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Eat clen? The normalisation of harmful clenbuterol use within digital fitness cultures

Luke Cox Orcid Logo, Tim Piatkowski

Performance Enhancement & Health, Volume: 14, Issue: 1, Start page: 100391

Swansea University Author: Luke Cox Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.peh.2025.100391

Abstract

Clenbuterol is a β2-adrenergic agonist that is not approved for human use in the United States but is widely used by bodybuilders and athletes for its fat-reducing effects. Within image- and performance-enhancing drug (IPED) communities, it is commonly referred to as “Clen” and is typically incorpor...

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Published in: Performance Enhancement & Health
ISSN: 2211-2669
Published: Elsevier BV 2026
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70827
first_indexed 2025-11-03T16:51:38Z
last_indexed 2025-11-04T15:04:56Z
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spelling 2025-11-03T16:54:40.3980306 v2 70827 2025-11-03 Eat clen? The normalisation of harmful clenbuterol use within digital fitness cultures 9811ac84cad867903c385bf7086dfd2d 0000-0001-7625-4603 Luke Cox Luke Cox true false 2025-11-03 EAAS Clenbuterol is a β2-adrenergic agonist that is not approved for human use in the United States but is widely used by bodybuilders and athletes for its fat-reducing effects. Within image- and performance-enhancing drug (IPED) communities, it is commonly referred to as “Clen” and is typically incorporated into a bodybuilder’s drug “cycle” during the “cutting” phase of competition preparation. While well-established within bodybuilding subcultures, clenbuterol use is associated with significant health risks, including tremors, hyperthermia, tachycardia, cardiac palpitations, and, in severe cases, death. Increasingly, concerns have been raised about the diffusion of clenbuterol use into broader fitness communities. This study employs digital ethnography to examine the role of social media in this diffusion process. Drawing on the normalisation perspective (Parker et al., 1998), it highlights how social media platforms shape perceptions and practices related to clenbuterol. Specifically, social media facilitates access and availability, reframes perceptions of risk, enables cultural and social accommodation, and contributes to identity formation among this population. Through the overt promotion, advertising, and discussion of clenbuterol, social media plays a critical role in fostering its acceptability within wider fitness communities. In light of these developments, this paper argues for stronger governmental engagement to mitigate health risks and protect individuals participating in increasingly diverse and evolving IPED communities. Journal Article Performance Enhancement &amp; Health 14 1 100391 Elsevier BV 2211-2669 IPEDs; Harm reduction; Social media; Normalisation; Clenbuterol 1 2 2026 2026-02-01 10.1016/j.peh.2025.100391 COLLEGE NANME Engineering and Applied Sciences School COLLEGE CODE EAAS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) None 2025-11-03T16:54:40.3980306 2025-11-03T16:49:14.9652174 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences Luke Cox 0000-0001-7625-4603 1 Tim Piatkowski 2 70827__35547__aa2e51df938944e9bc45de03d85f29ea.pdf 70827.VoR.pdf 2025-11-03T16:52:33.3525017 Output 13157927 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Eat clen? The normalisation of harmful clenbuterol use within digital fitness cultures
spellingShingle Eat clen? The normalisation of harmful clenbuterol use within digital fitness cultures
Luke Cox
title_short Eat clen? The normalisation of harmful clenbuterol use within digital fitness cultures
title_full Eat clen? The normalisation of harmful clenbuterol use within digital fitness cultures
title_fullStr Eat clen? The normalisation of harmful clenbuterol use within digital fitness cultures
title_full_unstemmed Eat clen? The normalisation of harmful clenbuterol use within digital fitness cultures
title_sort Eat clen? The normalisation of harmful clenbuterol use within digital fitness cultures
author_id_str_mv 9811ac84cad867903c385bf7086dfd2d
author_id_fullname_str_mv 9811ac84cad867903c385bf7086dfd2d_***_Luke Cox
author Luke Cox
author2 Luke Cox
Tim Piatkowski
format Journal article
container_title Performance Enhancement &amp; Health
container_volume 14
container_issue 1
container_start_page 100391
publishDate 2026
institution Swansea University
issn 2211-2669
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.peh.2025.100391
publisher Elsevier BV
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences
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description Clenbuterol is a β2-adrenergic agonist that is not approved for human use in the United States but is widely used by bodybuilders and athletes for its fat-reducing effects. Within image- and performance-enhancing drug (IPED) communities, it is commonly referred to as “Clen” and is typically incorporated into a bodybuilder’s drug “cycle” during the “cutting” phase of competition preparation. While well-established within bodybuilding subcultures, clenbuterol use is associated with significant health risks, including tremors, hyperthermia, tachycardia, cardiac palpitations, and, in severe cases, death. Increasingly, concerns have been raised about the diffusion of clenbuterol use into broader fitness communities. This study employs digital ethnography to examine the role of social media in this diffusion process. Drawing on the normalisation perspective (Parker et al., 1998), it highlights how social media platforms shape perceptions and practices related to clenbuterol. Specifically, social media facilitates access and availability, reframes perceptions of risk, enables cultural and social accommodation, and contributes to identity formation among this population. Through the overt promotion, advertising, and discussion of clenbuterol, social media plays a critical role in fostering its acceptability within wider fitness communities. In light of these developments, this paper argues for stronger governmental engagement to mitigate health risks and protect individuals participating in increasingly diverse and evolving IPED communities.
published_date 2026-02-01T05:33:51Z
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score 11.095902

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