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  Discussion on Clenbuterol in combo with other meds
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Posted on Sunday, Jun 20, 1999 - 3:20 pm:

hello all i am a race horse trainer and breeder in ny in my research into clenbutrol i have learned it is a choice underground drug of choice for bodybuilders however for equines it is used for lung infection .i also noticed bodybuilders use it in cycles 2 days off 2 days on and use it in cobination with ketotifene andcytomel and are able to use l;ess dose and same effect why is it used to cut body fat and build muscle mass in humans and does this have the same effect on horses all responses are welcome i believe the answer lies in the beta 2 and beta 3

Posted on Monday, Jun 21, 1999 - 8:27 am:

Hello Janet,
First let me say I am not interested in discussions about the use of illegal drugs in equine competition except to increase the general knowledge about it and ways to prevent it. I admit to having philosophical differences with some of the association rules (some too strict some too lax) but believe that for a breed to prosper everyone should follow the same rules.

Your post did intrique me as I had not heard about the anabolic effects of the B-2 agonist bronchodialator clenbuterol. This is the summary of a very recent report of a good study into your question:

Year-long clenbuterol treatment of mice increases mass, but not specific force or normalized power, of skeletal muscles.
Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 1999 Feb;26(2):117-20
Lynch GS, Hinkle RT, Faulkner JA
Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.

Clenbuterol has been proposed for the treatment of muscle wasting disorders, but its long-term effects on skeletal muscle function have not been tested rigorously. We tested the hypothesis that year-long treatment of young (6 months) mice with clenbuterol would increase skeletal muscle mass and in vitro measurements of specific force (Po) and power output.

Clenbuterol treatment increased the absolute mass of each muscle tested: the heart by 28%, extensor digitorum longus (EDL) by 16%, soleus by 22% and tibialis anterior by 17%. For treated compared with untreated mice, absolute Po (mN) was greater in soleus muscles but not different in EDL muscles. Absolute power output (mW) of the EDL and soleus muscles was not different and no differences were observed for the specific Po (kN/m2) or normalized power output (W/kg) of EDL muscles, soleus muscles or diaphragm muscle strips.

We conclude that, following year-long treatment of mice with clenbuterol, the mass of the heart and both fast and slow skeletal muscles is increased, but the lack of any change in normalized Po or power output indicates that clenbuterol has little therapeutic effect on the functional properties of skeletal muscle.
DrO

Posted on Monday, Jun 21, 1999 - 6:57 pm:

deear DrO greetings first the above mentioned meds are legal to train on . i think u miss understood me i wanted your opinion on the effects of clenbuterol on a horse as opposed to human if i can mix meds and give less dosage of clenbuterol whats wrong with that please reply also almost all illegal steroids that are banned for weight training are legal for equine training am i correct thanks sincerely your friend fast ....ps your msg. on high fever was great keep up the good work and answer my original question when u get past the drug thing i see them as meds

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 22, 1999 - 7:18 am:

Hello Janet,
Fair enough and thanks for the reasoned reply. Yes as long as you test OK, anabolic steroids are legal to use, I believe. The problem with nonlabelled drug use is that frequently there is not enough information to evaluate how unsafe the practice is. Now I use drugs in nonlabbelled ways every day but each time I weigh the risk versus benefit in making sick horses well. In a sport where horses are already breaking down in large percentages due to the extreme performance that is asked of them, I am not sure the benefit out-weighs the risks to experiment with drugs to make them stronger and faster.

Other than what I read I do not have an opinion about the use of clenbuterol for its anabolic effects and effect on performance but the research summary above strongly suggests the horse may look better but will not run any faster.
DrO
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