Steroid Encyclopaedia Blog

WHAT AN ESTER IS, AND HOW IT WORKS

I’m sure that if you have taken an interest in anabolic steroids you have noticed the similarities on the labeling of many drugs. Let’s look at testosterone for example. One can find compounds like testosterone cypionate, enanthate, propionate, heptylate; caproate, phenylpropionate, isocaproate, decanoate, acetate, the list goes on and on. In all such cases the parent hormone is testosterone, which had been modified by adding an ester (enanthate, propionate etc.) to its structure. The following question arises: What is the difference between the various esterified versions of testosterone in regards to their use in bodybuilding?

An ester is a chain composed primarily of carbon and hydrogen atoms. This chain is typically attached to the parent steroid hormone at the 17th carbon position (beta orientation), although some compounds do carry esters at position 3 (for the purposes of this article it is not crucial to understand the exact position of the ester). Esterification of an injectable anabolic/androgenic steroid basically accomplishes one thing, it slows the release of the parent steroid from the site of injection. This happens because the ester will notably lower the water solubility of the steroid, and increase its lipid (fat) solubility. This will cause the drug to form a deposit in the muscle tissue, from which it will slowly enter into circulation as it is picked up in small quantities by the blood. Generally, the longer the ester chain, the lower the water solubility of the compound, and the longer it will take to for the full dosage to reach general circulation.

Slowing the release of the parent steroid is a great benefit in steroid medicine, as free testosterone (or other steroid hormones) previously would remain active in the body for a very short period of time (typically hours). This would necessitate an unpleasant daily injection schedule if one wished to maintain a continuous elevation of testosterone (the goal of testosterone replacement therapy). By adding an ester, the patient can visit the doctor as infrequently as once per month for his injection, instead of having to constantly re-administer the drug to achieve a therapeutic effect. Clearly without the use of an ester, therapy with an injectable anabolic/androgen would be much more difficult.

Esterification temporarily deactivates the steroid molecule. With a chain blocking the 17th beta position, binding to the androgen receptor is not possible (it can exert no activity in the body). In order for the compound to become active the ester must therefore first be removed. This automatically occurs once the compound has filtered into blood circulation, where esterase enzymes quickly cleave off (hydrolyze) the ester chain. This will restore the necessary hydroxyl (OH) group at the 17th beta position, enabling the drug to attach to the appropriate receptor. Now and only now will the steroid be able to have an effect on skeletal muscle tissue. You can start to see why considering testosterone cypionate much more potent than enanthate makes little sense, as your muscles are seeing only free testosterone no matter what ester was used to deploy it.

ACTIONS OF DIFFERENT ESTERS

There are many different esters that are used with anabolic/androgenic steroids, but again, they all do basically the same thing. Esters vary only in their ability to reduce a steroid’s water solubility. An ester like propionate for example will slow the release of a steroid for a few days, while the duration will be weeks with a decanoate ester. Esters have no effect on the tendency for the parent steroid to convert to estrogen or DHT (dihydrotestosterone: a more potent metabolite) nor will it effect the overall muscle-building potency of the compound. Any differences in results and side effects that may be noted by bodybuilders who have used various esterified versions of the same base steroid are just issues of timing. Testosterone enanthate causes estrogen related problems more readily than Sustanon, simply because with enanthate testosterone levels will peak and trough much sooner (1-2 week release duration as opposed to 3 or 4). Likewise testosterone suspension is the worst in regards to gyno and water bloat because blood hormone levels peak so quickly with this drug. Instead of waiting weeks for testosterone levels to rise to their highest point, here we are at most looking at a couple of days. Given an equal blood level of testosterone, there would be no difference in the rate of aromatization or DHT conversion between different esters. There is simply no mechanism for this to be possible.

There is however one way that we can say an ester does technically effect potency; it is calculated in the steroid weight. The heavier the ester chain, the greater is its percentage of the total weight. In the case of testosterone enanthate for example, 250mg of esterified steroid (testosterone enanthate) is equal to only 180mg of free testosterone. 70mgs out of each 250mg injection is the weight of the ester. If we wanted to be really picky, we could consider enanthate slightly MORE potent than cypionate (I know this goes against popular thinking) as its ester chain contains one less carbon atom (therefore taking up a slightly smaller percentage of total weight). Propionate would of course come out on top of the three, releasing a measurable (but not significant) amount more testosterone per injection than cypionate or enanthate.

