Active Life: around 48 hours
Drug Class: Anabolic/Androgenic Steroid (for
injection or oral)
Average Dose: Men 50-100 mg/day.....Women 25-50
mg/week
Acne: Rare
Water Retention: Rare
High Blood Pressure:
Rare
Liver Toxic: Yes, it is a 17AA steroid
Aromatization: No, it is a DHT
derivative
DHT Conversion: None
Decrease HPTA function: Low
Winstrol is a popular brand name for the
anabolic steroid
stanozolol. This
compound is a derivative of dihydrotestosterone, although its activity is much
milder than this androgen in nature. It is technically classified as an anabolic
steroid, shown to exhibit a slightly greater tendency for muscle growth than
androgenic activity in early studies. While dihydrotestosterone really only
provides androgenic side effects when administered, stanozolol instead provides
quality muscle growth. The anabolic properties of this substance are still mild
in comparison to many stronger compounds, but it is still a ggod, reliable
builder of muscle. Its anabolic properties could even be comparable to Dianabol,
but Winstrol does not have the same tendency for water retention. Stanozolol
also contains the same c17 methylation we see with Dianabol, an alteration used
so that oral administration is possible. To spite this design however, there are
many injectable versions of this steroid produced.
Since stanozolol is
not capable of converting into estrogen, an anti-estrogen is not necessary when
using this steroid, gynecomastia is not a concern even among the most sensitive
individuals. Since estrogen is also the cause of water retention, instead of
bulk look, Winstrol produces a lean, quality look with no fear of excess
subcutaneous fluid retention. This makes it a great steroid to use during
cutting cycles, when water and fat retention are a major concern. It is also
very popular among athletes in combination strength/speed sports such as Track
and Field.
The usual dosage for men is 35-75mg per day for the tablets
and 25-50mg per day with the injectable version. It is often combined with other
steroids depending on the desired result. For bulking purposes, a stronger
androgen like testosterone, Dianabol or Anadrol is usually added. Here Winstrol
will balance out the cycle a bit, giving us good anabolic effect with lower
overall estrogenic activity than if taking such steroids alone. The result
should be a considerable gain in new muscle mass, with a more comfortable level
of water and fat retention. For cutting phases Winstrol can be combined with a
non-aromatizing androgen such as trenbolone or Halotestin. Such combinations
should help bring about the strongly defined, hard look of muscularity so sought
after among bodybuilders. Older, more sensitive individuals can add compounds
like Primobolan, Deca-Durabolin or Equipoise when wishing to stack this steroid.
Here they should see good results and fewer side effects than with standard
androgen therapies.
Women usually take around 5-10mg daily. Although
female athletes usually find stanozolol very tolerable, the injectable version
is usually off limits.
With the structural (c17-AA) alteration, the
tablets will also place a higher level of stress on the liver than the
injectable (which avoids the "first pass"). During longer or higher dosed
cycles, liver values should therefore be watched closely through regular blood
work. Although less common, there is still a possibility of liver damage
occuring with the injectable form. While it does not enter the body through the
liver, it is still broken down by it, providing a lower (but more continuous)
level of stress. Such stress would of course be increased with the addition of
other c17-AA oral compounds to a cycle of Winstrol. When using such
combinations, cautious users would make every effort to limit the length of the
cycle (preferably 6 to 8 weeks) and take some form of liver protectants. It
should also be noted that both versions of Winstrol have been linked to strong
adverse changes in HDL/LDL cholesterol levels. This side effect is common with
anabolic steroid therapy, and obviously can become a health concern as the
dose/duration of intake increase above normal. The oral version should have a
greater impact on cholesterol values than the injectable due to the method of
administration, and may therefore be the worse choice of the two for those
concerned and this side effect.
The oral use of stanozolol can also have
a profound impact on levels of SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin). This is a
characteristic of all anabolic/androgenic steroids, however its potency and form
of administration make Winstrol particularly noteworthy in this regard. Since
plasma binding proteins such as SHBG act to temporarily constrain steroid
hormones from exerting activity, this effect would provide a greater percentage
of free (unbound) steroid hormone in the body. This may amount to an effective
mechanism in which stanozolol could increase the potency of a concurrently used
steroid. To further this purpose one could also addition Proviron, which has an
extremely high affinity for SHBG. This affinity may cause Proviron to displace
other weaker substrates for SHBG (such as testosterone), another mechanism in
which the free hormone level may be increased. Adding Winstrol and Proviron to
your next testosterone cycle may therefore prove very useful,, markedly
enhancing the free state of this potent muscle building androgen.