Clenbuterol Hydrochloride is and has been a controversial drug for many years. It has been used as a performance enhancer in professional sports – much to the detriment of said sport’s and the associated stars’ reputations.

As a performance enhancing drug (PED) it has been superseded by more effective drugs which are harder to detect.

However, it remains one of the most highly sought after blackmarket drugs due to its virtually unmatchable ability to burn fat.

For some dieters and physique-conscious people, bodybuilders and models, it has become the secret weapon they use to maintain the body type they want and/or need.

As with most drug assisted short-cuts in life, there are downsides to using clenbuterol, which will be discussed during this post.

Clenbuterol, the Fat Burner

Clen was originally destined to be a bronchodilator for people who had respiratory disorders. It would help them get more oxygen into their lungs and thus muscles.

This would become its reason for abuse as a PED.

One of the discovered side effects was the significant effect on fat metabolism.

Clenbuterol is in the sympathomimetic amine family and as such can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which is involved closely with neurotransmitters like adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine.

The levels of these affect the burning of fat for fuel.

Is Clenbuterol Safe?

It is no longer recommended as a bronchodilator and can’t even be used for animals. Livestock breeders used it for a while to lean out their animals.

This practice became a problem when it was found that the clenbuterol could be absorbed in significant quantities when people ate the meat.

Clen can come with a few problems, most notably uncontrollable weight loss, heart wall enlargement (thereby reducing chamber volume), and other heart problems like tachycardia and plain old palpitations.

So clen might be a faster-acting fat burner than most drugs, but there are significant downsides to using it consistently even at ‘responsible’ dosages.

There are much healthier options available if you are looking for a powerful fat burner, without worrying about the negative effects.

Is Clenbuterol Legal?

Most countries have drug control laws, and clenbuterol generally falls into the ‘controlled substance’ category, especially in countries such as Australia, Canada, USA, UK and most of Europe.

This usually means that it cannot be obtained without a prescription. In Clenbuterol’s case, it cannot be prescribed anyway.

Most acquisitions will therefore happen via illegitimate channels. The black market is rife with bad counterfeits, so aside from the legal troubles one might encounter, there are health concerns to bear in mind also.

Bodybuilders and some off seasons athletes will still use Clen regardless of the risks. We can only advise against it.

Are There Viable Alternatives?

Yes there are. You just need to know where to look. The sport supplement market is booming business these days so it pays to do some ingredient and product research before diving in and purchasing.

Unfortunately the waters are muddied by the relationships between scientists performing human trials and the supplement companies. It is often the case that the latter has one of the former on the payroll.

Luckily, we are here to provide a recommendation……

Clenbutrol – The Safe and Legal Clen

Notice the spelling difference between ‘Clenbutrol’ in the sub-heading above, and the original clenbuterol drug?

Yes, there’s an ‘e’ missing. That’s how close CrazyBulk – the company which manufactures the safe version – wanted to get the spelling, without getting into hot water.

The reason being: their clenbutrol contains ingredients which are cousins of the ephedra, which works in similar ways to sympathomimetic amines like Clen.

Check out our write-up on CrazyBulk Clen and see what you think.

Click here to read the review