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#Post#: 1277--------------------------------------------------
Clenbuterol (Clen) Article
By: PartyBoy Date: June 9, 2019, 4:39 am
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[center]Clenbuterol (Clen) [/center]
Article by PartyBoy (MT Lives Administrator and former
MuscleTalk Moderator)
What is Clenbuterol and what does it do?
Clenbuterol (often referred to simply as ‘Clen’) is not a
steroid, but a Beta 2 Sympathomitetic and central nervous system
(CNS) stimulant. It is a specific agonist, stimulating the
adrenergic beta 2 receptors (β2). It is used in certain
countries in a medical sense as a bronchodilator in the
treatment of asthma, though not in the UK and USA, mainly due to
its long half life.
Athletes and bodybuilders use the drug due to its thermogenic
and anti-catabolic effects. This is down to its ability to
slightly increase the body’s core temperature, thereby raising
calorie (energy) expenditure. It is thought that a 1°F increase
yields around a 5% increase in maintenance calories burned.
Studies on livestock suggest that clenbuterol also has anabolic
properties. However, this seems not to be the case in humans,
thought to be due to the fact that humans lack the abundance of
beta 3 receptors which increase insulin production and
sensitivity.
Clenbuterol is dosed in micrograms (mcg/µg), most commonly in
tablet form, though there are other forms of administration such
as liquids, nasal sprays and injectables. Note: Although dosages
are in microgram amounts, many manufacturers will list the
active ingredient as milligrams (mg), so a tablet of 20mcg will
be labelled as 0.02mg.
Clenbuterol side effects/possible implications?
Side effects are dose dependant, though most users will find
that most tend to subside with persistent use. Caution is
advised when employing the use of Clenbuterol in conjunction
with other adrenoceptor agonists as side effects are likely to
be cumulative. It is for this reason that it is generally not
recommended to use ephedrine/ephedra (or ma huang) or the ECA
stack (ephedrine-caffeine-aspirin) whilst using clen.
Common side effects of clenbuterol include:
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smooth muscle fibres
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In view of the above side effects, it is obvious to assume that
anyone with cardiac issues and/or hypertension should not use a
stimulant such as Clenbuterol and caution must be observed by
those already using similar compounds in the treatment of
existing medical conditions. In addition, there is very little
conclusive knowledge of the cardiac effects of
supra-physiological dosages in humans.
Commonly used doses
It is well known that Clenbuterol use results in rapid
down-regulation of beta 2 receptors. This is due to the powerful
stimulatory effect of the drug as it is a very specific agonist
of the β2. It is therefore pointless to use clen for long
periods without a break. Some believe that a two day on, two day
off dosing schedule will allow adequate potential for receptor
up-regulation. However, I doubt this to be the case due to the
relatively long half life of clen, resulting in continued
stimulation even throughout the ‘off’ days. A much better regime
would be a two week on, two week off cycle. Maximum plasma
levels are reached around 2-3 hours after oral administration,
and terminal half life at 34 hours (Zimmer, 1976).
A tapering up of dosages is recommended in an attempt to limit
harsh side effects. Most commonly, a user will start by taking
one 20mcg tablet on day 1, followed by an increase of one tablet
on subsequent days. Subject to personal tolerance levels, a
dosage of 140mcg (seven tabs) will be used by day 7, and this
level should be maintained for the entire second week. It would
be fruitless to exceed seven or eight tablets daily due to
receptor over-saturation. There is no requirement to taper down
as the extended half life serves as a natural taper.
For the next ‘cycle’ of clen (i.e. weeks 5 & 6), there is no
requirement to taper up from one tablet as your tolerance level
should now be known. As an example, if the user finished the
first cycle of clen on 7 tabs, they could recommence at a
slightly lower dose of 4 or 5, and taper up again from this
level. Again though, the user should again limit their intake to
7 or 8 tabs daily.
During the two ‘off’ weeks, an ECA stack can be used as
required. ECA will not cause such a pronounced down regulation
and desensitization of the receptors, certainly not to the
extent of clen. Ephedrine has a short half life in contrast to
clen which results in times throughout the day where the betas
will partially recover from stimulation by adrenaline and
nor-adrenaline. Potency is also much weaker that that of clen,
as it is not a specific agonist.
