Chemically clen is not a steroid hormone but a beta-2-agonist. This means it is in the same family as ephedrine and produces similar but more pronounced effects. Although banned in Canada and the United States, it is used in many European countries as a bronchodilator in Asthma medications.

Clen owes much of its popularity to the animal food industry. Farmers discovered that clen was a potent way to pack lean muscle tissue on their livestock. As with steroids, once word started circulating around that clen had such effects, bodybuilders started placing orders with their local dealers.

Anabolic properties!

Bodybuilders compare clenbuterol to such steroids as Winstrol and Oxandrolone, The drug is mildly anabolic with great fat burning properties. Clen also has strong anti-catabolic effects. This means it reduces the rate at which protein is removed from muscle tissue and used as a fuel source. As bodybuilders have discovered a compound that is anti-catabolic will promote muscle growth nearly as effectively as an anabolic agent. Its for this reason that numerous athletes use Clenbuterol after their steroid cycles in order to prolong their strength and muscle gains.

Fat burning too!

While clen is popular for muscle building, its the fat burning effects that really cemented its popularity as a precontest drug. Like ephedrine, Clen is a thermogenic drug that burns body fat by slightly elevating the bodys temperature. This makes existing fat stores more susceptible to fat burning during aerobic exercise. It should be added that increasing body temperature is believed to magnify the effects of steroids, since the rate of protein processing is increased.

How much?

Male bodybuilders usually take 5-7 tablets per day. As the most popular forms of clen come in 20mcg tablets, this works out to 100-140 mcg per day. Females usually take 80-100 mcg/day. As with steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, clenbuterol is usually taken in cycles of 8-10 weeks primarily during the precontest season.

Side effects?

Since Clen is not a hormone like testosterone or steroids, it has no androgenic side effects typical of these compounds (one of the reasons why the drug is so popular with female bodybuilders and fitness competitors). But rest assured clen does carry with it a whole host of side effects. As a beta-2 agonist the drug produces most of its effects on the sympathetic nervous system. These include: insomnia, heart palpitations, hand tremor (involuntary trembling of fingers), moderate to severe headache, increased perspiration, muscle spasms, elevated blood pressure, and even nausea. While most of these side effects are temporary in nature and usually cease after 8-10 days of use, they could lead to more severe problems.

A safe alternative!

Given that clenbuterol is potentially dangerous and banned by most sports federations, bodybuilders would be wise to look for legal alternatives. Thanks to rapid advances in supplement research over the past decade, bodybuilders now have at their fingertips powerful steroid analogs that will promote rapid gains in lean muscle tissue while at the same time strip body fat from the body. These legal steroid analogs are both safe and legal and made with pharmaceutical grade ingredients. So play it safe, play it legal, and check them out!

Bob Howard, 26,03,2006