Albuterol
Albuterol, also called salbutamol, reliably opens narrowed airways. Small human trials also found greater sprint power and lean mass with oral use. These gains came with weaker aerobic training adaptations, while ordinary inhaler studies often found no performance benefit.
Racemic short-acting beta2-adrenergic bronchodilator
- Albuterol and salbutamol are the same active base name in different naming systems.
- Oral trials show muscle and sprint effects; inhaled respiratory efficacy does not establish the same systemic benefit.
- Frequent rescue use can be a sign that airway disease needs reassessment.
- Cardiovascular stimulation, low potassium, paradoxical bronchospasm, and drug interactions require attention.
Are albuterol and salbutamol the same drug?
Yes. Albuterol is the United States Adopted Name and salbutamol is the WHO-recommended name for the same racemic beta2 agonist. The active base, sulfate salt, enantiomers, and particular inhaler are still different chemical or product records.
US label · bronchospasm, EIB, PK, and safety
FDA prescribing information
Armstrong Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALBUTEROL SULFATE inhalation aerosol. DailyMed setid 17858afa-dcdf-4612-b475-3b6baadfb639. Updated August 6, 2026.
The current US label covers treatment or prevention of bronchospasm and prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm from age four. It describes beta2-receptor/cAMP airway smooth-muscle relaxation, an approximately six-hour adult terminal plasma half-life after a high cumulative inhaled exposure, the 24-person exercise challenge, and material warnings and interactions.
- Participants / model
- Patients aged four years and older with reversible obstructive airway disease or exercise-induced bronchospasm; PK substudies in healthy adults and children
- Treatment
- Oral inhalation of racemic albuterol sulfate aerosol
- Follow-up
- Current product record; pivotal studies from single exposure to six weeks
- Study design
- Regulatory prescribing information
A product label establishes labeled use and formulation-specific safety; it does not prove body-composition or sports-performance benefit.
Read the original sourcePubChem CID 2083 · salbutamol identity
Government substance database
National Library of Medicine. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 2083, Salbutamol.
Identifies salbutamol/albuterol base as C13H21NO3, molecular weight 239.31 g/mol, CID 2083, with salbutamol as the record title.
- Participants / model
- Not applicable
- Treatment
- Not applicable
- Follow-up
- Living database record
- Study design
- Curated chemical identity record
The base, sulfate salt, individual enantiomers, and inhaler formulations are not interchangeable chemical records.
Read the original sourceWhat does the direct exercise-induced bronchospasm evidence show?
Inhaled albuterol prevented exercise-induced bronchospasm in the label's randomized crossover challenge. Twenty of 24 participants maintained the prespecified lung-function threshold for the hour after exercise versus 6 of 24 after placebo.
| Population | Design and route | Result | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 adults and adolescents with EIB | Randomized single-dose crossover; inhaled | 83% protected vs 25% with placebo | One challenge and one-hour protection window |
US label · bronchospasm, EIB, PK, and safety
FDA prescribing information
Armstrong Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALBUTEROL SULFATE inhalation aerosol. DailyMed setid 17858afa-dcdf-4612-b475-3b6baadfb639. Updated August 6, 2026.
The current US label covers treatment or prevention of bronchospasm and prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm from age four. It describes beta2-receptor/cAMP airway smooth-muscle relaxation, an approximately six-hour adult terminal plasma half-life after a high cumulative inhaled exposure, the 24-person exercise challenge, and material warnings and interactions.
- Participants / model
- Patients aged four years and older with reversible obstructive airway disease or exercise-induced bronchospasm; PK substudies in healthy adults and children
- Treatment
- Oral inhalation of racemic albuterol sulfate aerosol
- Follow-up
- Current product record; pivotal studies from single exposure to six weeks
- Study design
- Regulatory prescribing information
A product label establishes labeled use and formulation-specific safety; it does not prove body-composition or sports-performance benefit.
Read the original sourceDoes it improve sprint power or endurance?
Oral salbutamol has improved sprint power in small controlled trials. Inhaled studies are mostly neutral, and better sprint output has not reliably meant better endurance.
In 20 elite endurance athletes, oral treatment increased first-Wingate peak power by 4.1% acutely and by 6.4% after two weeks; second-Wingate peak power increased 4.2% after two weeks. Maximal voluntary contraction, isometric endurance and the high-intensity endurance test did not improve.
A 16-person oral crossover found about 4 to 5% higher knee torque. Its whole-sample endurance result was nonsignificant (p=.19). The often-quoted 29% endurance increase came after excluding four participants who had adverse effects.
A six-week inhaled training trial in 16 male athletes found no added endurance, strength or power benefit. Acute inhaled fatigue experiments were also neutral. Route and systemic exposure matter.