IN CONCLUSION

While the advent of esters certainly constitutes an invaluable advance in the field of anabolic steroid medicine, clearly you can see that there is no magic involved here. Esters work in a well-understood and predictable manner, and do not alter the activity of the parent steroid in any way other than to delay its release. Although the lure surrounding various steroid products like testosterone cypionate, Sustanon, Omnadren etc. certainly makes for interesting conversation, realistically it just amounts to misinformation that the athlete would be better off ignoring. Testosterone is testosterone and anyone who is going to tell you one ester form of this (or any) hormone is much better than another one should do a little more research, and a lot less talking.

ESTER PROFILES

Sustanon: The "king" of testosterone blends.
The four different testosterone esters in this product certainly look appealing to the consumer, there is no denying that. But for the athlete I think it is all just a matter of marketing (Hell, why buy one ester when you can get four?). In clinical situations I can see some strong uses for it. If you were undergoing testosterone replacement therapy for example, you would probably find Sustanon a much more comfortable option than testosterone enanthate. You would need to visit the doctor less frequently for an injection, and blood levels should be more steadily maintained between treatments. But for the bodybuilder who is injecting 4 ampules of Sustanon per week, there is no advantage over other testosterone products. In fact, the high price tag for Sustanon usually makes it a very poor buy in the face of cheaper testosterone enanthate/cypionate. Bodybuilders should probably stop looking at the four ester issue, and stick with totals (Sustanon is just a 250mg testosterone ampule). Were enanthate to be available for say $10 per amp of 250mg, and Sustanon priced nearly double that, buying the Sustanon would be like throwing money away. If you could get nearly double the milligram amount for the same price with enanthate, this is the better product to go with hands down. Leave the high priced stuff for the guys who don’t know any better.

Acetate: Chemical Structure C2H4O2.
Also referred to as Acetic Acid; Ethylic acid; Vinegar acid; vinegar; Methanecarboxylic acid. Acetate esters delay the release of a steroid for only a couple of days. Contrary to what you may have read, acetate esters do not increase the tendency for fat removal. Again, there is no known mechanism for it to do so. This ester is used on oral primobolan tablets (metenolone acetate), Finaplix (trenbolone acetate) implant pellets, and occasionally testosterone.

Propionate: Chemical Structure C3H6O2.
Also referred to as Carboxyethane; hydroacrylic acid; Methylacetic acid; Ethylformic acid; Ethanecarboxylic acid; metacetonic acid; pseudoacetic acid; Propionic Acid. Propionate esters will slow the release of a steroid for several days. To keep blood levels from fluctuating greatly, propionate compounds are usually injected two to three times weekly. Testosterone propionate and methandriol dipropionate (two separate propionate esters attached to the parent steroid methandriol) are popular items.

Phenylpropionate: Chemical Structure C9H10O2.
Also referred to as Propionic Acid Phenyl Ester. Phenylpropionate will extend the release of active steroid a few days longer than propionate. To keep blood levels even, injections are given at least twice weekly. Durabolin is the drug most commonly seen with a phenylpropionate ester (nandrolone phenylpropionate), although it is also used with testosterone in Sustanon and Omnadren.

Isocarpoate: Chemical Structure C6H12O2.
Also referred to as Isocaproic Acid; isohexanoate; 4-methylvaleric acid. Isocaproate begins to near enanthate in terms of release. The duration is still shorter, with a notable hormone level being sustained for approximately one week. This ester is used with testosterone in the blended products Sustanon and Omnadren.

Caproate: Chemical Structure C6H12O2.
Also referred to as Hexanoic acid; hexanoate; n-Caproic Acid; n-Hexoic acid; butylacetic acid; pentiformic acid; pentylformic acid; n-hexylic acid; 1-pentanecarboxylic acid; hexoic acid; 1-hexanoic acid; Hexylic acid; Caproic acid. This ester is identical to isocarpoate in terms of atom count and weight, but is laid out slightly different (Isocaproate has a split configuration, difficult to explain here but easy to see on paper). Release duration would be very similar to isocaproate (levels sustained for approximately one weak), perhaps coming slightly closer to enanthate due to its straight chain. Caproate is the slowest releasing ester used in Omnadren, which is why most athletes notice more water retention with this compound.

