Disclaimer This article is intended for educational purposes and does not encourage the use of illegal drugs. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultation.
What is Clenbuterol?
Clenbuterol, a b2-adrenoceptor antagonist and bronchodilator, is used to treat breathing disorders such as:
- Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD)
- Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)
Clenbuterol has been approved as a prescription medication for humans in several countries since 1977 (although not in the US).
What Motivates Individuals to Use Clenbuterol for Aesthetic Reasons?
In research, we have seen clenbuterol demonstrate strong anabolic effects in animals, significantly increasing skeletal muscle mass while reducing fat (1). This discovery has led to bodybuilders purchasing clenbuterol illicitly and utilizing it in cutting cycles alongside other fat-burning steroids. However, we have found clenbuterol’s effects in humans to be somewhat dissimilar to those in animals.
Clenbuterol can increase muscle mass in humans.
Some users report no anabolic effects from clenbuterol, whereas others report improvements in lean muscle tissue.
According to our observations, clenbuterol may induce anabolism but at a lower level than anabolic androgenic steroids.
Our experience has shown that clenbuterol can help bodybuilders maintain muscle mass when cutting. However, significant increases in strength and muscle size are rare. The benefit is therefore more of an anti-catabolic effect than an anabolic one.
Clenbuterol is generally taken orally; however, it is also available as a syrup or injection.
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What are the benefits of Clenbuterol?
- Fat loss
- Blood flow increases
- Energy efficiency is a key to reducing energy costs.
- Appetite suppression
- Diuretic effects
- No testosterone suppression
1. Fat Loss
Clenbuterol stimulates your central nervous system, increasing the adrenaline and temperature of the body by up to 1 degree.
Consequently, in an attempt to maintain homeostasis, the body stimulates the sweat glands to cool itself back down to its previous temperature.
This constant cool effect increases the total calorie expenditure of a user, thus increasing their basal metabolic rate. We find that users typically burn more calories when at rest.
This makes it easier for bodybuilders to eat in a calorie deficit and burn fat indirectly (due to an elevated metabolism). Clenbuterol has direct fat-burning properties (similar to those of other beta-2 agonists), by speeding up the conversion from triglycerides into free fatty acids.
2. Blood Flow Increased
Clenbuterol increases adrenaline levels, thus shifting the body into fight-or-flight mode. Consequently, blood flow improves throughout the body as a survival mechanism.
Thus, we have seen clenbuterol improve muscular endurance, enabling bodybuilders to perform more repetitions than usual.
Note: If a person’s blood pressure or heart rate rises excessively, endurance may suffer on clenbuterol; thus, this benefit is dependent on the person and how they react to clenbuterol.
Pumps can also become bigger due to superior blood circulation to the muscles.
Stretching the muscle fascia by increasing repetitions and pumping harder may help build new muscles.
Fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds the muscles; however, if excessively tight, muscle growth can be inhibited.
As the muscle tries to expand, it effectively pushes against the deep fascia. The more flexible the tissue, the higher the potential for hypertrophy. Clenbuterol’s larger pumps will help the fascia become more flexible, reducing friction.
Users may also report:
- Accelerated recovery after workouts.
- Sleeping less than usual.
Note When someone remains in the fight-or flight mode for a prolonged period of time, cortisol can increase excessively and vasoconstriction occurs. This impairs blood flow and increases fatigue, which may occur in the latter stages of a clenbuterol cycle following the initial increase in blood flow.
3. Enhanced Energy
Stimulants stimulate the central nervous system. This causes the body to release adrenaline, giving you a burst energy.
Clenbuterol is a powerful stimulant; thus, energy levels will increase notably. After the initial effects wear off, users often experience a crash of low energy, resulting in a dependency on clenbuterol.
High energy levels of clenbuterol can (indirectly) help to burn more fat due to workouts becoming more intense. For example, users may perform cardiovascular exercise on a stationary bike for 15 minutes; however, on clenbuterol, individuals may be able to extend the duration to 20+ minutes.
4. Appetite Suppression
Clenbuterol stimulates beta-2 adrenergic neurons, which affects satiety in humans. Our patients report less hunger during the day despite burning more calorie. This can help with fat loss indirectly, as users are more likely to consume in a deficit.