Hostrup et al., oral salbutamol in 20 elite endurance athletes
Randomized controlled human trial
Hostrup M, Kalsen A, Auchenberg M, Bangsbo J, Backer V. Effects of acute and 2-week administration of oral salbutamol on exercise performance and muscle strength in athletes. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports. 2016. DOI 10.1111/sms.12298.
Randomized, blinded parallel trial: acute exposure increased first-Wingate peak power by 4.1%; after two weeks, first- and second-Wingate peak power increased by 6.4% and 4.2%. Maximal voluntary contraction, deltoid isometric endurance and exercise performance at 110% VO2max did not improve. This supports a specific sprint-power effect, not broad strength or endurance enhancement. Small male-only arms, multiple endpoints, and limited reporting of allocation and adverse events constrain confidence.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
van Baak et al., acute oral strength and endurance crossover
Randomized controlled human trial
van Baak MA, Mayer LH, Kempinski RE, Hartgens F. Effect of salbutamol on muscle strength and endurance performance in nonasthmatic men. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2000. DOI 10.1097/00005768-200007000-00018.
Sixteen nonasthmatic men received oral salbutamol and placebo in a blinded crossover. Knee extensor/flexor torque improved approximately 4.4%/4.9%. The full-sample endurance comparison was not significant (p=.19). The often-quoted 29% endurance improvement emerged after removing four people who experienced adverse effects; it cannot stand in for the randomized whole-sample result. Resting/acute outcomes provide no chronic safety assurance.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
Dickinson et al., six-week inhaled salbutamol training trial
Randomized controlled human trial
Dickinson J, Molphy J, Chester N, Loosemore M, Whyte G. The ergogenic effect of long-term use of high dose salbutamol. Clinical journal of sport medicine : official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine. 2014. DOI 10.1097/jsm.0000000000000076.
Sixteen male athletes undertook endurance, strength and power training with inhaled salbutamol or placebo. Both groups improved, but salbutamol did not significantly outperform placebo on the measured endurance, strength or power outcomes. This helps explain why oral positive results cannot be assigned to an ordinary inhaler exposure.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
Acute inhaled salbutamol and quadriceps fatigability
Randomized controlled human trial
Decorte N, Verges S, Flore P, Guinot M, Wuyam B. Effects of acute salbutamol inhalation on quadriceps force and fatigability. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2008. DOI 10.1249/mss.0b013e31816b87aa.
Blinded crossover testing used cycling (n=10) and repeated leg extensions (n=9). Inhaled treatment did not improve voluntary force, stimulated twitch force, fatigue or recovery. The physiological methods are useful, but the small acute experiment does not exclude effects of chronic systemic administration.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
36 healthy adults · peak oxygen uptake unchanged
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
Filip Eckerström, Christian Emil Rex, Marie Maagaard, Sune Rubak, Vibeke Elisabeth Hjortdal, and Johan Heiberg. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. 2018. PMID 30233808.
Among 36 healthy non-asthmatic non-athletes, an acute inhaled salbutamol exposure increased spirometric measures but did not improve peak oxygen uptake, peak workload, peak heart rate, breathing rate, or minute ventilation versus placebo.
- Participants / model
- 36 healthy non-asthmatic, non-athlete adults; mean age 26 years
- Treatment
- Single inhaled salbutamol exposure versus placebo
- Follow-up
- Single exercise-testing session
- Study design
- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
- Funding
- Aarhus University, the Oda and Hans Svenningsen Foundation, and the Hertha Christensen Foundation
All 36 completed. Acute crossover testing in healthy non-athletes cannot answer asthma control, repeated exposure, or long-term body composition.
Read the original sourceDoes it build muscle or burn fat?
There is direct human evidence of lean-mass gain during oral salbutamol plus resistance training. Fat loss is less consistent, and the muscle result came with adverse physiological changes.
A 2026 randomized trial assigned 30 men; 26 completed, 13 per group. After 11 weeks of supervised resistance training, the salbutamol group gained 1.8 kg more lean mass than placebo (95% CI 0.5 to 3.1). Fat mass did not clearly change. Jessen 2021 reports the same cohort, so the two papers are not independent replication.
Echocardiography found thicker ventricular walls, but the between-group left-ventricular mass result was null and cardiac MRI found no structural or functional difference. Muscle oxidative enzyme activity fell and improvement in exercise capacity was blunted. Five active participants reported transient mild tremor or palpitations; no grade 2 or higher event occurred. This small, short, male-only study does not settle long-term cardiac risk.
A separate six-week inhaled endurance-training study found a female-specific fat-mass reduction of about 0.8 kg, no lean-mass gain and impaired training responses. Its female groups contained only 10 and nine participants.
Short studies also show increased postexercise protein synthesis, alongside increased breakdown, and some strength gains without measurable hypertrophy. A five-hour protein-turnover measurement cannot predict how much muscle remains months later.
