Albuterol is a medication to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD-related symptoms. The medication's action is dilating or opening the breathing passages of the lungs during an acute asthma attack. Because albuterol has a stimulating effect, some people try to use this asthma medication to promote weight or fat loss.
Stimulatory Effects
Albuterol stimulates the nervous system and muscles. The medication can cause rapid heart beat or tachycardia, elevate your blood pressure and cause irregular heart beats or arrhythmias. Because of the stimulatory affects, some people use albuterol for weight loss. There many bodybuilding websites that feature instructions and discussions with members on how to use albuterol for contest preparations and fat loss. The stimulation of the nervous system is believed to be the reason for increased fat loss with albuterol use, according to medication and symptoms website eMedTV.
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Dosages
Most bodybuilders or fitness enthusiasts use albuterol tablets or liquid ranging from 2 mg to 8 mg taken up to 4 times per day, because the length of action for the medication is approximately 4 hours. They take albuterol several times a day to maintain fat mobilization and stimulatory effects during the day and through workouts to promote weight loss during a training cycle with the medication. These dosages are not based on scientific literature or professional recommendations, but rather through trial and error on previous users' experiences.
Action
Albuterol is a beta-adrengenic antagonist that stimulates the beta-adrengenic receptors of the lungs to promote dilation of the airways, notes eMedTV. This causes the spasming muscles of the lungs to relax allowing smoother breathing. Albuterol could possibly lead to relaxation of smooth muscles in other parts of the body, including your digestive tract.
Risks
Albuterol isn't approved by the Food and Drug Adminstration for weight loss. Currently, the usage of albueterol is for the treatment of asthma and COPD-related symptoms. Tolerance to albuterol occurs causing users who are abusing the drug to increase their dosage to experience the same stimulation before engaging in exercise. The side effect that increases the biggest risk for users is heart arrhythmias that could lead to a stroke or heart attack, according to eMedTV. If you have other chronic illnesses such as thyroid problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, or have a history of a stroke, heart attack or blood clots, speak to your doctor before using albuterol for weight loss promotion.