stack. Clenbuterol also didn't blunt my hunger either and I ate more while taking it as well. I also seem to get much better effects out of cytomel as a fat burner as well.
Effective Dose:
80-140 mcgs. / day in split doses throughout the day. Anything over 140 mcg a day is overkill since the beta receptors can only take so much of a product and then more is just wasteful.
Side Effects:
Restlessness, palpitations, tremors, headache, increased peassure, nausea. alot of these effect are temporary that usually subside in about a week.
Clenbuterol
Pharmaceutical Name: clenbuterol
Molecular weight of base: 277.193
Effective dose: 40-160 µg / day orally
Average Street-price: $0.75 - 1.00 per 40µg tab USD
Available Doses: 10,20,40 µg tabs, 16 µg/ml injection or 25 µg/ml oral spray
Brands & Products:
Arzneimittel Werk Dresden Contraspasmin (G) 20 mcg tabs
Biomedica Foscama Clenasma 20 mcg tabs
Chinoin Novegam (MX) 20 mcg tabs
Falqui Contrasmina (I) 20 mcg tabs
Fidelis Cesbron (PT) 20 mcg tabs
Juste Ventolase (ES) 20 mcg tabs
Quimedical Broncoterol (PT) 20 mcg tabs
Richter Ventipulmin (A) 16 mcg/ml
Salus Prontovent (I) 20 mcg tabs
Sopharma Sofia Clenbuterol Pharmachim (BG) 20 mcg tabs
Thomae Spiropent (G, A,DK,I,ES,MX,BG,HU,CZ) 20 mcg tabs
Spiropent mite (G) 20 mcg tabs
Spasmo-mucosolvan (G) 20 mcg tabs
Valeas Monores (I) 20 mcg tabs
Von Boch Broncodil (I) 20 mcg tabs
Unknown Oxyflux (MX) 20 mcg tabs
Boehringer-Ingelheim Ventipulmin 25 mg/ml oral spray (vet.)
Characteristics:
Clenbuterol is a very widely used drug and has quite a reputation. A good one among athletes and recreational users, and a very bad one among those people who know very little about illegal performance enhancing aids. Its not a steroid. In fact, the only medical use for which clenbuterol is generally prescribed (and now being less and less prescribed thanks to its illegitimate use) is for obstructions of the air-way. People with chronic breathing disorders like asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier. But its only one of the many things that can be achieved with the use of clenbuterol.
In terms of action this drug is best likened to the now also illegal ephedrine and its legal replacement, ma huang. All of them operate mainly by increasing the manufacture and secretion of catabolic hormones known as cathecholamines (like dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline)) which are secreted from the adrenal region. Now these hormones have a wide variety of functions. First of all they seem to alter the contractile characteristics of smooth muscle, but very specifically. Some will apparently be stimulated, and others inhibited. Amongst those inhibited, the smooth muscles in the bronchial tree, which explains its soothing effect in patients with breathing problems. What it also does is increase thermogenisis. This usually encompasses a rise in blood pressure, a stimulatory effect of the heart muscle and a resulting rise in body temperature.
Along with the reversing of the effects of insulin (and inhibiting the action of insulin) which results in a release of glycogen back into the blood stream as glucose and an inability to store or use more glycogen, it will increase the rate of protein and fat being burned in the body. For bodybuilders that appears to be the primary use of the drug. This thermogenisis and an increase in the rate of fat being burned usually has as a result that the metabolic rate of the subject its much higher and he burns more calories. This in turn results in loss of adipose tissue (the shedding of fat in other words) revealing a leaner physique with cuts and striations. The downside to this effect is that there is a concomitant rise in the rate of protein being burned. Where fat is robbed from the fatty tissue in the body, protein is generally robbed from the muscle. As with all catabolic hormones, in time muscle loss can and will occur. Which is why many opt to use this compound during a cycle of anabolic steroids that will help preserve the lean body mass while reducing the fat.
Among the other actions that cathecholamines have is an increase in aerobic capacity (facilitated by the easier breathing), a stimulation of the nervous system (facilitated by norepinephrine and acetylcholine release) and thus the skeletal muscle system, an increase in oxygen transportation (facilitated by the increased blood pressure) and an increase in vigil. These characteristics in turn combine to make this drug particularly interesting for athletes doing endurance sports and needing a boost. Especially in middle-long running numbers, this drug is widely abused and its no secret that in cycling circles clenbuterol in liquid form is combined with a painkiller and the drug EPO (synthetic erythropoeitin, a renal hormone) which increases the manufacture of red blood cells. It is then injected along the road, thereby avoiding positive tests prior to the race. Needless to say such a cocktail is very hazardous to the cardiovascular system. Just to demonstrate the wide use of this drug and its immense popularity among athletes, observe the US Olympic team. Exercise-induced asthma is an afflmiction that generally occurs in 3-7% of the population, and is in some rare cases treated with clenbuterol. In 2000 60% of US Olympic athletes claimed to have exercise-induced asthma and ALL of them were prescribed clenbuterol for this condition. An otherwise illegal drug, tolerated solely for this reason. And this while the Romanian gymnast Andrea Raducan was stripped of her gold medal for the 25 µg of norephedrine in her cold medicin she was taking...
In several animal studies1,2,3 Clenbuterol was also shown to act as an anabolic, believed to be able to impart muscle gains. This was never demonstrated in humans4 however, and there is more evidence that its effect on catabolic hormones invokes the opposite. In any case, the animal studies used much higher doses5 then one would safely recommend for humans. The late Dan Duchaine, by many held in high regard as a steroid guru and a former writer of the now defunct MM2K, believed it had something to do with the stimulation of a third beta receptor, which was different in humans as opposed to other mammals, and that this was the reason humans did not receive any anabolic benefits. As with most of what Dan said, this is very questionable, but one of many possible explanations in a debate that still rages on. Despite the many claims of other bodybuilders that still swear it has some form of anabolic action, I must say I've seen enough proof to the contrary to strongly advise against buying clenbuterol for promoting muscle mass. You may be more than sorely disappointed. Next time you see a 230 pound, 6 foot top-level cyclist, let me know and I may change my mind.