Ephedrine is also thought to increase the conversion of
endogenous/exogenous T4 to T3 through the activation of
deiodinase enzymes responsible for this process. This is
important as clen is known to slow the rate of T4 to T3
conversion. As a side note, some bodybuilders will use T3
concurrently with the Clenbuterol/ECA cutting cycle (together
with certain anabolic/androgenic steroids no doubt!) in an
attempt to at least maintain plasma T3 levels.
Cycles of Clen/ECA are normally limited to 12 weeks in total,
though are often shorter.
Female dosages tend to be slightly lower than those of male
users, with an upper limit of 80-120mcg (4-6 tabs).
Aside from its fat burning properties, Clen is often used as an
anti-catabolic to maintain muscular gains following a steroid
cycle. There is considerable contention as to whether
clenbuterol does indeed act as an anti-catabolic drug in humans,
with those in favour typically utilising a dosage of 40mcg daily
for this purpose.
There is no particular requirement to split the dosage
throughout the day due to the long half life. Most will take the
full daily dose in the morning, though some prefer to take their
dose just before bed in an attempt to avoid most of the side
effects as they sleep.
Some user accounts suggest that splitting the dose may lessen
side effects slightly. It is a trial and error process in
essence, to ascertain which method suits you personally.
Muscular Cramping
Cramping whilst using Clenbuterol is a fairly common side
effect. This is most probably due to depletion of the amino acid
taurine in the liver together with deficits in the electrolytes
sodium and potassium, as well as inadequate hydration. Taurine
helps stabilize cell membranes and prevent nerves from becoming
over-excited. Some studies show that giving taurine supplements
relieves painful muscle cramps. Japanese researchers found that
the longer rats exercised, the more taurine they lost from their
muscles (Matsuzaki et al, 2002).
Symptoms of cramping may be alleviated by:
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on an empty stomach
Ketotifen
Ketotifen is an anti-histamine used medically to treat bronchial
asthma and allergies. It has a sedative and depressant effect on
the brain. It acts by decreasing the release of histamine which
is a chemical released when an allergic reaction occurs.
Ketotifen blocks the action of histamine on special histamine
receptors and reduces the nerve response when an allergic
reaction occurs.
Histamine is the chemical in the body that causes the symptoms
of an allergic (hypersensitivity) reaction. These can include
inflammation of the skin, airways or tissues, rashes, itching
and of the skin, eyes or nose, nasal congestion and narrowing of
the airways. By blocking the actions of histamine, ketotifen may
prevent and relieve the narrowing of the airways that occurs in
asthma due to allergies.
However, bodybuilders are interested in the drug as it has been
shown to inhibit the down regulation of the beta receptors,
including the beta 2s that clen stimulates. As long as you are
taking ketotifen, it will continue to clean these receptors,
never allowing them to downregulate, even while on a heavy clen
cycle. That means you can continue to take clen indefinitely
without having to cycle off to regenerate the receptors. A dose
of 2-3mg daily can upregulate even severely shut down receptors
within a week.
It also means that you don’t need as much clen to get the same
benefits. It seems you can take about 30-40% less clen and it be
equally effective.
No studies have been done to find the most effective dose though
most users should find 3-4mg daily ideal, which can be split or
taken in one sitting. Higher doses are likely to cause
(sometimes severe) drowsiness and increase appetite.
References
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skeletal muscles after exercise for various durations. Med & Sci
Sp & Ex. 34(5):793-797.
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pattern of clenbuterol in man (author’s transl).
Arzneimittelforschung 26(7a):1446-50.
[color=red][size=8pt]Warning! Articles related to the use of
illegal performance enhancing drugs are for information purposes
only and are the sole expressions of the individual authors
opinion. We do not promote the use of these substances and the
information contained within this publication is not intended to
persuade or encourage the use or possession of illegal
substances. These substances should be used only under the
advice and supervision of a qualified, licensed physician.
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