Hostrup et al., 2026: lean mass and cardiac / oxidative outcomes
Randomized controlled human trial
Hostrup M, Jessen S, Tischer SG, Kalsen A, Hadad R, Bonde PL, Kreiberg M, Gad AS, Sajadieh A, Backer V, Bangsbo J, Rasmusen H. Lean Mass Gains, Cardiac Remodeling, and Muscle Oxidative Changes With High-Dose Salbutamol During Resistance Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports. 2026. DOI 10.1111/sms.70302.
Thirty men were randomized; 26 completed (13 per arm), with four training-noncompliance withdrawals. During 11 weeks of supervised resistance training, oral salbutamol increased lean mass by 1.8 kg more than placebo (95% CI 0.5 to 3.1; p=.009); fat mass showed no apparent change. Echocardiography found thicker walls, but the between-group LV-mass result was null and cardiac MRI showed no structural/function difference. Muscle oxidative enzyme activities fell and exercise-capacity improvement was blunted. These are safety signals, not demonstrated clinical cardiomyopathy. Five active participants reported transient grade-1 tremor/palpitations; no grade≥2 event occurred. DXA was standardized, but the study was small, male-only and short; participants were recreationally active rather than elite lifters. WADA funded it; authors declared no conflicts. The paper identifies Jessen 2021 as another report from this cohort, so those papers are not independent replication.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
Martineau et al., short-term slow-release oral salbutamol
Primary human study
Martineau L, Horan MA, Rothwell NJ, Little RA. Salbutamol, a beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, increases skeletal muscle strength in young men. Clinical science (London, England : 1979). 1992. DOI 10.1042/cs0830615.
Twelve healthy men were studied with salbutamol or placebo over 21 days. Quadriceps strength rose around 12% at day 14 and remained elevated; other muscle groups differed, with no grip effect. Weight, skinfolds, lean mass and circumferences did not change significantly. It is early evidence of altered muscle function, not measured hypertrophy. The small sample and old reporting limit precise generalization.
Read the original sourceHostrup et al., muscle protein turnover after resistance exercise
Randomized controlled human trial
Hostrup M, Reitelseder S, Jessen S, Kalsen A, Nyberg M, Egelund J, Kreiberg M, Kristensen CM, Thomassen M, Pilegaard H, Backer V, Jacobson GA, Holm L, Bangsbo J. Beta2 -adrenoceptor agonist salbutamol increases protein turnover rates and alters signalling in skeletal muscle after resistance exercise in young men. The Journal of physiology. 2018. DOI 10.1113/jp275560.
In 12 trained men under randomized placebo-controlled crossover conditions, salbutamol increased postexercise myofibrillar fractional synthesis rate (0.079 versus 0.066%/hour) and improved leg phenylalanine balance over the measured recovery window. Breakdown also increased. The isotope and biopsy data support human muscle action, but a five-hour recovery measurement cannot quantify retained long-term muscle gain. This is not the same endpoint as DXA hypertrophy.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
40 trained adults · sex-specific fat signal, training costs
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel trial
Morten Hostrup, Cecilie Weinreich, Mathias Bjerre, Dario Kohlbrenner, Jens Bangsbo, and Søren Jessen. ERJ Open Research. 2023. PMID 38152086.
All 40 completed. Women randomized to salbutamol had 0.8 kg less fat mass than placebo at six weeks (95% CI −1.6 to −0.5; p=0.039); men did not. Whole-body lean mass did not differ. VO2max adaptation lagged during the first four weeks, no final incremental-performance benefit emerged, and female quadriceps force was 39 N·m lower.
- Participants / model
- 40 well-trained healthy adults: 19 women and 21 men
- Treatment
- Inhaled salbutamol or placebo on training days
- Follow-up
- 6 weeks
- Study design
- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel-group trial
- Funding
- Anti Doping Denmark
Female arms contained 10 and 9 participants. The six-week supervised training study was too small for durable body-composition or safety conclusions; six salbutamol participants reported adverse effects.
Read the original sourceDoes repeated scheduled inhalation behave like occasional pre-exercise use?
A 10-person crossover found worse baseline and post-exercise FEV1 after one week of scheduled inhalation, despite preserved acute airway protection. A larger 16-week trial in 255 people with mild stable asthma found no benefit or measurable harm from scheduled use compared with as-needed use: morning peak flow changed little, and exacerbations were 11 versus 13. Frequent rescue use still calls for reassessment under the current label.
| Study | Result | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| 10-person crossover; 1 week | Baseline and post-exercise FEV1 worsened; acute pre-exercise protection remained | Very small, short physiological study |
| 255-person mild-asthma trial; 16 weeks | Morning peak flow 416→414 vs 424→424 L/min; p=0.71. Exacerbations 11 vs 13 | Mild stable asthma; 230 completed; no severe-asthma inference |
10 people · regular use worsened EIB severity
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
M. D. Inman and P. M. O'Byrne. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 1996. PMID 8542164.
Ten participants completed seven-day albuterol and placebo periods. Regular albuterol lowered baseline FEV1 and worsened post-exercise bronchoconstriction, although acute pre-exercise inhalation remained protective.