Clenbuterol is beneficial for someone who has difficulty adhering to a diet. Users will feel fuller longer on clenbuterol and eat less.
5. Diuretic Effects
Clenbuterol causes a person to look visibly thinner and have increased muscle tone. Clenbuterol diuretic effect is attributed to sweating.
Therefore, it is important to drink adequate
When taking clenbuterol it is important to drink plenty of water, since sodium is lost in sweat and can cause dehydration.
The diuretic effects of clenbuterol are temporary.
6. No Testosterone Supression
Anabolic steroids can cause the natural production of testosterone to be shut down. Typically, after a steroid cycle, it can take several weeks or months for endogenous testosterone to return to normal levels.
Clenbuterol, on the other hand, does not affect testosterone levels. Thus, PCT is not required, and results are less likely to be lost post-cycle.
Legal Clenbuterol Alternative
Clenbutrol, our legal clenbuterol recommendation. It mimics the fat-burning and thermogenic effects of clenbuterol, but without any increases in heart rate or blood pressure.
Clenbutrol is an FDA-approved formula and does not require a prescription for purchase.
Clenbutrol can be taken by men or women to significantly decrease their fat mass, while enhancing muscle tone.
What Are the Side Effects of Clenbuterol?
- Heart rate increases
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
1. Increased heart rate
Clenbuterol arouses the sympathetic nervous system, potentially causing users’ resting heart rates to become excessively elevated.
Dr. Thomas O’Connor also has anecdotal evidence of clenbuterol contributing to heart rates of 180 beats per minute.
A patient developed chronic atrial fibrillation after clenbuterol usage (2). This is a type of irregular heartbeat that’s caused by permanent scarring in the heart.
Clenbuterol can be dangerous for people with:
- Cardiac issues in their family
- Existing high blood pressure
- Existing heart arrhythmia
Clenbuterol can cause health problems for most people. Thus, its potential toxicity is not limited to those with genetic susceptibilities for cardiac complications.
2. Anxiety
Clenbuterol can cause anxiety due to its tendency of putting a person in fight-or flight mode. Excessive arousal of the central nervous system may cause a person to perceive everyday situations as threats, negatively affecting their mental health.
Users may feel anxious if they experience palpitations and a racing heart. They may believe that they are experiencing a heartattack.
Sedatives can help calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety. We have observed that this can counteract the thermogenic effects of clenbuterol and negatively affect fat loss.
High levels of CNS stimulation are linked to depression due to the subsequent come-down effect. The clenbuterol increases dopamine in the brain, but then drops them later when a person develops tolerance or stops using the drug.
Due to the increased adrenaline production, clenbuterol can also cause tremors. In our experience, this side effect is particularly common in the hands.
3. Insomnia
Insomnia can be experienced by clenbuterol users more prone to an overly active nervous system, causing hyperactivity (4).
Some bodybuilders suggest taking clenbuterol earlier in the day to improve the chances of falling asleep at night. The half-life for clenbuterol is 35 hours. Thus, we have found this protocol to be ineffective, with high amounts of clenbuterol still peaking in the bloodstream.
It is worth noting that sleep deprivation may elevate cortisol levels, further increasing blood pressure and inhibiting fat burning.
Clenbuterol Dosage
A person’s dosage will depend on what they are using clenbuterol for. For example, an asthmatic may take two 20-mcg pills per day. Patients with respiratory problems may need to take up to four 20-mcg tablets per day.
However, bodybuilders or anyone taking clenbuterol for weight loss purposes may take 6-8 pills per day (120-160 mcg). Such dosages are well beyond the therapeutic range used in medicine; therefore, more severe side effects are to be expected.
People respond to potent stimulants differently; thus, the dosage can also be tailored to how sensitive a person is to the drug.
Do Dosages Vary Between Men and Women?
Unlike with anabolic steroids, the dosage of clenbuterol is the same for men and women. This is because it affects the CNS rather than working on a hormonal level (where women have significantly less testosterone and thus need smaller doses of steroids to obtain the same level of results).
The following cycle is taken by men and women to enhance fat loss and muscle definition.
We find users typically build a tolerance to clenbuterol quickly; thus, to prolong its positive effects, consumers can start on a lower dosage and increase it slowly every third day.