Clenbuterol, when used for its fat-burning properties is best used in a pyramid scheme. Slowly building up the dose may be more important that tapering off of it, as most first time users will rarely if ever know how they will react. Because of the effects on blood pressure its best to start with 20-40 µg per day and slowly work your way up increasing the dose every 3 days by 20 µg, to a maximum of 120-160 µg (most find 80 µg to be adequate). Its also best not used for long periods of time. Body homeostasis seems to negate the excitatory and inhibitive functions of clenbuterol over time, creating a complacency effect. It loses most of its nerve stimulation and fat burning benefits after 3-4 weeks, and using it longer on end would be futile. The user is best to discontinue use for an equal period of time and then recommence again.
Another thing people should be aware of is the inherent liver toxicity associated with clenbuterol use. When stacking with oral 17-alpha-alkylated steroids, accutane, anti-biotics or other hepatoxic elements, one should have his liver values checked by a licensed physician at regular points in time to avoid all problems. If you not a yellow discoloration of the skin cease use immediately and contact your doctor.
Stacking and Use:
Clenbuterol should be built up and tapered off gradually with dosage increases and decreases every 3-4 days and doses never exceeding 160 µg per day to be perfectly safe. Its mostly used for periods of 2-3 weeks then discontinued for equal periods of time to disallow the body to adapt to the effects of the drug. For fat-burning goals clenbuterol is often stacked with another fat-burning agent for quick effect, or alternated with another fat-burning agent by people who need to stay lean on a year-round basis. Usually cytomel (T3) is used for such purposes, with alternating cycles of 3 weeks each. If used together, cycles will not completely overlap, but differ slightly so as not to match the low doses with the low and the high doses with the high. A typical cycle for clenbuterol might be 3 weeks, with the daily amounts being 40/40/40/60/60/60/80/80/80/100/100/100/80/80/80/60/60/60/40/40/40 µg/day. Then stopping for three weeks and recommencing.
It's also commonly stacked with anabolic steroids. Usually non-aromatizing steroids that give the user a leaner and harder look, and allow for less water retention. They serve a main purpose of allowing the user to keep as much of his hard-earned muscle mass as he tries to shed the fat he has stocked up in the off-season with catabolic precursors such as clenbuterol. Clenbuterol is generally regarded as fairly safe6, hence its wide-spread use. It should be disadvised for all with blood pressure and/or previously diagnosed cardio-vascular problems. But most tolerate it quite well. By building up the dose over time they usually see when they've reached a dose that becomes too harsh. The use of clenbuterol will elicit higher body temperature, higher blood pressure and in some, especially at high doses, insomnia and jitters. Though these should not be nearly as pronounced with clenbuterol as they are with ephedrine and its legal counterpart ma huang. They are also easily remedied by shifting doses around so you don't take clenbuterol in the hours leading up to bedtime and most of it in pre-training phases when the drug can enhance your training vigor.
Another good match for clenbuterol in a stack is the plant derivative yohimbine Hcl. It does concern the standardized product yohimbine here and not the raw material yohimbe, which is useless. In small doses of 20-30 mg per day, it can stop the down-regulation of the noradrenaline feedback mechanisms, that usually inhibit the actions of noradrenaline by reducing receptor affinity. This has two important uses. The first is that the length of action of clenbuterol can be enhanced by a few hours when using it together with yohimbine Hcl (although it already has a considerable half-life time7 of 36 hours and one daily dose should suffice) , and the second is that concomitant use of yohimbine Hcl may allow clenbuterol to induce its fatburning aspects on a longer term than the normal 2-3 weeks, so it can be used for 5-6 weeks instead. Yohimbine Hcl is, at least for now still, a legal supplement that can be acquired for very little money from legal sources and supplement companies.
References
1 Ricart-Firinga C, Stevens L, Canu MH, Nemirovskaya TL, Mounier Y. Effects of beta(2)-agonist clenbuterol on biochemical and contractile properties of unloaded soleus fibers of rat. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2000 Mar; 278 (3) : C582-8
2 Hayes A, Williams DA. Long-term clenbuterol administration alters the isometric contractile properties of skeletal muscle from normal and dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 1994 Oct; 21 (10) : 757-65
3 Maltin CA, Delday MI, Hay **, Smith FG, Lobley GE, Reeds PJ. The effects of the anabolic agent, clenbuterol, on overloaded rat skeletal muscle. Biosci Rep 1987 feb; 7 (2) :143-9
4 Human fat cell beta-adrenergic receptors : beta-agonist dependent lipolytic reponses and characterization of beta-adrenergic bindingsiteson human fat cell membranes with highly selective beta-1 agonists. J lipid Res 1988 May; 29 (5) : 587-601
5 Prather ID, Brown DE, North P, Wilson JR. Clenbuterol : a substitute for anabolic steroids ? Med Sci Sports Exerc 1995 Aug; 27 ( : 1118-21
6 Su WJ, Perng RP. Spiorpent (clenbuterol) : another choice for patients with chronic irreversible airway obtsructions. Chung Hua I Hsueh Tsa Chih (Taipei) 1991 Jan; 47 (1) : 13-7
7 Meinen K, Rahn M, Hermer M, Rominger KL, Kanitz T. Oral tocolytic therapy with clenbuterol - clinical facts. Z Geburtshilfe Perinatol 1988 Jul ; 192 (4) : 163-8
What is Clenbuterol?