- Participants / model
- 10 people with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
- Treatment
- Regular inhaled albuterol versus placebo, followed by standardized exercise challenges
- Follow-up
- Two seven-day crossover periods with testing on days eight and nine
- Study design
- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
The trial is very small and old, but it directly separates acute rescue/prevention from repeated scheduled exposure.
Read the original source255 mild-asthma patients · scheduled use neutral
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter trial
Jeffrey M. Drazen, Elliot Israel, Homer A. Boushey, Vernon M. Chinchilli, et al.; Asthma Clinical Research Network. New England Journal of Medicine. 1996. PMID 8778601.
Among 255 patients randomized to 16 weeks of scheduled or as-needed albuterol, morning peak flow changed little (416 to 414 vs 424 to 424 L/min; p=0.71). Exacerbations were 11 versus 13 and treatment failures 5 versus 6; 230 completed.
- Participants / model
- 255 patients with mild chronic stable asthma after a six-week run-in
- Treatment
- Regularly scheduled inhaled albuterol versus as-needed albuterol
- Follow-up
- 16-week double-blind treatment plus 4-week withdrawal
- Study design
- Randomized double-blind multicenter parallel-group trial
- Funding
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Asthma Clinical Research Network
The trial covered mild stable asthma and cannot rank maintenance strategies for severe disease.
Read the original sourceUS label · bronchospasm, EIB, PK, and safety
FDA prescribing information
Armstrong Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALBUTEROL SULFATE inhalation aerosol. DailyMed setid 17858afa-dcdf-4612-b475-3b6baadfb639. Updated August 6, 2026.
The current US label covers treatment or prevention of bronchospasm and prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm from age four. It describes beta2-receptor/cAMP airway smooth-muscle relaxation, an approximately six-hour adult terminal plasma half-life after a high cumulative inhaled exposure, the 24-person exercise challenge, and material warnings and interactions.
- Participants / model
- Patients aged four years and older with reversible obstructive airway disease or exercise-induced bronchospasm; PK substudies in healthy adults and children
- Treatment
- Oral inhalation of racemic albuterol sulfate aerosol
- Follow-up
- Current product record; pivotal studies from single exposure to six weeks
- Study design
- Regulatory prescribing information
A product label establishes labeled use and formulation-specific safety; it does not prove body-composition or sports-performance benefit.
Read the original sourceHow does albuterol work, and how long does the inhaled product persist?
It activates beta2 receptors on airway smooth muscle, raises cyclic AMP, lowers intracellular calcium signaling, and relaxes the airway. The six-hour terminal half-life estimate came from one high cumulative inhaled exposure in adults; age, device, route, and kidney function can change the result.
US label · bronchospasm, EIB, PK, and safety
FDA prescribing information
Armstrong Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALBUTEROL SULFATE inhalation aerosol. DailyMed setid 17858afa-dcdf-4612-b475-3b6baadfb639. Updated August 6, 2026.
The current US label covers treatment or prevention of bronchospasm and prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm from age four. It describes beta2-receptor/cAMP airway smooth-muscle relaxation, an approximately six-hour adult terminal plasma half-life after a high cumulative inhaled exposure, the 24-person exercise challenge, and material warnings and interactions.
- Participants / model
- Patients aged four years and older with reversible obstructive airway disease or exercise-induced bronchospasm; PK substudies in healthy adults and children
- Treatment
- Oral inhalation of racemic albuterol sulfate aerosol
- Follow-up
- Current product record; pivotal studies from single exposure to six weeks
- Study design
- Regulatory prescribing information
A product label establishes labeled use and formulation-specific safety; it does not prove body-composition or sports-performance benefit.
Read the original sourceWhich risks and interactions matter most?
Paradoxical bronchospasm can be life-threatening. Cardiovascular stimulation, arrhythmias, hypokalemia, hyperglycemia, hypersensitivity, and harm from excessive use remain possible. Beta-blockers can block bronchodilation and provoke bronchospasm; non-potassium-sparing diuretics can worsen potassium or ECG effects; MAO inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants can amplify cardiovascular effects; digoxin concentrations can change.
US label · bronchospasm, EIB, PK, and safety
FDA prescribing information
Armstrong Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALBUTEROL SULFATE inhalation aerosol. DailyMed setid 17858afa-dcdf-4612-b475-3b6baadfb639. Updated August 6, 2026.
The current US label covers treatment or prevention of bronchospasm and prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm from age four. It describes beta2-receptor/cAMP airway smooth-muscle relaxation, an approximately six-hour adult terminal plasma half-life after a high cumulative inhaled exposure, the 24-person exercise challenge, and material warnings and interactions.
- Participants / model
- Patients aged four years and older with reversible obstructive airway disease or exercise-induced bronchospasm; PK substudies in healthy adults and children
- Treatment
- Oral inhalation of racemic albuterol sulfate aerosol
- Follow-up
- Current product record; pivotal studies from single exposure to six weeks
- Study design
- Regulatory prescribing information
A product label establishes labeled use and formulation-specific safety; it does not prove body-composition or sports-performance benefit.
Read the original sourceIs prescribed inhaled salbutamol automatically permitted in tested sport?
The 2026 WADA exception is conditional on route, exposure, and urine concentration. Athletes still need the current sport rules even when the inhaler is prescribed.
WADA 2026 · salbutamol rules are route and exposure specific
International sport regulation
World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List. In force January 1, 2026.
The 2026 list prohibits beta2 agonists but contains a defined exception for inhaled salbutamol within specified exposure and urine-concentration conditions.
- Participants / model
- Athletes subject to the World Anti-Doping Code
- Treatment
- Regulatory classification, not treatment
- Follow-up
- 2026 season
- Study design
- International anti-doping standard
Sport eligibility rules do not determine medical appropriateness, and athletes need current event-specific guidance.
Read the original sourceWhat did the Chinese clinical records add?
A 2014 Chinese multicenter trial randomized 238 adults with asthma to a domestic non-CFC salbutamol inhaler or imported Ventolin for one dose. The full-analysis set was 224. Maximum FEV1 change at 30 minutes was 0.40 versus 0.43 L, with no reported between-group difference; adverse events affected 5.88% versus 5.00%, including one ventricular-ectopy event in the domestic group that resolved the next day. The paper gave no noninferiority margin, so it cannot prove formal equivalence. A separate registry record concerns levalbuterol bioequivalence, a different enantiomer/product question.
| Record | Population and design | Result | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 inhaler trial | 238 randomized; 224 full-analysis; multicenter double-blind active control; single inhalation | Maximum 30-minute FEV1 change 0.40 vs 0.43 L; adverse events 5.88% vs 5.00% | Formulation comparison; no stated noninferiority margin; 14 post-randomization eligibility exclusions |
| CTR20240652 | Healthy-participant bioequivalence registry | No readable enrollment or results | Levalbuterol, not racemic salbutamol; this entry does not establish a clinical benefit |
Chinese inhaler trial · 238 randomized, 224 analyzed
Multicenter randomized double-blind active-controlled clinical trial
罗柱, 刘春涛, 黄奕江, 韩晓雯, 孙秀珍, 郝青林. 四川大学学报（医学版）. 2014;45(2):266 to 269.
The full-analysis set included 112 participants per group. Maximum FEV1 change at 30 minutes was 0.40±0.28 L with the domestic inhaler and 0.43±0.28 L with imported Ventolin; no time point differed. Adverse events affected 7/119 versus 6/119, with one transient ventricular-ectopy event in the domestic group.
- Participants / model
- 238 Chinese adults aged 18 to 65 with asthma and baseline FEV1 50% to 80% predicted; 224 in the full analysis set
- Treatment
- Single inhalation of domestic non-CFC salbutamol sulfate aerosol versus imported Ventolin
- Follow-up
- Single-dose lung-function and safety follow-up
- Study design
- Multicenter randomized double-blind active-controlled trial
- Funding
- Study products supplied by Shandong Jingwei Pharmaceutical and GlaxoSmithKline
Seven participants per arm were removed after blinded eligibility review and one control participant was lost. No noninferiority margin was stated, so similar observed means do not prove formal equivalence.
Read the original sourceChina CDE registry · levalbuterol bioequivalence
Chinese official clinical-trial registry record
Center for Drug Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration. CTR20240652. 左沙丁胺醇酒石酸盐吸入气雾剂人体生物等效性试验. 2024.
The indexed official registry record describes a completed randomized, open-label, single-dose, four-period crossover bioequivalence study of levalbuterol tartrate inhalation aerosol in healthy Chinese participants.
- Participants / model
- Healthy Chinese participants; enrollment count was not visible in the indexed record
- Treatment
- Levalbuterol tartrate test and reference inhalation aerosols
- Follow-up
- Single-dose four-period study; exact calendar duration not visible
- Study design
- Randomized open-label crossover bioequivalence study
The registry record concerns levalbuterol, the R-enantiomer, rather than racemic albuterol or salbutamol. It tests bioequivalence, not efficacy or approval.
Read the original sourceStudies and sources
US label · bronchospasm, EIB, PK, and safety
FDA prescribing information
Armstrong Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALBUTEROL SULFATE inhalation aerosol. DailyMed setid 17858afa-dcdf-4612-b475-3b6baadfb639. Updated August 6, 2026.
The current US label covers treatment or prevention of bronchospasm and prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm from age four. It describes beta2-receptor/cAMP airway smooth-muscle relaxation, an approximately six-hour adult terminal plasma half-life after a high cumulative inhaled exposure, the 24-person exercise challenge, and material warnings and interactions.
- Participants / model
- Patients aged four years and older with reversible obstructive airway disease or exercise-induced bronchospasm; PK substudies in healthy adults and children
- Treatment
- Oral inhalation of racemic albuterol sulfate aerosol
- Follow-up
- Current product record; pivotal studies from single exposure to six weeks
- Study design
- Regulatory prescribing information
A product label establishes labeled use and formulation-specific safety; it does not prove body-composition or sports-performance benefit.
Read the original source36 healthy adults · peak oxygen uptake unchanged
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
Filip Eckerström, Christian Emil Rex, Marie Maagaard, Sune Rubak, Vibeke Elisabeth Hjortdal, and Johan Heiberg. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. 2018. PMID 30233808.
Among 36 healthy non-asthmatic non-athletes, an acute inhaled salbutamol exposure increased spirometric measures but did not improve peak oxygen uptake, peak workload, peak heart rate, breathing rate, or minute ventilation versus placebo.
- Participants / model
- 36 healthy non-asthmatic, non-athlete adults; mean age 26 years
- Treatment
- Single inhaled salbutamol exposure versus placebo
- Follow-up
- Single exercise-testing session
- Study design
- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
- Funding
- Aarhus University, the Oda and Hans Svenningsen Foundation, and the Hertha Christensen Foundation
All 36 completed. Acute crossover testing in healthy non-athletes cannot answer asthma control, repeated exposure, or long-term body composition.
Read the original source40 trained adults · sex-specific fat signal, training costs
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel trial
Morten Hostrup, Cecilie Weinreich, Mathias Bjerre, Dario Kohlbrenner, Jens Bangsbo, and Søren Jessen. ERJ Open Research. 2023. PMID 38152086.
All 40 completed. Women randomized to salbutamol had 0.8 kg less fat mass than placebo at six weeks (95% CI −1.6 to −0.5; p=0.039); men did not. Whole-body lean mass did not differ. VO2max adaptation lagged during the first four weeks, no final incremental-performance benefit emerged, and female quadriceps force was 39 N·m lower.
- Participants / model
- 40 well-trained healthy adults: 19 women and 21 men
- Treatment
- Inhaled salbutamol or placebo on training days
- Follow-up
- 6 weeks
- Study design
- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel-group trial
- Funding
- Anti Doping Denmark
Female arms contained 10 and 9 participants. The six-week supervised training study was too small for durable body-composition or safety conclusions; six salbutamol participants reported adverse effects.
Read the original source10 people · regular use worsened EIB severity
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
M. D. Inman and P. M. O'Byrne. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 1996. PMID 8542164.
Ten participants completed seven-day albuterol and placebo periods. Regular albuterol lowered baseline FEV1 and worsened post-exercise bronchoconstriction, although acute pre-exercise inhalation remained protective.
- Participants / model
- 10 people with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
- Treatment
- Regular inhaled albuterol versus placebo, followed by standardized exercise challenges
- Follow-up
- Two seven-day crossover periods with testing on days eight and nine
- Study design
- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
The trial is very small and old, but it directly separates acute rescue/prevention from repeated scheduled exposure.
Read the original sourceRat muscle study · not human body-composition evidence
Preclinical animal study
T. Soić-Vranić, D. Bobinac, S. Bajek, R. Jerković, D. Malnar-Dragojević, and M. Nikolić. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research. 2005. PMID 16302094.
Injected salbutamol changed soleus fiber size and composition in healthy and denervated male Wistar rats over two weeks.
- Participants / model
- Male Wistar rats; healthy and experimentally denervated muscle groups
- Treatment
- Intraperitoneal salbutamol versus untreated controls
- Follow-up
- 2 weeks
- Study design
- Controlled rat muscle morphology experiment
Injected exposure in rat muscle does not establish inhaled human hypertrophy, fat loss, performance, or safety.
Read the original sourceWADA 2026 · salbutamol rules are route and exposure specific
International sport regulation
World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List. In force January 1, 2026.
The 2026 list prohibits beta2 agonists but contains a defined exception for inhaled salbutamol within specified exposure and urine-concentration conditions.
- Participants / model
- Athletes subject to the World Anti-Doping Code
- Treatment
- Regulatory classification, not treatment
- Follow-up
- 2026 season
- Study design
- International anti-doping standard
Sport eligibility rules do not determine medical appropriateness, and athletes need current event-specific guidance.
