Clenbuterol: Warning for Athletes

The Manfred Donike Institute for Doping Analysis (MDI) and the Center for Preventive Doping Research of the German Sport University Cologne are warning athletes from risks of inadvertent doping with the ß2-agonist clenbuterol when travelling to China.

An investigation, presented on the 14th of February 2011 at the Cologne Workshop on Doping Analysis, showed that the analyses of the urine samples of 28 travellers, returning from China to Germany, resulted in findings of low concentrations of the doping substance clenbuterol in 22 out of the 28 urine samples. The results were obtained between the 15th of September 2010 and the 15th of January 2011. The findings are most probably due to a food contamination problem, potentially caused by misuse of clenbuterol as growth promoter in stock-breeding.

Reference:

Guddat S, Fusshöller G, Schwenke A, Haenelt N, Klose C, Geyer H, Thevis M, Schänzer W: Clenbuterol - regional food contamination as possible source for positive findings in doping control? Lecture at the 29th Cologne Workshop on Dope Analysis 14th February 2011