Clenbuterol is a beta-2 agonist and is used in many countries as a broncodilator for the treatment of asthma. Because of it's long half life, clenbuterol is not FDA approved for medical use. It is a central nervous system stimulant and acts like adrenaline. It shares many of the same side effects as other CNS stimulants like ephedrine. Contrary to popular belief, Clenbuterol has a half life of 35 hours and not 48 hours.
Dosing and Cycling
Clenbuterol comes in 20mcg tablets, although it is also available in syrup, pump and injectable form. Doses are very dependent on how well the user responds to the side effects, but somewhere in the range of 5-8 tablets per day for men and 1-4 tablets a day for women is most common. Clenbuterol loses its thermogenic effects after 6-8 weeks when body temperature drops back to normal. It's anabolic/anti-catabolic properties fade away at around the 18 day mark. Taking the long half life into consideration, the most effective way of cycling clen is 2 weeks on/ 2 weeks off for no more than 12 weeks. Ephedrine can be used in the off weeks.
Clenbuterol vs Ephedrine vs DNP
Ephedrine will raise metabolic levels by about 2-3 percent and 200mg of DNP raises metabolic levels by about 30 percent. Clenbuterol raises metabolic levels about 10 percent and it can raise body temperature several degrees.
DNP is by far the most effective fat burner but many people will never use it because of the risks associated with it. It also offers no anti-catabolic benefit. Although it does have anti-catabolic effect, ephedrine short half life prevents it from being all that effective.
As far as side effects, Clenbuterol's are certainly milder than DNP's, and some would even say milder than an ECA stack. There is no ECA-style crash on Clenbuterol and many users find it easier on the prostate and sex drive. This may in part be due to the fact that Clen is generally used for only 2 weeks at a time.
Side effects
NAUSEA
NERVOUSNESS
DIZZINESS
DROWSINESS
DRY MOUTH
FACIAL FLUSHING
HEADACHE
HEARTBURN
INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE
INCREASED SWEATING
INSOMNIA
LIGHTHEADEDNESS
MUSCLE CRAMPS
TREMORS
VOMITING
CHEST PAIN
The most significant side effects are muscle cramps, nervousness, headaches, and increased blood pressure.
Muscle cramps can be avoided by drinking 1.5-2 gallons of water and consuming bananas and oranges or supplementing with GNC potassium tablets at 200-400mg a day taken before bed on an empty stomach.
Headaches can easily be avoided with Tylenol Extra Strength taken at the first signs of a headache. You may need to take double the recommended dose.
Common Uses
Post-Cycle Therapy: Clen is used post cycle to aid in recovery. It allows the user to continue eating large amounts of food, without worrying about adding body fat. It also helps the user maintain more of his strength as well as his intensity in the gym. Diet: Roughly the same as on cycle.
Fat loss: The most popular use for Clen, it also increases muscle hardness, vascularity, strength and size on a caloric deficit. For the most significant fat loss, Clen can be stacked with T3. Diet: A high protein(1.5g per lb of bodyweight), moderate carb(0.5g to 1g per lb of bodyweight), low fat diet(0.25g per lb of bodyweight) seems to work best with Clen.
Alternative to Steroids: Clenbuterol has mild steroid-like properties and can be used by non AS using bodybuilder to increase LBM as well as strength and muscle hardness. Diet: A moderate carb, high protein, moderate fat diet work well.
Stimulant/Performance Enhancement: It can be used as a stimulant, but an ECA stack may be a better choice because of it's much shorter half-life. Diet: To take full advantage of the stimulatory effects of Clen, Carbs must be included in the diet. Keto diet do not work well in this case.
Precautions: Is Clen for you?
The same precautions that apply to Ephedrine must be applied to Clen, although some people find ECA stacks harsher than Clen. It should not be stacked with other CNS stimulants such as Ephedrine and Yohimbine. These combinations are unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Caffeine can be used in moderation before a workout for an extra kick, although its diuretic effects may shift electrolyte balance. Drink more water if you use Caffeine.
What else do I need to know?
Most users that report bad side effects and discontinue use are those who use high doses right at the start of the cycle. The worst side effects occur within the first 3-4 days of use.
A first time user should not exceed 40mcg the first day.
Example of a first cycle:
Day1: 20mcg
Day2: 40mcg
Day3: 60mcg
Day4: 80mcg
Day5: 80mcg(Note: Increase the dose only when the side effects are tolerable)
Day6-Day12: 100mcg
Day13: 80mcg (Tapering is not necessary, but it helps some users get back to normal gradually)
Day14: 60mcg
Day15: off
Day16: off
Day 17: ECA/ NYC stack
Example of a second cycle:
Day1: 60mcg
Day2: 80mcg
Day3: 80mcg
Day4: 100mcg
Day5: 100mcg
Day6-Day12: 120mcg
Day13: 100mcg
Day14: 80mcg
Day15: off
Day16: off
Day 17: ECA/ NYC stack
Do not take Clen Past 4pm and drink plenty of water: 1.5-2 gallons a day.
All brands are not equal when it comes to Clen, different brands will yield different results.
That about covers everything.
CLENBUETEROL
Is available in 10 - 20 mcg tablets or in the .016 mg/gram Ventapulmin Vet variety. Clenbuterol is known as a sympathomimetic. These hormones are taken to mimic adrenaline and noradrenaline in the human body. Clenbuterol is a selective beta-2 agonist that is used to stimulate the beta receptors in fat and muscle tissue in the body. Clenbuterol exhibits most of it's effects on the stimulation of both type 2 and 3 beta receptors. Clenbuterol is really one of bodybuilding's most misunderstood performance enhancement drugs. It is true that it is effective in helping to burn bodyfat but it is often been stated that clenbuterol is effective in causing anabolic gains and has in times even been compared to some of the weaker anabolic steroids. Books such as the World Anabolic Review, 1996, by P. Grunding and M. Bachmann state incorrectly that, "its effects, however, can by all means be compared to those of steroids.
