Does Clenbuterol Really Lead to a Positive Doping Test?

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Does Clenbuterol Really Lead to a Positive Doping Test?

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Does Clenbuterol Really Lead to a Positive Doping Test?

Is it really that easy for clenbuterol to cause a positive doping test? Why don’t we hear much about it anymore? Is it because clenbuterol is no longer used in meat production?

First, let’s clarify what clenbuterol actually is. Clenbuterol refers to a broad category of drugs that might be used in meat farming. Any beta-adrenergic agonist (a substance that stimulates the beta-adrenergic receptors in the body) used to enhance lean meat production in livestock can be classified as clenbuterol.

Beta-adrenergic agonists are also important medications in healthcare, often used to expand the bronchial passages and commonly prescribed in spray form for treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, at higher doses, these drugs have anabolic effects, such as promoting muscle growth, which categorizes them as performance-enhancing drugs.

Both beta-adrenergic agonists and steroids are classified under the S1 category of banned substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), where S1 denotes anabolic agents. All steroids are categorized as anabolic androgenic steroids (S1.1), while other anabolic agents, including beta-adrenergic agonists, are listed as S1.2.

It’s worth noting that athletes can apply for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for beta-adrenergic agonists used to treat asthma, but these must be administered via inhalation, not systemic injection, and cannot be used in conjunction with diuretics. Asthma is a common condition, and research shows that people who engage in frequent intense exercise are more likely to develop asthma, possibly due to lung damage. Consequently, many athletes might need asthma medication. However, studies indicate that healthy individuals do not gain a competitive advantage in sports from using inhaled beta-adrenergic agonists.

The prohibition on beta-adrenergic agonists by anti-doping agencies is not aimed at asthma treatment. The focus is on banning systemic, high-dose administration that turns these drugs into anabolic agents affecting muscle tissue throughout the body.

In livestock farming, the anabolic effects of beta-adrenergic agonists are exactly what people are after. The term “clenbuterol” reflects the fact that these drugs can promote the production of more lean meat, which is economically valuable.

Two well-known beta-adrenergic agonists are clenbuterol and ractopamine (marketed as Paylean).

In the past, athletes who claimed to test positive for clenbuterol after eating pork or grilled meat were often found to have traces of clenbuterol in their system.

Clenbuterol was first discovered in the 1980s by an American company, which found it could promote lean meat production in animals. Although some countries also used clenbuterol to treat COPD, the drug’s toxicity at high doses led to its ban in Europe and the United States in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Ractopamine has also been banned in many countries, but the U.S. FDA allows its use in livestock as long as the residue levels in meat are well below the threshold that could pose a health risk to humans. Therefore, ractopamine is permitted in U.S. livestock farming. Besides the U.S., Canada and Mexico also allow ractopamine use.

The varying legal status of ractopamine in different countries poses a significant regulatory challenge: Should countries that ban ractopamine in meat production also ban meat products from countries where its use is permitted? If you examine international trade disputes over meat imports and exports, you’ll find that many involve ractopamine. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico are major meat producers, and some countries, like South Korea, ban the domestic use of ractopamine but allow imports of meat with specified maximum residue limits.

Returning to doping tests, whether or not clenbuterol use is allowed, and regardless of the specific type permitted, the reality is that clenbuterol is still used in many regions—sometimes legally, sometimes illegally.

This has led to cases where athletes test positive for clenbuterol due to contaminated food, not only in China but in other countries as well. For example, over 100 athletes tested positive for clenbuterol during the 2011 U-17 World Cup held in Mexico.

In principle, athletes are responsible for what they consume. However, there are distinctions in responsibility depending on what they eat. For vitamins, supplements, and tonics, athletes must bear more responsibility, as these are not essential, and if they are contaminated with banned substances, the athlete might be held partially responsible. But when it comes to meat, which is a staple food, it seems unfair to hold athletes accountable for contamination. After all, how can an athlete be responsible for the actions of a farm when they’re just having a meal?

In response to this issue, WADA recommended in 2019 that if clenbuterol or ractopamine is detected at levels below 5 ng/ml, it should be classified as an abnormal finding and investigated to determine if meat contamination is a factor. If meat contamination is confirmed, no action will be taken. If contamination is ruled out, it will be treated as a positive doping result, triggering an investigation for potential doping violations. Levels above 5 ng/ml are automatically treated as a positive result.

This rule was officially implemented in 2021.

So, the reason you don’t hear much about athletes testing positive for clenbuterol from eating meat isn’t that the world has suddenly stopped using it, nor is it necessarily because athletes are too scared to eat meat. Instead, over the past decade, anti-doping agencies have been refining their approach to handle cases of clenbuterol detection more systematically, ensuring that not every trace of the substance leads to penalties for doping violations.

Does Clenbuterol Really Lead to a Positive Doping Test?

References:

• WADA 2024 Prohibited List
• WADA Guidelines on Growth Promoters

(source:internet, reference only)

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Important Note: The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice.