Clenbuterol was never just for elite athletes, veterinarians could get it whenever they wanted.

But the Gold Coast Bulletin, the number one source for surf news in Australia, reports that bodybuilders, athletes and slimmers are misusing a livestock drug, putting them at risk of serious health problems.

Research reveals the use of veterinary drug clenbuterol has spread from elite athletes to the general public.

A rising number of Australians are calling poison hotlines with racing hearts, nausea, vomiting, tremors and anxiety.

There has also been one ­reported cardiac arrest in a young man linked to the drug.

Clenbuterol is predominantly used to treat respiratory illnesses in horses and, in some countries, it’s still used illegally to increase lean meat in food-producing animals.

Many Gold Coasters, striving to get the perfectly lean body, are using Clenbuterol with it relatively easy to access on the black market through gyms.

The study by the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s Dr Jonathan Brett and researchers from the NSW Poisons Information Centre found 63 calls for help about the drug from 2004-2009.

Most patients were using it for slimming and bodybuilding and had to be hospitalized.

The performance-enhancing drug made headlines when it was popular among elite ­athletes, with cyclist Alberto Contador and sprinter Katrin Krabbe receiving bans.

In humans, it’s used to boost aerobic capacity, the body’s ability to transport oxygen and metabolize fat.