Easing of clenbuterol ban considered

ZURICH, Switzerland, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Members of an international committee say they will discuss easing rules on a popular performance-enhancing drug at a meeting in Switzerland this weekend.

The World Anti-Doping Agency will specifically reconsider the current absolute ban on clenbuterol, an asthma drug that also can be used to build muscle.

The BBC said Saturday some athletes complain eating beef can trigger a false positive for clenbuterol. The agency is considering a minimum threshold that would add more uniformity to testing.

"Having a threshold as we do for many substances is a way to get some uniformity so we don't necessarily detect just one molecule," said David Cowan, who heads up the drug-testing program for the London Summer Olympics.

The idea of beef triggering a false positive for clenbuterol has already been raised in the cases of 2010 Tour de France winner Alberto Cantador and five members of Mexico's national soccer team in this year's Concaf tournament.