Enanthate: Chemical Structure C7H14O2.
Also referred to as heptanoic acid; enanthic acid; enanthylic acid; heptylic acid; heptoic acid; Oenanthylic acid; Oenanthic acid. Enanthate is one of the most prominent esters used in steroid manufacture (most commonly seen with testosterone but is also used in other compounds like Primobolan Depot). Enanthate will release a steady (yet fluctuating as all esters are) level of hormone for approximately 10-14 days. Although in medicine enanthate compounds are often injected on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, athletes will inject at least weekly to help maintain a uniform blood level.

Cypionate: Chemical Structure C8H14O2.
Also referred to as Cyclopentylpropionic acid, cyclopentylpropionate. Cypionate is a very popular ester here in the U.S., although it is scarcely found outside this region. Its release duration is almost identical to enanthate (10-14 days), and the two are likewise thought to be interchangeable in U.S. medicine. Althletes commonly hold the belief than cypionate is more powerful than enanthate, although realistically there is little difference between the two. The enanthate ester is in fact slightly smaller than cypionate, and it therefore releases a small (perhaps a few milligrams) amount of steroid more in comparison.

Decanoate: Chemical Structure C10H20O2.
Also referred to as decanoic acid; capric acid; caprinic acid; decylic acid, Nonanecarboxylic acid. The Decanoate ester is most commonly used with the hormone nandrolone (as in Deca-Durabolin) and is found in virtually all corners of the world. Testosterone decanoate is also the longest acting constituent in Sustanon, greatly extending its release duration. The release time with Decanoate compounds is listed to be as long as one month, although most recently we are finding that levels seem to drop significantly after two weeks. To keep blood levels more uniform, athletes (as they have always known to do) will follow a weekly injection schedule.

Undecylenate: Chemical Structure C11H20O2.
Also referred to as Undecylenic acid; Hendecenoic acid; Undecenoic acid. This ester is very similar to decanoate, containing only one carbon atom more. Its release duration is likewise very similar (approximately 2-3 weeks), perhaps extending a day or so past that seen with decanoate. Undecylenate seems to be exclusive to the veterinary preparation Equipoise (boldenone undecylenate), although there is no reason it would not work well in human-use preparations (Equipoise certainly works fine for athletes). Again, weekly injections are most common.

Undecanoate: Chemical Structure C11H22O2.
Also referred to as Undecanoic Acid; 1-Decanecarboxylic acid; Hendecanoic acid; Undecylic acid. Undecanoate is not a commonly found ester, and only appears to be used in the nandrolone preparation Dynabolan, and oral testosterone undecanoate (Andriol). Since this ester is chemically very similar to undecylenate (it is only 2 hydrogen atoms larger), it has a similar release duration (approximately 2-3 weeks). Although this ester is used in the oral preparation Andriol, there is no reason to believe it carries any properties unique of other esters. Andriol in fact works very poorly at delivering testosterone, bolstering the idea that oral administration is not the idea use of esterified androgens.

Laurate: Chemical structure C12H24O2.
Also referred to as Dodecanoic acid, laurostearic acid, duodecyclic acid, 1-undecanecarboxylic acid, and dodecoic acid. Laurate is the longest releasing ester used in commercial steroid production, although longer acting esters do exist. Its release duration would be closer to one month than the other esters listed above, although realistically we are probably to expect a notable drop in hormone level after the third week. Laurate is exclusively found in the veterinary nandrolone preparation Laurabolin, perhaps seen as slightly advantageous over a decanoate ester due to a less frequent injection schedule. Again athletes will most commonly inject this drug weekly, no doubt in part due to its low strength (25mg/ml or 50mg/ml).

 Posted by: AM

Steroid Misconceptions

This is for all the Newbies and alike who join this site and think Steroids are the miracle drug like the cup of "Eternal Youth"

Gentlemen and ladies alike, steroids will only work for you if you put in the hard work and dedication that goes with it. If you want to grow muscle, shred fat or just better your physique, then you will need to train properly and eat correctly to reach your personal goals.

