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

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 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