720 mcg clenbuterol · Peak Physique

720 mcg clenbuterol

A 2006 study examined the impact of high-dose clenbuterol on cardiac and skeletal muscle function in patients with heart failure supported by left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).

PubMed

Study Overview:

Participants: Seven heart failure patients (five ischemic, two non-ischemic) on LVAD support.
Intervention: Oral clenbuterol, titrated up to 720 mcg daily, administered for three months.
Assessments: Echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, body composition analysis, and quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) measured at baseline and after three months.

Key Findings:

Cardiac Function:

No improvement in ejection fraction.
Significant increase in end-diastolic dimension (from 4.73 ± 0.67 cm to 5.24 ± 0.66 cm; p < 0.01).
Trend toward increased left ventricular mass.

Skeletal Muscle:

Significant increases in body weight and lean mass.
MVC improved significantly (from 37.0 ± 15.7 kg to 45.8 ± 20.6 kg; p < 0.05).

Safety:

No serious adverse events or arrhythmias reported.
Elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels in four subjects, without clinical consequences.

Conclusion:

High-dose clenbuterol did not enhance cardiac function in LVAD-supported heart failure patients. However, it increased skeletal muscle mass and strength, counteracting the typical decline in myocyte size during LVAD support. These findings suggest clenbuterol's potential to aid skeletal muscle recovery, though its effect on cardiac function remains unproven.

PubMed

Implications for Bodybuilders:

While clenbuterol is sometimes used off-label to increase muscle mass and strength, this study indicates that its benefits may be limited to skeletal muscle, with no positive but no real negative impact on cardiac function within 3 months of use. The potential for elevated CPK levels suggests a need for caution due to possible muscle damage.

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