Dianabol
Dianabol is one of the oldest anabolic steroids on the market; in-fact, it was the second steroid ever created, testosterone being first. The very first oral anabolic steroid, for decades and decades this steroid has held onto immense popularity that has never ceased; even when new steroids have hit the market Dianabol has always remained at the top. Further, this is a steroid that has a bit of a unique story, and one that is close to the hearts of many performance enhancing athletes. When synthetic testosterone first hit the shelves, the Soviet Union was heavily administering it to its athletes, and as a result destroying the United States. In an effort to compete against the U.S.S.R., Ciba would release its potent Dianabol tab under the guidance of U.S. Olympic Team physician Dr. John Ziegler. With testosterone and Dianabol in the arsenal of the U.S. athletes, once again they could not be stopped, and with the tension between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. mounting this upper-hand now held by the U.S. was more than welcomed by many.
At any rate, obviously the original purpose of Dianabol was performance enhancement, which is normally not the case; most anabolic steroids were created with therapeutic treatment in mind, but performance would soon take over. Of course, this steroid has a tremendous therapeutic purpose in-regards to androgen replacement, but it’s largely ignored by many modern day physicians out of pure spite and nothing more; a topic for another day. In any case, let’s take a look at the amazing Dianabol steroid, discover all it has to offer the good and the bad and then let you decide if supplementation is right for you.
Dianabol 101
Dianabol is the most popular trade name given to the powerful anabolic androgenic steroid Methandrostenolone and is often referred to simply as Dbol. Possessing a strong anabolic nature with a moderate androgenic nature, this is a compound that works through the androgen receptors in a dramatic fashion, and that’s an understatement. Without question, this steroid’s primary traits of action revolve around protein synthesis and glycogenolysis. As for protein synthesis, this refers to the rate by-which cells build proteins, the building block of muscle, and glycogenolysis the rate by-which we utilize carbohydrates; they will be utilized at a higher and more efficient degree; nitrogen retention is also significantly enhanced.
Most commonly found as an oral steroid, Dianabol belongs to the C17-alpha alkylated (C17-aa) family; a structural alteration that provides both a benefit and disadvantage. The C17-aa nature refers to a structural change that allows the hormone to survive the first pass through the liver; without this change it would largely be destroyed by the body before any benefits could be obtained. Of course, the unfortunate aspect is this makes Dbol toxic to the liver, and it carries a fairly strong hepatotoxic nature; not as strong as Anadrol or Halotestin by any means, but it’s a much stronger nature than Anavar and caution is advised. Even so, safe supplementation is possible, and we’ll discuss this more in the side-effects section below.
Carrying an anabolic rating of 210 and an androgenic rating of 60, it’s corresponding androgenic action will be stronger than its structural nature implies; androgenic activity can be significant, and as a result this is a steroid that is not recommended for women. Women who supplement with Dbol will find virilization to be a true concern; in-fact, it will be all but guaranteed. Healthy adult men are truly the only ones who can consider supplementation, and if they do they will need daily administration of the hormone. Dianabol carries an active half-life of approximately five hours, and many will find splitting their total daily dosing into two equal doses to be the most efficient. At any rate, the benefits can be quite tremendous, and that’s what we want to discuss next.
The Benefits of Dianabol
When it comes to mass and strength promotion, Dbol is the answer for many athletes; you can expect your strength to skyrocket, and when a proper diet is in place as much as 20lbs can be gained in only a few weeks. Of course, this is a strong aromatizing steroid, and some of the weight gained may indeed be water retention, but it can be controlled as we’ll see later on. As a rapidly fast acting and powerful steroid, most will find this is a great steroid for kick starting a new off-season bulking cycle; conjoined with testosterone it is a combo that’s tough to beat. In most cases, 6 weeks of use is all that’s needed, and should never be exceeded due to this steroid’s hepatotoxic nature. Beyond kick starting, Dianabol is also an excellent plateau buster; this refers to mid-cycle use. At some point and time, your gains will halt; they will slow down or even come to a screeching halt. If we add Dbol into the equation during this phase, we will break through this sticking point, and with strong authority. It should be noted; if you supplement with Dianabol for plateau busting purposes, if you used it as a kick starter there should be at minimum four weeks of no Dbol use due to the hepatotoxic nature in-between both periods of use.
As for other benefits, Dianabol can be used in a cutting cycle during the early stages in-order to hang onto a fuller look, but it’s not always necessary or advised. Like most anabolic steroids, it will enhance tissue preservation and recovery under caloric restrictions, and it will increase your muscular endurance to a degree, but due to the possible water retention other steroids are more commonly advised for this purpose. If you understand how to control water retention, and you understand how your body reacts to this compound, it can be implemented into a cutting cycle, but again, there are normally better choices. Of course, for the athlete who isn’t concerned with bulking or cutting, this can always be a fantastic choice; after all, raw power is the number one advantage any athlete can grab onto.
The Side-Effects of Dianabol
The side-effects of Dianabol will largely surround this steroid’s aromatizing nature and dosing; aromatization referring to the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, and Dbol is testosterone derived. As this is the case, the two most common side-effects include gynecomastia (male-breast enlargement) and excess water retention, and both are 100% avoidable. As estrogen levels increase, the hormone can attach to the receptors causing gynecomastia and water retention; this can even have a negative impact on blood pressure. For this reason, the use of an Aromatase Inhibitor (AI) is often advised; Anastrozole (Arimidex) or Letrozole (Femara) always being your best choices. AI’s will do exactly what they sound like they do, they will inhibit the aromatase process from occurring, and they will even reduce the body’s total estrogen levels.
While AI’s will protect you a great deal, responsible doses are imperative when it comes to remaining safe, and we cannot stress this enough. Blood pressure issues can become a true concern with high doses, even with an AI use, and living a healthy lifestyle that promotes the continuation of a healthy blood pressure is also important. It should be noted; if you already suffer from high blood pressure you should not supplement. Of course, then we have the big one, and it revolves around this steroid’s hepatotoxic nature. Again, responsible doses are important, but that’s not all. It is imperative you do not provide any more excess stress to the liver, and this means heavy alcohol consumption must be avoided. This really shouldn’t be hard to do; after all, you’ll be supplementing for performance enhancement purposes, and there is almost nothing on this earth that is as anti-performance as alcohol. Further, avoiding all over the counter medications where possible is highly advised; many over the counter medications carry strong hepatotoxic natures, and should only be used when necessary. If you can do all these things, assuming you’re a healthy adult male with no underlying physical issues successful supplementation is more than a possibility; it can be a reality.