Adding steroids into the mix will (yes) help you acheive your goals much quicker, but you need to know which ones would work best in your situation and understand how they work together when stacking them.

I can not stress enough that your diet and training are the key factors in this whole equation. Untill you can learn to do this, then my suggestion would be to read, read, read about AAS while dialing in your diet and training. My personal belief is that AAS only adds up to about 15% of the cycle equation, hince training and diet make up the rest.

This site and the members here are some of the best people i have ever had a chance to get to know and hold a very high admiration for. Everyone has there own input which always (usually) leads to great answers to questions we all have. Sometimes these lead into debates, but i beleive this is healthy that we all not see eye to eye, and we get many different views and opinions.

Once again, i am just sharing my personal beliefs, and hope that you all can understand why we don’t just give (steroid) cycle advise to anyone. Age, Stats, Years training, diet questions are all very pertinent to EACH individual in order to help them achieve there goals the safest way possible. Safety is one of our main focuses her at SE and enjoy helping people reach their goals with zero health problems.

Good Luck on your journey’s and please don’t forget about that "Green" search button. More than likely the question you have to ask has been answered numorous times already. Once you find your answers, then you can post your question to better dial in the correct answer for you.

Thanks for your time.
J-ROD

Since becoming a VIP I have really wanted to give something back to the site, so I came up with this post.

Basically I have been realising more and more that I want to contribute to SE by encouraging people to stay safe. I have realised that want help people have it all if I can, so they achieve their bodybuilding goals without putting their health at unnecessary risk. Some pm exchanges with Hyper, Blade, and others, have helped me realise this more fully.

This isn’t really a post for the Mods and VIPs, who generally have years of experience and know exactly what they are doing with regards to steroid use, training, diet and lifestyle. Nevertheless, I hope everyone will find this a good read…

How should we define “steroid use” and “steroid abuse”, and where is the line between the two? There may be no one answer to these questions: we all have to come up with our own answers, since we are all different – we all have different goals, different levels of potential for muscle building, different levels of experience with steroids, and different life priorities. One person’s use is another person’s abuse. Nevertheless, I’m going to try to make some useful observations here, and come up with some general rules which help define “steroid use” and “steroid abuse”. And I am going to suggest that we need good sense, as well as big muscles.

I. Abuse and Age.

It is worth noting from the start that all steroid use amounts of abuse for young people, whose bodies still have lots of potential for natural maturation. Anyone in their early twenties or younger should recognise that their natural hormones (testosterone, hgh, thyroid hormones, cortisol) are at a peak, enabling impressive and consistent growth, repair, and development year-round. Young people need to understand that steroids are essentially synthetic testosterones that will replace, and therefore shut down natural testosterone. The price of the temporary boost steroids can offer is too high when it means giving a once in a lifetime chance to build a foundation, on the basis of natural and therefore consistent gains.

I have even seen many under-18s using steroids. Here in the UK if you get out of the fancy health clubs you find that steroid suppliers work through nearly all the serious gyms. Too many of these suppliers will sell to anyone that they think looks 18. Some young guys are stopping their natural testosterone production before it has properly started – they are interrupting the changes in their bodies that ought to be making them into physically (and sexually) mature men.

II. Definitions.

Leaving the age issue aside, I’ll begin with an attempt to define “steroid use”:
1. This is done in moderation (a little like drinking, or smoking a cigar socially) so the amounts used and length of usage are controlled.
2. Risk is balanced, so life is more likely to be enhanced than seriously threatened.
3. This occupies one part of life, without seriously compromising other aspects of life that are also important to the individual – for example, work, relationships, and family.
4. Dosages and durations of use do not exceed what is necessary to realise meaningful but realistic goals.
5. The emphasis is on ensuring that diet, training, and lifestyle are all as good as they can be, so that larger dosages and longer durations of use are just not necessary for goals to be achieved.
6. If the individual is dissatisfied with his progress in the gym he will exhaust all other options – adjusting training, diet, and lifestyle with thought and care – before considering an increase in the use of steroids as last resort.
7. Efforts may be made to ‘offset’ any potential harm resulting from steroid use: maintenance of cardio-vascular health; high intake of healthy fats to maintain a good HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio; consumption of ‘prostate friendly’ foods, like omega-3 fats and organic ginger (these foods inhibit the “5-LO” enzyme, which normally converts energy from food into a chemical which feeds prostate cancer – “5-HETE”); efforts to avoid psychological stress; little or no smoking, drinking, or recreational drug use, etc.
8. Regular monitoring of blood and blood pressure enables the user to be confident that he is not harming his body unduly. Or should any problems begin arise the monitoring provides vital forewarning.

