Clenbuterol in Doping: A Global Overview Based on Confirmed Sanctions
June 25, 2025 Clenbuterol has been registered in 495 confirmed doping cases globally. It is one of the most frequently detected substances among anabolic agents and ranks sixth among all steroids in the Anti-Doping Database.
This article presents a factual overview based on global sanction data, with no assumptions about intent or cause. All figures are drawn from confirmed doping violations recorded since 2015.
Clenbuterol in Context: Ranking and Frequency
Out of 6,376 steroid-related doping cases in the Anti-Doping Database, clenbuterol appears in 495. That equals 7.8% of the total. Stanozolol, the most sanctioned steroid, accounts for 1,329 cases. Clenbuterol represents 37% of that figure.
This places clenbuterol ahead of several well-known substances, including oxandrolone (288 cases), boldenone (305), and drostanolone (342). The data reflects only confirmed violations, where a final sanction was imposed.
Sports and Countries Involved
Bodybuilding is the most frequently represented sport in clenbuterol cases, with 134 confirmed violations. Track and field follows with 69, then rugby (47), cycling (41), and weightlifting (40). Together, these five sports account for over 65% of all clenbuterol cases.
When reviewing country-level data, the Czech Republic ranks first with 45 cases. Other countries in the top 10 include New Zealand (30), Australia (22), the United Kingdom (22), and China (21). No single country exceeds 10% of the total. This shows that clenbuterol-related violations have been registered across multiple regions.
Suspensions and Testing Context
Most clenbuterol cases result in long suspensions. A four-year ban was imposed in 196 cases (39.6%), and a two-year ban in 184 cases (37.2%). Only 6 cases ended with a public warning. Lifetime bans were issued in 10 instances.
Testing data shows that 71 of the violations occurred during out-of-competition controls. An additional 38 athletes were sanctioned following investigations that did not rely solely on laboratory tests. These cases indicate the use of non-analytical evidence or procedural findings.
Summary Table
Key clenbuterol facts based on Anti-Doping Database data:
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495 confirmed doping cases worldwide
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6th most sanctioned steroid since 2015
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Appears in at least 10 different sports and over 20 countries
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