Similar to a combination of Winstrol Depot and Oxandrolone...." These statements are inaccurate and misleading to say the least. A lot of these claims as to the anabolic effects of clenbuterol are derived from studying the effects of clenbuterol on livestock. Clenbuterol is effective in increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat loss in animals. The problem with the variation in anabolic effects between humans and livestock is that livestock have an abundance of the type 3 beta receptors whereas humans have little if any of the type 3 beta receptors. These beta-3 receptors increases insulin secretion and sensitivity, causing more glucose and amino acids to be transported into skeletal muscle thus causing the anabolic effects that we, humans, just aren't seeing. As Dan Duchaine stated in his Muscle Media article on clenbuterol, "In those animal research studies showing an anabolic effect from clenbuterol, it's my guess the anabolism happens specifically when the beta2 receptor stops working. At that point, the beta3 increases and causes the anabolic effect through insulin mechanisms." Since humans, again, have either very little or no beta-3 receptors, there is no chance of this anabolic effect. Just another of the studies where everyone assumed that what works in animals must work in humans. This is just simply not the case with clenbuterol.
Clenbuterol does work effectively as a fat burner though. It does this by slight increases in the body temperature. With each degree that the temperature in your body is raised from the use of clenbuterol, you will burn up approximately an extra 5% of maintenance calories. This makes it effective as a fat burner. Your body will fight this by cutting down on the amount of active thyroid in the body as well as through beta receptor down regulation which explains why you only have a limited effective period to take clenbuterol. While I am on the subject of beta receptor down regulation, I would like to dispose of another myth. This involves the two on/two off cycling theory that I believe was originated by Bill Phillips in the Anabolic Reference Guide and has somehow made it's was into every other steroid book since then including the WAR and Physical Enhancement with an Edge. The two on-two off theory simply will not work because of one main reason: the half life of clenbuterol. This 2-on/2-off idea was a THEORY ONLY, not by a doctor or scientist, and not based on specific knowledge of clenbuterol, but derived by imitation from other drug's with shorter half lives.
Clenbuterol has been reported as having a half life of about 2 days, but that is not actually correct, since it has biphasic elimination, with the half-life of the rapid phase being about 10 hours, and the slower phase being several days. Supposedly, this is one of the reasons the FDA never approved clenbuterol as an anti-asthmatic drug...the FDA frowns on drugs with long half-lives if drugs with more normal half-lives are available. So with a 2-on/2-off cycle you never have time to get enough of the clenbuterol out of your system for this theory to be reasonable. In actuality, it probably hasn't even dropped to 50% of your peak concentration before you are taking the drug again. With this all taken into account, there is no reason to think that this cycling would significantly reduce the problem of receptor desensitization. A more reasonable approach would be either one week on, one week off, or alternately, two weeks on two weeks off. The two week cycle has the disadvantage of a "crash" period afterwards. This crash period can be helped with the use of ephedrine to lessen the lethargy that you will experience. If you are interested in taking clenbuterol for anything other than fat loss then you might as well stay away from this compound. There is a lot of talk as to how clenbuterol compares to ephedrine as well. Most "experts" feel that clen gives a better bang for the buck than the ECA stack. It should be noted that clenbuterols results and effects are much shorter lived. They work through very similar mechanisms. Both products stimulate the beta-receptors but clenbuterol seems to be a more refined version, called a second generation beta-agonist drug, than ephedrine. Clenbuterol targets the proper receptors, being the beta-2 and 3 receptors than ephedrine more specifically which should in theory make clenbuterol more effective of a fat burner. Again, most of the so called "experts" say that clenbuterol is more effective than ephedrine. I, personally, get worse results with clen vs. the good old ECA stack. Clenbuterol also didn't blunt my hunger either and I ate more while taking it as well. I also seem to get much better effects out of cytomel as a fat burner as well.
Effective Dose:
80-140 mcgs. / day in split doses throughout the day. Anything over 140 mcg a day is overkill since the beta receptors can only take so much of a product and then more is just wasteful.
Side Effects:
Restlessness, palpitations, tremors, headache, increased peassure, nausea. alot of these effect are temporary that usually subside in about a week.
Beta agonist rage – the anabolic properties of asthma drugs
By Jerry Brainum
Clenbuterol has acquired a near-legendary status among some power athletes. This reputation is is based on the drug's alleged anabolic and fat-burning properties. Although never approved for sale in the United States, clenbuterol is available in other countries under various trade names, including Clenasma, Monores, Norvegan. Prontovent and Spirovent. The drug is sold either in tablet form or as a solution in various concentrations.
Clenbuterol is often mistakenly identified in the popular media as a "steroid". In fact, it is classified as a beta-2 agonist because of its interactions with adrenergic cell receptors, especially beta-2 adrenergic receptors. Since these receptors are involved in bronchodilatation (expansion of the bronchial air passages), the drug is prescribed to help control asthmatic symptoms.
Clenbuterol and similar beta-2 agonists, such as cimatero) and fenoterol, differ from other common beta-2 agonist drugs in that they remain active in the body longer. For example, clenbuterol has a half-life of 27 hours, taking about five days to dear from the body. In contrast the longest-acting beta-2 agonist sold in the United States, salmeterol lasts only about 12 hours.