Now for “steroid abuse”:
1. This is done to an excess, in terms of dosage and duration. That is to say steroids are used without respect for what is necessary, and without respect for what is safe.
2. The desire to attain goals outweighs concern with risk, so health is more likely to be undermined than enhanced.
3. Other aspects of life (work, family, relationships) are most likely neglected, so that in the worst cases the life of the abuser could become lonely and narcissistic.
4. Sadly for some abusers damage to health may inhibit or prevent the realisation of weight training goals.
5. In some cases it could be that superior progress would be attainable if steroids were used much less (e.g., less use may preserve natural testosterone so it is easier to maintain condition off cycle; the evidence is equivocal, but less use may prevent receptor saturation).
6. Needlessly high dosages may result in large amounts of steroid may be left in the body unused, not only serving no useful purpose but also causing harm: we know that the use of “17aa” orals for too long will seriously diminish liver values; we know unused testosterone left in the body aromatizes (converts to) estrogens and DHT (the estrogens potentially causing bloating, fat gain, or even gynaecomastia, and the DHT may be associated with hair loss, benign prostate hyperplasia, or perhaps even prostate cancer); we know that too much testosterone causes liver toxicity; we know that 19-nortestosterones (nandrolone and trenbolone) convert to progestins (again, potentially causing bloating, fat gain, or even gynaecomastia); we know that excessive use of testosterone variations (notably Equipoise) and 19-nor compounds can raise red blood cell counts and blood pressure to dangerous levels.
7. The diet, training, and lifestyle of ‘abusers’ may support successful bodybuilding, but steroid abuse will make it hard to tell one way or another: “Is it the reduction of carbs making me leaner, or is all the IGF-1 and the insulin?” Who can tell? “Is the diet as good as it can be, or is all that anabolic hormone masking some deficiencies?” Who knows?
8. Abuse may eventually result in illness or even premature death, marking an end to all of the abuser’s hopes and aspirations, and a permanent separation from loved ones.

III. Why “Use” and “Abuse” are Relative Concepts.

Like I said, one person’s use is another person’s abuse. Imagine three levels:
LEVEL 1, BEGINNER/ INTERMEDIATE – cycles typically consist of 250-1000mgs of androgenic/anabolic steroids over a week; either one compound only, or simple stacks using two compounds such as testosterone with deca-durabolin (nandrolone decanoate), or testosterone with equipoise (Boldenone Undecylenate). (No other performance enhancing drugs).
LEVEL 2, INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED – cycles may typically consist of 500-1500mgs of androgenic/anabolic steroids per week; stacks containing 2-4 compounds; perhaps some limited use of other drugs, such as hgh (subject to availability!) and/or T4.
LEVEL 3, ADVANCED/PRO – cycles may be closer to the 2g mark or even beyond, and will often incorporate the most highly anabolic and androgenic substances such as Trenbolone; a variety of other drugs are likely to be drawn upon, not just hgh and thyroid medications but also insulin, IGF-1, and (before a contest) potent diuretics.

It goes like this: level 3 certainly would be abuse for almost anyone. You can be sure that level 3 would be abuse for you if you can count the number of cycles you’ve done on one hand; if you are still a fair way off reaching your maximum possible size; if you would be wasting their time trying to become MASSIVE, because you lack the genetic potential to ever do so (that might sound cruel, but it has to be said). On the other hand, level 3 may not be abuse for a TINY minority individuals close to the limit of their potential, who wish to make the most of their freakish genetic gifts and (possibly) win money and fame as a result.

