Clenbuterol is a powerful fat burner that is widely used in professional bodybuilding during cutting phases, and despite warnings from professionals not to do so, by girls, guys, and those suffering from excess weight, dreaming of weight loss and definition.
The use of any fat burners is associated with health risks. Clenbuterol is no exception.
Below we will introduce you to a list of characteristic side effects of clenbuterol, as well as explain why some of them can be life-threatening.
Main thoughts:
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Possible side effects of clenbuterol
Clenbuterol, like other fat burners, has side effects that are explained by its stimulating effect on the nervous system.
These effects are generally individual: some of them can be so strong and unpleasant that they will force you to stop the course, while others may be completely absent. However, it is highly likely that anyone taking clenbuterol will experience some of them.
List of possible side effects of clenbuterol:
- irritability
- shaky hands
- increased sweating
- muscle pain
- insomnia
- increased heart rate
- heart hypertrophy
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- dry mouth
- facial skin rashes
- headaches
- chest pain
- nausea
- panic attacks
- death
The side effects of clenbuterol are individual: some of them go away over time, while others can be so unpleasant that they will force you to stop the course.
Nervousness, Trembling Hands, and Increased Sweating
The most common side effects of clenbuterol include nervousness, trembling hands, and increased sweating.
Almost everyone who decides to take clenbuterol will experience at least these three effects, with their manifestation being maximal at the beginning of the course. As the body gets used to it, they will weaken for most, but for some, they will be so strong that they will force them to stop taking the drug.
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Muscle Pain
One of the serious and dangerous side effects of taking clenbuterol hydrochloride is the depletion of the mineral potassium and the amino acid taurine from the body.
Potassium plays an important role in muscle contractions (including the heart), while taurine protects muscles from soreness. Their deficiency can lead to muscle pain and cramps.
And while in the case of skeletal muscles, cramps are just a minor inconvenience that can be tolerated, in the case of the heart, they can be life-threatening (see below).
This side effect most often manifests in professional athletes due to the high loads on the muscles.
In most cases, increasing water intake and additional supplementation of the amino acid taurine and the mineral potassium helps to alleviate or completely eliminate the problem.
Muscle pain during clenbuterol use is a result of the depletion of potassium and taurine from the body. Their intake as supplements can solve the problem.
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Insomnia
Insomnia is a side effect characteristic of most stimulants and fat burners, but in the case of clenbuterol, it is almost impossible to avoid.
Why?
The effect of clenbuterol on sleep quality is explained by two factors: it is a stimulant of the nervous system and remains in the body for a very long time, even longer than caffeine and ephedrine.
The average half-life (the concentration in the blood decreases by half) is 26 hours, i.e., more than a day, but even after 48 hours, traces of it can still be present in the blood 1.
This means that whenever you go to bed, you will be under its influence.
Many note that if clenbuterol is taken early in the morning, then it is possible to sleep peacefully in the evening.
However, despite the fact that the elimination speed of the drug in some individuals may be higher than in others, even they typically experience sleep disturbances at a certain point during the course of clenbuterol.
Almost everyone who takes clenbuterol suffers from insomnia. The reason is the very long time it remains in the blood (~26 hours)
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Deadly side effects of clenbuterol
Clenbuterol hydrochloride also has more serious and dangerous side effects. They are most often characteristic of cases when it is taken in very high doses or the duration of the course significantly exceeds the recommended.
Among them are: increased blood pressure, arrhythmia, heart hypertrophy, panic attacks.
Of course, it all depends on how it is taken, in what doses, and for how long, but, as with everything else in our lives, there is always a moment of uncertainty: what is normal for one may be a lethal dose for another.
The harm of clenbuterol to the heart
The question of the harm of clenbuterol to the heart is one of the most popular. And there are grounds for such concerns.
On one hand, as mentioned above, the elimination of potassium and taurine from the body can disrupt the function of the heart muscle, the spasm of which can end in a heart attack.
A good illustration of how dangerous the elimination of potassium is are diuretics – another drug in sports chemistry that bodybuilders actively use for cutting.
They are considered one of the most dangerous types of pharmacology, from which athletes most often die (and not anabolic steroids and growth hormone, as is commonly believed).
The reason is the same – the elimination of potassium and other minerals from the body. For more details, see the article on the harm of diuretics.
On the other hand, scientific studies indicate that the use of clenbuterol can lead to heart hypertrophy (thickening of its walls), which can potentially also end in death.
Why does this happen?
The stimulating effect of clenbuterol on the nervous system leads to chronic high blood pressure, which causes the heart to constantly work in overdrive. The work of the muscle under load is a condition for its growth. As a result, the walls of the heart thicken, and left ventricular hypertrophy develops 2.
Why is this dangerous?
Left ventricular hypertrophy is considered one of the main risk factors for heart disease3 and, in particular, significantly increases the risk of arrhythmia4 and sudden death5.
Moreover, there is scientific evidence that overdosing on clenbuterol kills heart cells, which, obviously, also negatively affects its functioning6.
And if you think that this does not threaten you because you use it very carefully (or plan to), always remember that there are no clear boundaries for overdose: the dangerous dose can vary significantly from person to person.
The dangerous side effects of clenbuterol are related to its action on the heart: there is a risk of cardiac arrest, hypertrophy of the heart muscle occurs, and an overdose of clenbuterol can kill heart cells.
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Conclusion
Clenbuterol has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, which is the cause of most of the side effects of its use.
The degree of its harm and danger to health compared to other fat burners and stimulants is exacerbated by the significantly longer time it remains in the body (26 hours).
In the list of side effects of clenbuterol, there are both common ones for all fat burners (irritability, increased sweating, headaches, insomnia) and some that are characteristic only of it (potassium mineral depletion, heart hypertrophy).
In case of an overdose of clenbuterol and its prolonged use, death may occur.
Due to the dangerous side effects in professional bodybuilding, the total duration of the clenbuterol cycle NEVER exceeds 16 weeks.
Due to health risks and the severity of side effects, the total duration of the clenbuterol cycle within a year never exceeds 16 weeks.