However, most researchers believe that the longer a drug takes to clear from the body, the higher the risk of side effects. This explains why beta-2 agonists such as clenbuterol have never been approved for sale in the United States. In addition, from the standpoint of asthmatic therapy, the longer-acting beta-2 agonists show no significant therapeutic benefit over existing asthma drugs, so the profit motive for drug companies is also lacking.
CRITTERS ON CLENBUTEROL
Long-acting beta-2 agonists are attractive to athletes for the drugs' putative muscle-building and fat-burning effects. Animal research using various species (e.g., horses, sheep,chickens and cattle) demonstrates that clenbuterol acts as a "repartitioning agent" That is clenbuterol seems to increase the density of type-II muscle fibers (the type most prone to growth in humans) and concomitantly favors bodyfat losses. One study found a 20% gain in muscle coupled with a 20% loss of fat when clenbuterol was given for just eight to 14 days.
Extrapolated to humans, the doses provided in animal research far exceed what any human could safely tolerate. For instance, the average dose range of clenbuterol needed to provide an effective repartitioning response in animals was between 0.33 and two milligrams per kilogram (a kilogram equals 2.2 pounds). The suggested therapeutic dosage to treat asthmatic symptoms in humans is much less. Doses equivalent to those given to the research animals would most likely kill a human.
THE MYSTERY OF CLENBUTEROL
It's uncertain how clenbuterol and similar long-acting beta-2 agonists work to provide anabolic effects. Animals experience a rapid upgrade in muscle-protein synthesis that lasts for only about five days. After that protein synthesis induced by the drug diminishes: then comes decreased muscle-protein degradation, an anticatabolic effect.
A similar scenario occurs with anabolic steroids — an initial increase in muscle-protein synthesis, followed by an extended anticatabolic effect. Both the protein-synthesizing actions and anticatabolic effects of anabolic steroids are known, but how clenbuterol exerts similar activity (in mega-doses) isn't as clearly established.
No formal clinical studies using clenbuterol as an ergogenic agent in humans exist, probably because of the relatively gargantuan dosages needed to produce anabolic effects in test animals. From an anecdotal point of view, most athletes who've taken the drug use it more for its "thermogenic" or fat-burning properties than for its anabolic effects.
However, the beta-cell receptors that clenbuterol interacts with are exquisitely sensitive and are known to "down-regulate" or close up if exposed to concentrated doses of beta-agonist drugs. Athletes often attempt to circumvent this biological limitation by using a "two-days-on, two-days-off" dosing schedule. Even so, the drug usually stops exerting thermogenic effects in as little as two weeks.
NOW, YOU'RE MAKING ME MAD
Clenbuterol is similar in structure to epinephrine, and like epinephrine, clenbuterol can excessively stimulate the heart, resulting in a rapid heartbeat, or tachycardia. Other possible side effects include muscle tremors, heart-rhythm disturbances, headaches and muscle cramps. The latter problem is thought to occur because beta-2 agonist drugs affect potassium distribution in the body.
A few recent inquiries point to a possible behavioral side effect from using beta-2 agonist drugs. An increase in hostility and anger has been observed in men after a down-regulation of beta-adrenergic cell receptors. One study, published in Psychosomatic Medicine (59:481-87, 1997), found that men with decreased cellular adrenergic receptors also showed greater plasma catecholamine (epinephrine) and cortisol responses to anger provocation.
What's curious about this research is that a similar situation - the infamous 'roid rage is reported to occur in some anabolic-steroid abusers. What happens to an athlete taking clenbuterol and anabolic steroids concurrently is still unknown. Could the anger/rage effect be cumulative? And could the danger be compounded further, since investigations have linked increased anger to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease?
The research on clenbuterol isn't completely negative. A study published in Brain Research (717:44-54,1996) found that giving clenbuterol to rats and mice increased a protective brain substance called "nerve growth factor." This effect was especially evident in the hippocampus, a brain area vital to memory storage and intellectual functioning. If this work is reproducible in humans, it may prove that drugs such as clenbuterol might prevent certain types of degenerative brain diseases.
ARE ASTHMA INHALERS ANABOLIC?
Many athletes familiar with clenbuterol might wonder if using commonly available metered-dose asthma-drug inhalers would produce similar responses. It's not unreasonable to assume that such drugs would offer some ergogenic benefits, since they fall into the same beta-2 agonist category as clenbuterol.
The first thing to consider about asthma inhalers is their highly selective distribution. In essence, most of the drug is delivered to the lungs, with some slight spillover into the general blood circulation. Also, the dosage used in such sprays is usually in micrograms — not enough to promote any type of true ergogenic activity.
Despite these notable shortcomings, however, some investigations have confirmed an increase in power in non-asthmatics given asthma inhalers. For example, a 1988 study (Canadian Jouma; or Sports Science. 13:144-4 found that subjects showed improved prolonged exercise performance (lasting more than an hour) after inhaling a commonly available asthma spray drug called albuterol. Most other research has failed to confirm this effect, although a 1992 investigation did find increased power output with the same drug.
A recent report in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (29:1631-36.1997) looked at the effects of another asthma drug inhaler, terbutaline, on 20 elite male athletes from various sports. The drug was used during tow-temperature conditions, which often provoke exercise-induced asthma. The study, however, found no increase in exercise performance in any of the athletes who used the inhaler.
In another case, reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (99:443-49,1997), a newer type of commonly available asthma inhaler called salmeterol was examined for its ability to increase power output in athletes. Salmeterol is sold commercially as Serevent inhaler and differs from other asthma inhalers because of its extended activity. It binds to beta-cell receptors with an affinity 50 times greater than that of the other most popular asthma inhaler, albuterol. As a result, it lasts twice as long as albuterol (12 hours versus six) in providing increased bronchodilatation.