Read the original sourcePubChem CID 2083 · salbutamol identity
Government substance database
National Library of Medicine. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 2083, Salbutamol.
Identifies salbutamol/albuterol base as C13H21NO3, molecular weight 239.31 g/mol, CID 2083, with salbutamol as the record title.
- Participants / model
- Not applicable
- Treatment
- Not applicable
- Follow-up
- Living database record
- Study design
- Curated chemical identity record
The base, sulfate salt, individual enantiomers, and inhaler formulations are not interchangeable chemical records.
Read the original sourceChina CDE registry · levalbuterol bioequivalence
Chinese official clinical-trial registry record
Center for Drug Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration. CTR20240652. 左沙丁胺醇酒石酸盐吸入气雾剂人体生物等效性试验. 2024.
The indexed official registry record describes a completed randomized, open-label, single-dose, four-period crossover bioequivalence study of levalbuterol tartrate inhalation aerosol in healthy Chinese participants.
- Participants / model
- Healthy Chinese participants; enrollment count was not visible in the indexed record
- Treatment
- Levalbuterol tartrate test and reference inhalation aerosols
- Follow-up
- Single-dose four-period study; exact calendar duration not visible
- Study design
- Randomized open-label crossover bioequivalence study
The registry record concerns levalbuterol, the R-enantiomer, rather than racemic albuterol or salbutamol. It tests bioequivalence, not efficacy or approval.
Read the original source255 mild-asthma patients · scheduled use neutral
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter trial
Jeffrey M. Drazen, Elliot Israel, Homer A. Boushey, Vernon M. Chinchilli, et al.; Asthma Clinical Research Network. New England Journal of Medicine. 1996. PMID 8778601.
Among 255 patients randomized to 16 weeks of scheduled or as-needed albuterol, morning peak flow changed little (416 to 414 vs 424 to 424 L/min; p=0.71). Exacerbations were 11 versus 13 and treatment failures 5 versus 6; 230 completed.
- Participants / model
- 255 patients with mild chronic stable asthma after a six-week run-in
- Treatment
- Regularly scheduled inhaled albuterol versus as-needed albuterol
- Follow-up
- 16-week double-blind treatment plus 4-week withdrawal
- Study design
- Randomized double-blind multicenter parallel-group trial
- Funding
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Asthma Clinical Research Network
The trial covered mild stable asthma and cannot rank maintenance strategies for severe disease.
Read the original sourceChinese inhaler trial · 238 randomized, 224 analyzed
Multicenter randomized double-blind active-controlled clinical trial
罗柱, 刘春涛, 黄奕江, 韩晓雯, 孙秀珍, 郝青林. 四川大学学报（医学版）. 2014;45(2):266 to 269.
The full-analysis set included 112 participants per group. Maximum FEV1 change at 30 minutes was 0.40±0.28 L with the domestic inhaler and 0.43±0.28 L with imported Ventolin; no time point differed. Adverse events affected 7/119 versus 6/119, with one transient ventricular-ectopy event in the domestic group.
- Participants / model
- 238 Chinese adults aged 18 to 65 with asthma and baseline FEV1 50% to 80% predicted; 224 in the full analysis set
- Treatment
- Single inhalation of domestic non-CFC salbutamol sulfate aerosol versus imported Ventolin
- Follow-up
- Single-dose lung-function and safety follow-up
- Study design
- Multicenter randomized double-blind active-controlled trial
- Funding
- Study products supplied by Shandong Jingwei Pharmaceutical and GlaxoSmithKline
Seven participants per arm were removed after blinded eligibility review and one control participant was lost. No noninferiority margin was stated, so similar observed means do not prove formal equivalence.
Read the original sourceHostrup et al., 2026: lean mass and cardiac / oxidative outcomes
Randomized controlled human trial
Hostrup M, Jessen S, Tischer SG, Kalsen A, Hadad R, Bonde PL, Kreiberg M, Gad AS, Sajadieh A, Backer V, Bangsbo J, Rasmusen H. Lean Mass Gains, Cardiac Remodeling, and Muscle Oxidative Changes With High-Dose Salbutamol During Resistance Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports. 2026. DOI 10.1111/sms.70302.
Thirty men were randomized; 26 completed (13 per arm), with four training-noncompliance withdrawals. During 11 weeks of supervised resistance training, oral salbutamol increased lean mass by 1.8 kg more than placebo (95% CI 0.5 to 3.1; p=.009); fat mass showed no apparent change. Echocardiography found thicker walls, but the between-group LV-mass result was null and cardiac MRI showed no structural/function difference. Muscle oxidative enzyme activities fell and exercise-capacity improvement was blunted. These are safety signals, not demonstrated clinical cardiomyopathy. Five active participants reported transient grade-1 tremor/palpitations; no grade≥2 event occurred. DXA was standardized, but the study was small, male-only and short; participants were recreationally active rather than elite lifters. WADA funded it; authors declared no conflicts. The paper identifies Jessen 2021 as another report from this cohort, so those papers are not independent replication.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
Hostrup et al., oral salbutamol in 20 elite endurance athletes
Randomized controlled human trial
Hostrup M, Kalsen A, Auchenberg M, Bangsbo J, Backer V. Effects of acute and 2-week administration of oral salbutamol on exercise performance and muscle strength in athletes. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports. 2016. DOI 10.1111/sms.12298.
