β-Agonists: From Banned Sports Drugs to Dining-Table Hazards

Recently, news about the Chinese swimming team attracted widespread attention: within 10 days of arriving in France, the Chinese swimming team underwent nearly 200 doping tests in total, with each athlete tested 5–7 times on average.

Chinese swimming team undergoes nearly 200 drug tests in 10 days; high-intensity testing sparks discussion

This high-intensity testing has once again brought the doping issue to the forefront of public attention. β-agonists are a common class of banned substances that can improve athletes' endurance and strength. However, they not only violate the principle of fair competition in sports, but also pose serious health risks to athletes, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, nervous system problems, muscle and bone injuries, and weakened immune function.

What Are β-Agonists?

β-agonists, fully known as β-adrenergic receptor agonists, are a class of drugs that can enhance central nervous system activity. They typically act on β-adrenergic receptors to increase heart rate, dilate bronchi, increase blood flow, and improve muscle contractility.

β-agonists were initially developed to treat asthma and other respiratory diseases. Because they can promote protein synthesis, increase muscle mass, and reduce body fat, β-agonists are also used for other purposes:

• △In competitive sports, some athletes illegally use β-agonists to enhance athletic performance.

• In animal husbandry, β-agonists are used to promote animal growth, especially to increase lean meat percentage.

Common β-agonists:

Clenbuterol

Salbutamol

Ractopamine

Terbutaline

Cimaterol

β-agonists are banned not only in sports but also strictly restricted or prohibited in animal husbandry in many countries.

 EU

: The EU has very strict regulations on the use of β-agonists. Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council prohibits the use of any growth promoters, including β-agonists, in animal feed. In addition, EU member states must conduct regular monitoring to ensure that no residues of these banned substances are present in food.

United States 

: In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits the addition of most β-agonists to animal feed. Certain drugs such as clenbuterol are explicitly banned in animal husbandry because these drugs pose a serious threat to human health.

 China 

: China also has strict laws and regulations to control the use of β-agonists. According to the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on Administration of Veterinary Drugs, β-agonists such as clenbuterol are prohibited from use in food-producing animals. Agricultural departments across China also conduct regular sampling inspections to ensure food safety in the market.

 Australia 

: Australia prohibits the use of most β-agonists in animal husbandry. The Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources strictly regulates the use of veterinary drugs to ensure that all food products meet safety standards.

In animal husbandry, the illegal use of β-agonists is mainly to promote rapid animal growth and increase lean meat percentage. These drugs can increase muscle production and reduce fat deposition, making the meat look better and yield higher. Therefore, β-agonists and their salts and esters are commonly known as “lean meat powder” (clenbuterol-type agents).

However, this practice leads to drug residues in meat, milk, eggs, and other products, which enter the human body through the food chain. Ingestion of these residues may cause acute poisoning symptoms (such as palpitations and headaches) and chronic health problems (such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders). Vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and pregnant women face greater risks. In addition, the abuse of these drugs may also lead to drug-resistance problems, rendering drugs used in legitimate medical treatment ineffective and seriously threatening public health and safety.

To strictly regulate medication use in animal husbandry and ensure the safety of animal-derived food, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China issued the List of Drugs and Other Compounds Prohibited for Use in Food-Producing Animals (Announcement No. 250 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs).

The announcement lists drugs and compounds prohibited for use in food-producing animals, such as β-agonists like clenbuterol, lean-meat-powder-type substances, certain antibiotics, and hormones. These banned substances are strictly controlled to prevent their residues from entering the human body through the food chain and to protect public health.

Against this background, accurately detecting and monitoring the residues of these banned substances is crucial. CATO provides supporting analytical reference standards to help testing institutions more effectively identify and quantify potential risk substances in food, thereby strengthening food safety and quality control and building a solid line of defense for the safety of people's dining tables.