Typically, a user only continues increasing the dosage until they reach the maximum amount. Patients have completed a 30-day cycle of clenbuterol, reaching the peak dose 120 mcg, without experiencing any short-term or significant complications. We have seen patients who have experienced severe side effects at 80 mcg/day. (They had to stop their cycle).
It is because of beta-receptor deregulation that clenbuterol cycle typically does not last more than 4-6 weeks.
Thus, clenbuterol’s positive effects can only be experienced for a limited time until the body successfully regulates its temperature back to normal, causing fat burning to come to a halt.
Consequently, some users choose to cycle clenbuterol for 2 weeks on, followed by 2 weeks off, or 2 days on and 2 days off.
2-Week on/off Clenbuterol Cycle
As previously mentioned, short clenbuterol cycles are sometimes utilized to prevent the body from building up a tolerance to the drug, ensuring further fat loss in future cycles. Furthermore, we have found that a shorter 2-week cycle is less cardiotoxic compared to longer cycles.
One journal reported that a 25-year old man who was healthy, had been rushed to an emergency room after taking 20 mcg
Clenbuterol is a steroid. He was diagnosed with labile hypertension, and his heart rate reached 140 beats per minute.
He experienced:
- Palpitations
- Nausea
- Chest pain
- Sweating
- Anxiety
He took the same dosage for the past 3 weeks without any adverse effects. This case shows how a two-week cycle is less harmful for sensitive users.
The dose will usually start at 20-40 mcg and increase every day or two until the maximum dose (usually between 100 mcg and 140 mcg) is reached.
Most users will rest for 2 weeks before cycling clenbuterol. The second cycle starts with the highest dose of the first cycle. Thus, if the first cycle finished at 100 mcg per day, the same dose would be taken for the entire 2 weeks in the second cycle.
From this point forward, every subsequent cycle will start at the maximum dosage for continued progress.
Clenbuterol, Winstrol and Winstrol
For Men
Winstrol, an anabolic steroids used during cutting cycles for fat loss and muscle mass enhancement.
The addition of Winstrol will have a more anabolic effect than taking clenbuterol alone. Thus, a person will build muscle and burn fat simultaneously on this stack, rather than predominantly burning fat with clenbuterol.
The side effects of Winstrol are different from those of clenbuterol. Winstrol, like clenbuterol, is an oral compound. However it is extremely hepatotoxic. Our liver function tests often show high ALT/AST enzymes in Winstrol users, indicating significant strain on the liver. LDL cholesterol will also increase, leading to a significant spike in blood-pressure.
Further possible side effects we see related to high DHT levels include:
- Hair loss
- Prostate enlargement
- Acne vulgaris
Winstrol can also cause endogenous testosterone production to shut down, taking several months for levels to recover back to normal (hence why bodybuilders opt for post-cycle therapy).
Women’s Health
Winstrol is generally not a recommended steroid for women, due to the high chances of virilization occurring. Such masculine effects, however, may be reduced by adopting a low dosage (as shown below).
There may not be high motivation for females to utilize this stack if the primary goal is fat loss, as Winstrol can compromise femininity. If additional muscle size and tone is required, women may use clenbuterol with Winstrol.
Clenbuterol (T3) and Cytomel Cycle
Clenbuterol can also be stacked with Cytomel (synthetic T3) to enhance fat burning. The prescription drug Cytomel treats hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid.
Generally, the higher a person’s T3 levels are, the greater the rate of lipolysis (fat-burning) in the body. This stack is effective, but not without side effects. Some of these side effects include:
- Anxiety
- The following are some of the ways to reduce your risk:
- Brain fog
- Flushing
- High blood pressure
- Arrhythmias
Users often take 25-75 mcg of Cytomel per day for 6-8 weeks.
Cytomel is usually taken in doses of 50 mcg by intermediate bodybuilders. They may however stack Cytomel and testosterone or another anabolic steroids due to T3’s potential catabolic effect.
Clenbuterol Results (Before and After Pictures)
The user (above) cycled clenbuterol for 2 weeks, starting with a 20 mcg dose and slowly increasing up to 80 mcg/day. This was the first time that this user had used clenbuterol.
We see a person’s results on clenbuterol commonly determined by:
- Dosage
- Length of cycle
- Genetics
- Diet
- Workout routines
Users can eat in a 500 calorie deficit to enhance fat loss. Clenbuterol can have its metabolic effects reduced if you eat more than 500 calories.