Randomized, blinded parallel trial: acute exposure increased first-Wingate peak power by 4.1%; after two weeks, first- and second-Wingate peak power increased by 6.4% and 4.2%. Maximal voluntary contraction, deltoid isometric endurance and exercise performance at 110% VO2max did not improve. This supports a specific sprint-power effect, not broad strength or endurance enhancement. Small male-only arms, multiple endpoints, and limited reporting of allocation and adverse events constrain confidence.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
van Baak et al., acute oral strength and endurance crossover
Randomized controlled human trial
van Baak MA, Mayer LH, Kempinski RE, Hartgens F. Effect of salbutamol on muscle strength and endurance performance in nonasthmatic men. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2000. DOI 10.1097/00005768-200007000-00018.
Sixteen nonasthmatic men received oral salbutamol and placebo in a blinded crossover. Knee extensor/flexor torque improved approximately 4.4%/4.9%. The full-sample endurance comparison was not significant (p=.19). The often-quoted 29% endurance improvement emerged after removing four people who experienced adverse effects; it cannot stand in for the randomized whole-sample result. Resting/acute outcomes provide no chronic safety assurance.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
Martineau et al., short-term slow-release oral salbutamol
Primary human study
Martineau L, Horan MA, Rothwell NJ, Little RA. Salbutamol, a beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, increases skeletal muscle strength in young men. Clinical science (London, England : 1979). 1992. DOI 10.1042/cs0830615.
Twelve healthy men were studied with salbutamol or placebo over 21 days. Quadriceps strength rose around 12% at day 14 and remained elevated; other muscle groups differed, with no grip effect. Weight, skinfolds, lean mass and circumferences did not change significantly. It is early evidence of altered muscle function, not measured hypertrophy. The small sample and old reporting limit precise generalization.
Read the original sourceHostrup et al., muscle protein turnover after resistance exercise
Randomized controlled human trial
Hostrup M, Reitelseder S, Jessen S, Kalsen A, Nyberg M, Egelund J, Kreiberg M, Kristensen CM, Thomassen M, Pilegaard H, Backer V, Jacobson GA, Holm L, Bangsbo J. Beta2 -adrenoceptor agonist salbutamol increases protein turnover rates and alters signalling in skeletal muscle after resistance exercise in young men. The Journal of physiology. 2018. DOI 10.1113/jp275560.
In 12 trained men under randomized placebo-controlled crossover conditions, salbutamol increased postexercise myofibrillar fractional synthesis rate (0.079 versus 0.066%/hour) and improved leg phenylalanine balance over the measured recovery window. Breakdown also increased. The isotope and biopsy data support human muscle action, but a five-hour recovery measurement cannot quantify retained long-term muscle gain. This is not the same endpoint as DXA hypertrophy.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
Dickinson et al., six-week inhaled salbutamol training trial
Randomized controlled human trial
Dickinson J, Molphy J, Chester N, Loosemore M, Whyte G. The ergogenic effect of long-term use of high dose salbutamol. Clinical journal of sport medicine : official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine. 2014. DOI 10.1097/jsm.0000000000000076.
Sixteen male athletes undertook endurance, strength and power training with inhaled salbutamol or placebo. Both groups improved, but salbutamol did not significantly outperform placebo on the measured endurance, strength or power outcomes. This helps explain why oral positive results cannot be assigned to an ordinary inhaler exposure.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
Acute inhaled salbutamol and quadriceps fatigability
Randomized controlled human trial
Decorte N, Verges S, Flore P, Guinot M, Wuyam B. Effects of acute salbutamol inhalation on quadriceps force and fatigability. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2008. DOI 10.1249/mss.0b013e31816b87aa.
Blinded crossover testing used cycling (n=10) and repeated leg extensions (n=9). Inhaled treatment did not improve voluntary force, stimulated twitch force, fatigue or recovery. The physiological methods are useful, but the small acute experiment does not exclude effects of chronic systemic administration.
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial; blinding and comparator details are stated in the source result.
Why is Albuterol in A tier?
A for opening narrowed airways. Small oral trials also found sprint-power and lean-mass gains, with cardiac and aerobic trade-offs. Fat-loss results are inconsistent, and inhaler studies often found no performance benefit.