Any type of beta-2 agonist drug is capable of raising muscle strength by stimulating an influx of calcium into a portion of the muscle called the sarcoplasm. This in turn, leads to an increase in the binding of muscle contractile proteins (actin and myosin), resulting in more potent muscular contraction.
Actually, this process does not usually occur. Regular exercise leads to a release of catecholamines such as epinephrine, which interact with muscle beta-adrenergic receptors. This constant exposure to epinephrine leads to a down-regulation of the muscle receptors (as occurs when drugs such as clenbuterol are used). The result is lowered muscle responsiveness to beta-2 type drugs, such as various asthma inhalers.
The study on salmeterol confirmed the lack of ergogenic or power increases in athletes inhaling this drug in standard doses (two puffs or inhalations). Based on this finding and others discussed above, most asthma inhalers are deemed legal for use in international athletic competition. In contrast, similar drugs, such as clenbuterol are banned.
The main problem with asthma drugs is the same as that typically occurring with clenbuterol — cell-receptor downgrade. Some doctors fear that with continual usage, some asthma inhalers may not work at all thus endangering asthmatics who depend on them. Salmeterol, unlike albuterol, isn't for emergency use anyway; it takes 20-180 minutes to begin opening up the lungs, while albuterol works immediately.
Is available in 10 - 20 mcg tablets or in the .016 mg/gram Ventapulmin Vet variety. Clenbuterol is known as a sympathomimetic. These hormones are taken to mimic adrenaline and noradrenaline in the human body. Clenbuterol is a selective beta-2 agonist that is used to stimulate the beta receptors in fat and muscle tissue in the body. Clenbuterol exhibits most of it's effects on the stimulation of both type 2 and 3 beta receptors. Clenbuterol is really one of bodybuilding's most misunderstood performance enhancement drugs. It is true that it is effective in helping to burn bodyfat but it is often been stated that clenbuterol is effective in causing anabolic gains and has in times even been compared to some of the weaker anabolic steroids. Books such as the World Anabolic Review, 1996, by P. Grunding and M. Bachmann state incorrectly that, "its effects, however, can by all means be compared to those of steroids.
Similar to a combination of Winstrol Depot and Oxandrolone...." These statements are inaccurate and misleading to say the least. A lot of these claims as to the anabolic effects of clenbuterol are derived from studying the effects of clenbuterol on livestock. Clenbuterol is effective in increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat loss in animals. The problem with the variation in anabolic effects between humans and livestock is that livestock have an abundance of the type 3 beta receptors whereas humans have little if any of the type 3 beta receptors. These beta-3 receptors increases insulin secretion and sensitivity, causing more glucose and amino acids to be transported into skeletal muscle thus causing the anabolic effects that we, humans, just aren't seeing. As Dan Duchaine stated in his Muscle Media article on clenbuterol, "In those animal research studies showing an anabolic effect from clenbuterol, it's my guess the anabolism happens specifically when the beta2 receptor stops working. At that point, the beta3 increases and causes the anabolic effect through insulin mechanisms." Since humans, again, have either very little or no beta-3 receptors, there is no chance of this anabolic effect. Just another of the studies where everyone assumed that what works in animals must work in humans. This is just simply not the case with clenbuterol.
Clenbuterol does work effectively as a fat burner though. It does this by slight increases in the body temperature. With each degree that the temperature in your body is raised from the use of clenbuterol, you will burn up approximately an extra 5% of maintenance calories. This makes it effective as a fat burner. Your body will fight this by cutting down on the amount of active thyroid in the body as well as through beta receptor down regulation which explains why you only have a limited effective period to take clenbuterol. While I am on the subject of beta receptor down regulation, I would like to dispose of another myth. This involves the two on/two off cycling theory that I believe was originated by Bill Phillips in the Anabolic Reference Guide and has somehow made it's was into every other steroid book since then including the WAR and Physical Enhancement with an Edge. The two on-two off theory simply will not work because of one main reason: the half life of clenbuterol. This 2-on/2-off idea was a THEORY ONLY, not by a doctor or scientist, and not based on specific knowledge of clenbuterol, but derived by imitation from other drug's with shorter half lives.
Clenbuterol has been reported as having a half life of about 2 days, but that is not actually correct, since it has biphasic elimination, with the half-life of the rapid phase being about 10 hours, and the slower phase being several days. Supposedly, this is one of the reasons the FDA never approved clenbuterol as an anti-asthmatic drug...the FDA frowns on drugs with long half-lives if drugs with more normal half-lives are available. So with a 2-on/2-off cycle you never have time to get enough of the clenbuterol out of your system for this theory to be reasonable. In actuality, it probably hasn't even dropped to 50% of your peak concentration before you are taking the drug again. With this all taken into account, there is no reason to think that this cycling would significantly reduce the problem of receptor desensitization. A more reasonable approach would be either one week on, one week off, or alternately, two weeks on two weeks off. The two week cycle has the disadvantage of a "crash" period afterwards. This crash period can be helped with the use of ephedrine to lessen the lethargy that you will experience. If you are interested in taking clenbuterol for anything other than fat loss then you might as well stay away from this compound. There is a lot of talk as to how clenbuterol compares to ephedrine as well. Most "experts" feel that clen gives a better bang for the buck than the ECA stack. It should be noted that clenbuterols results and effects are much shorter lived. They work through very similar mechanisms. Both products stimulate the beta-receptors but clenbuterol seems to be a more refined version, called a second generation beta-agonist drug, than ephedrine. Clenbuterol targets the proper receptors, being the beta-2 and 3 receptors than ephedrine more specifically which should in theory make clenbuterol more effective of a fat burner. Again, most of the so called "experts" say that clenbuterol is more effective than ephedrine. I, personally, get worse results with clen vs. the good old ECA stack. Clenbuterol also didn't blunt my hunger either and I ate more while taking it as well. I also seem to get much better effects out of cytomel as a fat burner as well.