Having said that some of the most gifted and impressive bodybuilders sometimes use steroids surprisingly sparingly, precisely because they are so gifted. There are two men at my gym who are in the top 5 of the United Kingdom’s heavy weight bodybuilders. Both men were naturally huge, with very little body fat, before they ever entered a gym. With that kind of genetic potential, together with sound training and great attention to every aspect of diet, these men just don’t need to rely as heavily on steroids as you might expect. It’s certainly true that at my gym the smaller (the less genetically gifted) men are often the abusers, while the much bigger (highly gifted) men are still level 1 or level 2 users.

I’ll tell you something else: I know a lot of advanced bodybuilders who have returned to level 1 after trying out level 2. They realised that the advantages of level 2 aren’t worth the costs in terms of reduced safety, and added side effects (bloat, tiredness, and joint pain due to too rapid increases in weight, etc.). They have discovered that level 1 steroid use often “does the job”. Androgenic/anabolic steroids are potent, and even in smaller amounts they can spare protein, increase protein synthesis, ensure a positive nitrogen balance, and bind to androgen receptors in muscle and fat tissue.

Whatever our “level” of steroid use, when we are planning a cycle I suggest that we all need to ask ourselves the question, “what is our priority?” Is it safety or is it effectiveness. I’m not saying the two are mutually exclusive (some of the safest cycles may well be some of the best), but it is good to know which side we would come down on. If in doubt do we use a little less, erring towards safety, or do we use a little more thinking (perhaps mistakenly) that doing so will increase effectiveness. I don’t judge others, but I go for safety: keeping it safe gives me confidence that I will be healthy enough to keep the gains I have, and make more gains for years to come.

IV. Success Without Steroid Abuse (Or Without Steroid Use!).

I know many bodybuilders who have never used steroids, but who look very impressive. It can be done, even though it is easier for some than it is for others – while a genetically gifted man can look really amazing drug free, most of us have to content ourselves with ‘merely’ looking good drug free. The alternative is to consider using steroids at level 1 or perhaps level 2, if we take care and behave responsibly. Yet even those who use steroids must know how to spend long periods off steroids, while still holding onto their gains. In fact spending plenty of time off steroids can be one of the best ways to ensure that your hold onto your gains: time off protects your natural hormone production, and in turn your natural hormone production protects your gains – so you not only get big but stay big, year round for years to come.

There are certain fundamental principles in bodybuilding, and almost anyone who obeys those will develop a good physique either without any steroid use, or without steroid abuse – it’s unlikely to be an Olympia physique, but it will be impressive nevertheless.

Here are the fundamentals:
• Train consistently and progressively, using a well balanced routine that covers all major muscle groups in the body.
• Rest after training so the body can recover, and adapt to the stress of training by becoming stronger and larger.
• Eat high quality, nutrient dense food in order to fuel training and support the growth and repair process following training. (Exceptional lifestyle = exceptional dietary requirements.)
• Eat slightly more than you require to maintain weight if you want your body to respond to training stimulus by growing muscle.
• Eat slightly less than you require to maintain weight if you want your body to respond to training stimulus by retaining muscle and shedding fat.

Those of us who use steroids must, first of all, never lose sight of these fundamentals.

V. Knowing What You Are Doing.

It’s simple, if you are going to use steroids, and make them work for you rather than harm you, then you need to know what you are doing. You need learn about individual steroids, and learn about how different steroids work together in combination. The first thing you need to know is that all anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones that (to varying degrees) behave like testosterone in the body. That is important, because when your body registers an abundance of these steroids in your system it will stop making natural testosterone – your body isn’t going to go to the effort of making a hormone when it ‘knows’ that you already have a higher than normal amount of it in your system. Things get complicated because you need to know which steroids will perform all the functions of natural testosterone, while your natural testosterone is shut down. If you didn’t know what you were doing you might take nandrolone or tenbolone on their own, which would not perform the sex related functions of testosterone even though they would stop your natural testosterone production. So no libido. If you need to know that if you want to keep your sex drive on cycle you need to either use a testosterone, or a steroid derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – you can then use a nandrolone or a trenbolone alongside your testosterone if/when you are ready.

