Clenbuterol
Metabolic Health · Beta-2 agonist
Tier C+
High-risk evidence profile
Bottom line
Read Off Label grades Clenbuterol as C+ (5.6/10) based on strong evidence, high benefit magnitude, and a high-risk safety profile.
Its high-risk evidence profile reflects a Safety score of 2/10; reported benefits and harms can differ by indication, dose, route, duration, and population.
Primarily a veterinary/livestock drug.
Studied, labeled, or reported-use context: 20-120 mcg PO daily in cycled dosing — Not approved in US for human use; Rx elsewhere for asthma; banned in sport; not individualized guidance.
Citation correction in progress
2 PubMed links were found to be unrelated to this entry and removed from public output. The remaining sources are shown below, but this row's claims and score still need a full source-by-source revalidation.
What the evidence says
Primarily a veterinary/livestock drug. Used illicitly in bodybuilding and by celebrities for rapid fat loss. Cardiac hypertrophy and arrhythmias are real concerns — not benign. WADA banned substance. Acute fat-loss effects coexist with substantial cardiovascular toxicity and WADA-prohibited status.
Mechanism
Selective β2-adrenoceptor agonist; increases lipolysis and thermogenesis; nutrient partitioning toward muscle in animal studies; sympathetic activation
Studied, labeled, or reported dose & route
20-120 mcg PO daily in cycled dosing
This records doses and routes described in studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use. It is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety; context changes with indication, formulation, health history, monitoring, and other medicines.
Citations
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Common questions
- What does the evidence show about Clenbuterol's effects?
- Read Off Label rates the evidence for Clenbuterol as Strong and the benefit magnitude as high, producing an overall grade of C+ (5.6/10). Primarily a veterinary/livestock drug.
- What safety findings are reported for Clenbuterol?
- Clenbuterol has a high risk profile in the database. High (cardiac hypertrophy, arrhythmias, tremor, insomnia, hypokalemia; reports of cardiac arrest) Legal status: Not approved in US for human use; Rx elsewhere for asthma; banned in sport.
- What does the low Safety score for Clenbuterol represent?
- The Safety score is 2/10. It records the substantial harms described for one or more use contexts; the Benefit score, indication, dose, route, duration, population, and legal status remain separate parts of the evidence profile.
- What doses or routes are reported for Clenbuterol?
- 20-120 mcg PO daily in cycled dosing This is context from studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use; it is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety.
- How does Clenbuterol work?
- Selective β2-adrenoceptor agonist; increases lipolysis and thermogenesis; nutrient partitioning toward muscle in animal studies; sympathetic activation
This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.