Effective Dose:
80-140 mcgs. / day in split doses throughout the day. Anything over 140 mcg a day is overkill since the beta receptors can only take so much of a product and then more is just wasteful.
Side Effects:
Restlessness, palpitations, tremors, headache, increased peassure, nausea. alot of these effect are temporary that usually subside in about a week.
Clenbuterol
Pharmaceutical Name: clenbuterol
Molecular weight of base: 277.193
Effective dose: 40-160 µg / day orally
Average Street-price: $0.75 - 1.00 per 40µg tab USD
Available Doses: 10,20,40 µg tabs, 16 µg/ml injection or 25 µg/ml oral spray
Brands & Products:
Arzneimittel Werk Dresden Contraspasmin (G) 20 mcg tabs
Biomedica Foscama Clenasma 20 mcg tabs
Chinoin Novegam (MX) 20 mcg tabs
Falqui Contrasmina (I) 20 mcg tabs
Fidelis Cesbron (PT) 20 mcg tabs
Juste Ventolase (ES) 20 mcg tabs
Quimedical Broncoterol (PT) 20 mcg tabs
Richter Ventipulmin (A) 16 mcg/ml
Salus Prontovent (I) 20 mcg tabs
Sopharma Sofia Clenbuterol Pharmachim (BG) 20 mcg tabs
Thomae Spiropent (G, A,DK,I,ES,MX,BG,HU,CZ) 20 mcg tabs
Spiropent mite (G) 20 mcg tabs
Spasmo-mucosolvan (G) 20 mcg tabs
Valeas Monores (I) 20 mcg tabs
Von Boch Broncodil (I) 20 mcg tabs
Unknown Oxyflux (MX) 20 mcg tabs
Boehringer-Ingelheim Ventipulmin 25 mg/ml oral spray (vet.)
Characteristics:
Clenbuterol is a very widely used drug and has quite a reputation. A good one among athletes and recreational users, and a very bad one among those people who know very little about illegal performance enhancing aids. Its not a steroid. In fact, the only medical use for which clenbuterol is generally prescribed (and now being less and less prescribed thanks to its illegitimate use) is for obstructions of the air-way. People with chronic breathing disorders like asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier. But its only one of the many things that can be achieved with the use of clenbuterol.
In terms of action this drug is best likened to the now also illegal ephedrine and its legal replacement, ma huang. All of them operate mainly by increasing the manufacture and secretion of catabolic hormones known as cathecholamines (like dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline)) which are secreted from the adrenal region. Now these hormones have a wide variety of functions. First of all they seem to alter the contractile characteristics of smooth muscle, but very specifically. Some will apparently be stimulated, and others inhibited. Amongst those inhibited, the smooth muscles in the bronchial tree, which explains its soothing effect in patients with breathing problems. What it also does is increase thermogenisis. This usually encompasses a rise in blood pressure, a stimulatory effect of the heart muscle and a resulting rise in body temperature.
Along with the reversing of the effects of insulin (and inhibiting the action of insulin) which results in a release of glycogen back into the blood stream as glucose and an inability to store or use more glycogen, it will increase the rate of protein and fat being burned in the body. For bodybuilders that appears to be the primary use of the drug. This thermogenisis and an increase in the rate of fat being burned usually has as a result that the metabolic rate of the subject its much higher and he burns more calories. This in turn results in loss of adipose tissue (the shedding of fat in other words) revealing a leaner physique with cuts and striations. The downside to this effect is that there is a concomitant rise in the rate of protein being burned. Where fat is robbed from the fatty tissue in the body, protein is generally robbed from the muscle. As with all catabolic hormones, in time muscle loss can and will occur. Which is why many opt to use this compound during a cycle of anabolic steroids that will help preserve the lean body mass while reducing the fat.
Among the other actions that cathecholamines have is an increase in aerobic capacity (facilitated by the easier breathing), a stimulation of the nervous system (facilitated by norepinephrine and acetylcholine release) and thus the skeletal muscle system, an increase in oxygen transportation (facilitated by the increased blood pressure) and an increase in vigil. These characteristics in turn combine to make this drug particularly interesting for athletes doing endurance sports and needing a boost. Especially in middle-long running numbers, this drug is widely abused and its no secret that in cycling circles clenbuterol in liquid form is combined with a painkiller and the drug EPO (synthetic erythropoeitin, a renal hormone) which increases the manufacture of red blood cells. It is then injected along the road, thereby avoiding positive tests prior to the race. Needless to say such a cocktail is very hazardous to the cardiovascular system. Just to demonstrate the wide use of this drug and its immense popularity among athletes, observe the US Olympic team. Exercise-induced asthma is an afflmiction that generally occurs in 3-7% of the population, and is in some rare cases treated with clenbuterol. In 2000 60% of US Olympic athletes claimed to have exercise-induced asthma and ALL of them were prescribed clenbuterol for this condition. An otherwise illegal drug, tolerated solely for this reason. And this while the Romanian gymnast Andrea Raducan was stripped of her gold medal for the 25 µg of norephedrine in her cold medicin she was taking...
In several animal studies1,2,3 Clenbuterol was also shown to act as an anabolic, believed to be able to impart muscle gains. This was never demonstrated in humans4 however, and there is more evidence that its effect on catabolic hormones invokes the opposite. In any case, the animal studies used much higher doses5 then one would safely recommend for humans. The late Dan Duchaine, by many held in high regard as a steroid guru and a former writer of the now defunct MM2K, believed it had something to do with the stimulation of a third beta receptor, which was different in humans as opposed to other mammals, and that this was the reason humans did not receive any anabolic benefits. As with most of what Dan said, this is very questionable, but one of many possible explanations in a debate that still rages on. Despite the many claims of other bodybuilders that still swear it has some form of anabolic action, I must say I've seen enough proof to the contrary to strongly advise against buying clenbuterol for promoting muscle mass. You may be more than sorely disappointed. Next time you see a 230 pound, 6 foot top-level cyclist, let me know and I may change my mind.