That’s just the start. If you decide to use any drug you need to know about its androgenic effects, its anabolic effects, and its side effects. I mentioned the side effects of testosterone above (in part II) – conversion to estrogens and DHT, for example. Then you need to know how the effects and side effects of a drug like testosterone will alter when it is used in different combinations with other drugs. Testosterone is more effective when used alongside drugs that bind to Sex-Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) – the DHT derived drugs drostanolone (e.g. Masteron) and masterolone (Proviron). If another drug is binding to SHBG then testosterone has less opportunity to do so, which means that more testosterone remains unbound or “free”. Only “free” testosterone is able to enter a cell and activate it’s receptor. As for side effects, if testosterone converts to DHT and that DHT binds to receptors in the prostate, that is when problems such as benign prostate hyperplasia can result. Use testosterone with nandrolone, however, and the nandrolone with convert to NOR-DHT, which is relatively benign. NOR-DHT originating from your nandrolone can protect your prostate from the DHT originating from your testosterone – the NOR-DHT binds to receptors in the prostate, and blocks DHT.

There are many other examples which show how important it learn about steroids and how they work, but you get the picture. The last thing is to remember, if you want use steroids is as safe a way as possible, is that steroids (and combinations of steroids) affect different people in different ways: if you are prone to hair loss or acne, then it may be that even “steroid use” – as opposed to “abuse” – will bring on hair loss or acne in you. Or perhaps you have no hair loss or acne issues, but you do have a history of high blood pressure in your family? If so it would be wise to be prepared for the possibility that steroid use may cause your blood pressure to become dangerously high. Yet with responsible “steroid use” there is a good chance that most of us can avoid, or at least control side effects.

VI. In Defence of Steroid Users.

People (doctors, politicians, and sports journalists) talk a lot of rubbish about steroids. Steroid users are prejudged by people who assume that they are too lazy and impatient to achieve their goals naturally. At the very least it is generally assumed that steroid users are misguided or confused, a bit like an alcoholic or a drug addict.

Well, first of all steroid users are often responsible adults who are more than capable of analysing the evidence, before exercising freedom of choice responsibly. They aren’t lost, or stupid, and they are capable of deciding to stop before the likelihood of causing harm becomes too great.

Second, many users only consider steroids precisely because they already have achieved all they can naturally. They are motivated to use steroids in a careful and well-informed manner because they have hit a plateau, and need an extra edge in order to continue actualising their potential. Most of us who have used steroids know that we couldn’t have achieved the same results naturally, by somehow training even harder or by finding greater effort of will.

Third, steroid use is not an easy way option for lazy cheats, because it often demands more commitment than natural training. Why? Well, because however careful we are, we still have to be so committed that we are willing to risk our health in order to achieve our goals – at the same time as still giving everything we have in the gym.

Forth, and finally, we need to make a distinction between destructive drug use (including steroid abuse), and constructive drug use. A lot of people use alcohol and recreational drugs because they view life negatively and want to escape it – they see nothing to strive for, so they opt out. People who abuse steroids may be escaping in a way, because they are neglecting and possibly sacrificing other important aspects of life. But people who use steroids are not escaping from life, but engaging with it; they are not destroying, but building; they are highly motivated and committed.

VII. Keep Healthy to Keep Your Muscle.

The point isn’t just get muscular, but also to stay muscular. Using steroids helps you build muscle, but remember that limiting your use of steroids helps keep you healthy, and remember that you need to keep healthy in order to keep your muscle. That is effective steroid use, for people who want it all – the relationships and the long life, as well as the muscle.

You may have heard of the Stoic Philosophers (3rd century B.C. to 2nd century A.D), and their virtue of temperance. Temperance wasn’t supposed to be about self-denial, but it did mean having less of certain things in order to enjoy them better. Too much alcohol or food and you reach a point of diminishing returns – the negative effects begin to outweigh the benefits. Well, the principle applies to steroids.

Finally, I hope that reading this will have helped some of you. Believe it or not helping other people is something I care about more than the size of my muscles. I want to thank all those on this board who have helped me (perhaps even without knowing it). To name a few (in no particular order!): Blade, Woodlake, J-Rod, Killerall, Alb-Tex, Changeling, Southpaw, Joker, TS, Midnight, Ramon, Siggs, AND OTHERS…

SAMSON.