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The Negative Effects of Clenbuterol

Clenbuterol is a synthetic steroid growth enhancer. According to U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Schneider, clenbuterol has been associated with the acute poisoning of humans who ate the meat of animals that were fed it. In 1990, 135 people were hospitalized in Spain after eating veal, and the liver of calves that had been exposed to clenbuterol. It is proposed that clenbuterol in the liver of food animals can cause a pharmacotoxicologic reaction in humans, but proof is still required.

  1. Pharmacotoxicologic Reaction

    • Clenbuterol, which is a synthetic derivative of noradrenaline and adrenaline, is used for its broncholytic (alleviate breathing disorders) action in both veterinary and human medicine. Clenbuterol is also administered in 5 to 10 times the therapeutic dose to food-producing animals, to increase their muscle mass and to decrease fat. Due to concerns regarding the potential damaging effects that this product may have on the liver, tests were carried out at the Croatian Veterinary Institute in 2002, using adult pigs to test its effects. The results of this study indicated that the long term dosing of sows (female pigs) with clenbuterol resulted in the accumulation of the steroid in the animal's liver. It was therefore speculated, but not proven, that this residue accumulation of the steroid, may cause a pharmacotoxicologic reaction in humans.

    Lung and Heart Problems

    • In humans who have eaten livers of animals dosed with clenbuterol, potential problems appear not in the patient's liver, but in their lungs and heart. Although these effects have been described as mild, the Food and Drug Administration considers the situation to be unacceptable. The Food and Drug Administration indicated that people who are sensitive to these drugs, could be far more badly affected by residues of clenbuterol than healthy individuals would be.

    Possible Disturbed Liver Functioning

    • According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, clenbuterol residues in the liver or flesh of animals given the drug, may affect both the lung and heart function in humans who have eaten this meat. Clenbuterol has also been banned in the sports world by both the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) because of the concern that clenbuterol can lead to disturbed liver functioning, but this has not yet been proved conclusively. It is believed that there are no negative effects on the liver if clenbuterol is used for short periods.

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