Clenbuterol, when used for its fat-burning properties is best used in a pyramid scheme. Slowly building up the dose may be more important that tapering off of it, as most first time users will rarely if ever know how they will react. Because of the effects on blood pressure its best to start with 20-40 µg per day and slowly work your way up increasing the dose every 3 days by 20 µg, to a maximum of 120-160 µg (most find 80 µg to be adequate). Its also best not used for long periods of time. Body homeostasis seems to negate the excitatory and inhibitive functions of clenbuterol over time, creating a complacency effect. It loses most of its nerve stimulation and fat burning benefits after 3-4 weeks, and using it longer on end would be futile. The user is best to discontinue use for an equal period of time and then recommence again.
Another thing people should be aware of is the inherent liver toxicity associated with clenbuterol use. When stacking with oral 17-alpha-alkylated steroids, accutane, anti-biotics or other hepatoxic elements, one should have his liver values checked by a licensed physician at regular points in time to avoid all problems. If you not a yellow discoloration of the skin cease use immediately and contact your doctor.
Stacking and Use:
Clenbuterol should be built up and tapered off gradually with dosage increases and decreases every 3-4 days and doses never exceeding 160 µg per day to be perfectly safe. Its mostly used for periods of 2-3 weeks then discontinued for equal periods of time to disallow the body to adapt to the effects of the drug. For fat-burning goals clenbuterol is often stacked with another fat-burning agent for quick effect, or alternated with another fat-burning agent by people who need to stay lean on a year-round basis. Usually cytomel (T3) is used for such purposes, with alternating cycles of 3 weeks each. If used together, cycles will not completely overlap, but differ slightly so as not to match the low doses with the low and the high doses with the high. A typical cycle for clenbuterol might be 3 weeks, with the daily amounts being 40/40/40/60/60/60/80/80/80/100/100/100/80/80/80/60/60/60/40/40/40 µg/day. Then stopping for three weeks and recommencing.
It's also commonly stacked with anabolic steroids. Usually non-aromatizing steroids that give the user a leaner and harder look, and allow for less water retention. They serve a main purpose of allowing the user to keep as much of his hard-earned muscle mass as he tries to shed the fat he has stocked up in the off-season with catabolic precursors such as clenbuterol. Clenbuterol is generally regarded as fairly safe6, hence its wide-spread use. It should be disadvised for all with blood pressure and/or previously diagnosed cardio-vascular problems. But most tolerate it quite well. By building up the dose over time they usually see when they've reached a dose that becomes too harsh. The use of clenbuterol will elicit higher body temperature, higher blood pressure and in some, especially at high doses, insomnia and jitters. Though these should not be nearly as pronounced with clenbuterol as they are with ephedrine and its legal counterpart ma huang. They are also easily remedied by shifting doses around so you don't take clenbuterol in the hours leading up to bedtime and most of it in pre-training phases when the drug can enhance your training vigor.
Another good match for clenbuterol in a stack is the plant derivative yohimbine Hcl. It does concern the standardized product yohimbine here and not the raw material yohimbe, which is useless. In small doses of 20-30 mg per day, it can stop the down-regulation of the noradrenaline feedback mechanisms, that usually inhibit the actions of noradrenaline by reducing receptor affinity. This has two important uses. The first is that the length of action of clenbuterol can be enhanced by a few hours when using it together with yohimbine Hcl (although it already has a considerable half-life time7 of 36 hours and one daily dose should suffice) , and the second is that concomitant use of yohimbine Hcl may allow clenbuterol to induce its fatburning aspects on a longer term than the normal 2-3 weeks, so it can be used for 5-6 weeks instead. Yohimbine Hcl is, at least for now still, a legal supplement that can be acquired for very little money from legal sources and supplement companies.
References
1 Ricart-Firinga C, Stevens L, Canu MH, Nemirovskaya TL, Mounier Y. Effects of beta(2)-agonist clenbuterol on biochemical and contractile properties of unloaded soleus fibers of rat. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2000 Mar; 278 (3) : C582-8
2 Hayes A, Williams DA. Long-term clenbuterol administration alters the isometric contractile properties of skeletal muscle from normal and dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 1994 Oct; 21 (10) : 757-65
3 Maltin CA, Delday MI, Hay **, Smith FG, Lobley GE, Reeds PJ. The effects of the anabolic agent, clenbuterol, on overloaded rat skeletal muscle. Biosci Rep 1987 feb; 7 (2) :143-9
4 Human fat cell beta-adrenergic receptors : beta-agonist dependent lipolytic reponses and characterization of beta-adrenergic bindingsiteson human fat cell membranes with highly selective beta-1 agonists. J lipid Res 1988 May; 29 (5) : 587-601
5 Prather ID, Brown DE, North P, Wilson JR. Clenbuterol : a substitute for anabolic steroids ? Med Sci Sports Exerc 1995 Aug; 27 ( : 1118-21
6 Su WJ, Perng RP. Spiorpent (clenbuterol) : another choice for patients with chronic irreversible airway obtsructions. Chung Hua I Hsueh Tsa Chih (Taipei) 1991 Jan; 47 (1) : 13-7
7 Meinen K, Rahn M, Hermer M, Rominger KL, Kanitz T. Oral tocolytic therapy with clenbuterol - clinical facts. Z Geburtshilfe Perinatol 1988 Jul ; 192 (4) : 163-8