Steroids Information

Trenbolone is a steroid used by veterinarians on livestock to increase muscle growth and appetite. To increase its effective half-life, trenbolone is not used in an unrefined form, but is rather administered as trenbolone acetate (Finaplix Gold from Valopharm USA, TREMBLONA QV75 from Quality Vet, Mexico), Trenbolone enanthate or Trenbolone cyclohexylmethylcarbonate (Parabolan from Laboratoires NEGMA until 1997). Plasma lipases then remove the ester in the bloodstream leaving the trenbolone base.

Illicit Use
No trenbolone compounds have been approved by the FDA for human use,[3] due to a lack of clinical applications and some potential negative side-effects.[4] It is classified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act. However, bodybuilders have been known to use the drug illicitly in order to increase body mass more effectively than by weight training alone. A normal bodybuilding dosage can range from 200 mg/week up to 1400 mg/week. Due to the relatively short metabolic half-life of trenbolone acetate, dosages should commonly be split into injections at least once every two days. Trenbolone enanthate can be injected once a week.

The 2006 book Game of Shadows alleges that baseball superstar Barry Bonds used this drug in 2001, when he set the current single-season home run record.

Trenbolone compounds have a binding affinity for the androgen receptor three times as high as that of testosterone.[citation needed] Once metabolised, the drugs have the effect of increasing nitrogen uptake by muscles, leading to an increase in the rate of protein synthesis. It also has the secondary effects of stimulating appetite, reducing the amount of fat being deposited in the body, and decreasing the rate of catabolism. Trenbolone has proven popular with anabolic steroid users as it is not metabolised by aromatase or 5α-reductase into estrogenic compounds such as estradiol, or into DHT. This means that it also does not cause any water retention normally associated with highly androgenic steroidal compounds like testosterone or methandrostenolone. It is also loved by many for the dramatic strength increases commonly experienced with it. Some short-term side effects include insomnia, high blood pressure, increased aggression and libido. However, since women will suffer virilization effects even at small doses, this drug should not be taken by a female. Urban wisdom/myth in bodybuilding culture, states that the use of the drug over extended periods of time can lead to kidney damage. The kidney toxicity has not yet been proven, and scientific evidence supporting the idea is suspiciously absent from the bodybuilding community that perpetuates this idea. The origin of this myth most likely has to do with the rust colored oxidized metabolites of trenbolone which are excreted in urine and often mistaken for blood. After Schänzer (Clin Chem 1996; 42(7): 1001-1020, Metabolism of anabolic androgenic steroids) trenbolone and 17epi-trenbolone are both excreted (in urine) as conjugates that can be hydrolyzed with beta

Oxandrolone (Oxandrin) is an anabolic steroid created by Searle Laboratories under the trademark Anavar, and introduced into the US in 1964. It is taken orally, and unlike other steroids delivered in this manner, most of which are Class II steroids, the majority of its effects are due to reaction with the androgen receptor. In sufficient dosage, Oxandrolone is highly likely to bind well with the receptor, and is therefore a Class I steroid, while having few other side-effects.

The drug was prescribed for a number of medical disorders causing involuntary weight loss, in order to promote muscle regrowth. It had also been shown to be partially successful in treating cases of osteoporosis. However, in part due to bad publicity from its illegal use by bodybuilders, Oxandrolone was discontinued by Searle Laboratories in 1989. It was picked up by Bio-Technology General Corporation, now Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. who, following successful clinical trials in 1995, released it under the tradename Oxandrin.

It was approved for orphan drug status by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in treating alcoholic hepatitis, Turner’s syndrome, and weight loss caused by HIV. In addition, the drug has shown positive results in treating anaemia and hereditary angioedema. Clinical studies however have shown links between prolonged use of the drug and problems of liver toxicity similar to those found with other 17α-alkylated steroids. Even in small dosages, many users reported gastro-intestinal problems such as bloating, nausea, and diarrhoea.

Before the Controlled Substances Act was passed to restrict the production, sale, and usage of anabolic steroids, Oxandrolone’s characteristics lent itself well towards use by female athletes. Its specificity targeting the androgen receptor meant that, unlike many other steroids, it had not been reported to cause stunted growth in younger users, and at typical dosage rarely caused noticeable masculinising effects outside of stimulating muscle growth. In addition, Oxandrolone does not aromatise at any dosage, and is not easily metabolised into DHT or estrogen. As such, a typical dose of 20-30 mg provided elevated androgen levels for up to eight hours. To increase effectiveness, bodybuilders typically “stacked” the drug with others such as Testosterone, further enhancing body mass gain.