According to our experience, both men and women lose between 10-15 pounds after a 4-week cycle using clenbuterol.
Similarly to steroids, the more clenbuterol cycles a person performs, the less fat loss they are likely to experience with each one.
Clenbutrol Reviews (Before and After Pictures)
Crazy Bulk formulates Clenbutrol as a legal substitute to clenbuterol.
Balwinder’s Results after taking Clenbutrol 5 weeks.
John Miller’s results after taking Crazy Bulk cutting stack (including Clenbutrol for 8 weeks).
Kim lost 8 pounds after taking Clenbutrol, Anvarol, and Winsol for 1 month. She lost 2 inches on her waist and 2.5 inches on her hips.
FAQs
Clenbuterol vs. Albuterol: How Do They Compare?
Albuterol (also known as salbutamol), like clenbuterol, is a beta-2-adrenergic antagonist.
Albuterol, on the other hand, is a prescription-only drug that is FDA approved and available for treating asthma.
Albuterol also burns fat through the process of thermogenesis via the stimulation of the CNS. Albuterol has similar benefits and side-effects to clenbuterol.
Albuterol is not considered as powerful as clenbuterol. It’s a cleaner stimulant.
Consequently, albuterol’s side effects can be more tolerable, potentially making it more cardiovascular-friendly. However, the results on albuterol are less noticeable in our experience, with fat loss and energy levels being more prominent on clenbuterol.
Albuterol also has a shorter half-life than clenbuterol, being 4-6 hours, thus requiring more frequent doses (3-4 times per day).
Albuterol is administered via the same method as clenbuterol (in pill form). Albuterol, however, is prescribed as an emergency inhaler in medicine.
Is Clenbuterol Legal?
Clenbuterol is technically legal in the US and other countries, as it is not listed in the Controlled Substances Act.
It is not FDA approved, and users should be aware that it can have potentially harmful side effects.
Clenbuterol is also on the WADA-banned list of substances; thus, athletes can fail a drug test and be suspended (if it is found lingering in their system).
Is Clenbuterol Safe?
The FDA has not approved clenbuterol for human use, which is an indicator of
Its toxic nature
The Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, China, concluded that clenbuterol only had mild effects when given to rabbits (7). When higher doses of clenbuterol were given, the heart rate increased dramatically, causing severe hypotension.
Thus, research suggests that the severity of clenbuterol’s adverse effects may be dose-dependent (8). We have observed that high doses of clenbuterol are unsafe for cardiotoxicity.
Note: Men and women with existing heart issues are at high risk when taking clenbuterol (irrespective of the dose). If users stack clenbuterol and anabolic steroids together, the cardiac side effects are exacerbated (9).
Is Weight Loss Induced by Clenbuterol Permanent?
If a person continues to consume calories at a deficit or maintenance level, the results of clenbuterol will remain.
If a person stops exercising and overeats after a clenbuterol-cycle, fat can accumulate.
Note: Water loss is the only inherently temporary effect; therefore, users may regain a small amount of fluid when they finish their cycle.
Is Clenbuterol Effective?
Clenbuterol is an efficacious lipolytic drug.
However, since clenbuterol can be purchased over the counter where supplements are sometimes contaminated (10), it’s difficult to tell if the user is receiving genuine clenbuterol.
Generally, if users are not experiencing fat loss or their body temperature is not rising, it is unlikely to be clenbuterol.
Is It Permissible for Users to Consume Alcohol While Taking Clenbuterol?
Due to the hepatotoxic properties of oral anabolic steroid, alcohol consumption is not recommended. However, clenbuterol is not an anabolic steroid but instead a bronchodilator, and it is not toxic to the liver.
We see clenbuterol as a drug that causes excessive heart rate increases, blood pressure fluctuations and dehydration. We advise against alcohol because it will increase all three side effects.
Furthermore, alcohol will blunt the fat-burning effects of clenbuterol, especially in stubborn areas, due to cortisol being a fat-storing hormone.
Clenbuterol Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Fat loss is significant
- Effective bronchodilator
- Anti-catabolic Effects
Cons:
- Increased risk of tachycardia
- Over stimulation of the central nervous systems.
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