Testosterone as an Anabolic Steroid (1)

[Jamill]

Pharmaceutical Name: Testosterone
Common Brand/Trade/Slang Names: Sustanon, Testoviron, Testabol, Virormone, Omnadren, Testovis, Testopin, Testex, Enantat, Testolic, Test, Sust / Sus

Chemical Structure: 17?-hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one

Delivery Method: Normally Injectable

Half Life: Ester dependant (more commonly found esters in bold):

Testosterone Suspension ? within 1 hour
Acetate - 1 day
Propionate - 1 day
Phenylpropionate - 1-2 days
Valerate - 3 days
Hexanoate - 3 days
Isocaproate - 5 days
Heptanoate - 5-6 days
Enanthate - 5-6 days
Octanoate - 6-7 days
Cypionate - 6-7 days
Nonanoate - 7 days
Decanoate - 7 days
Undecanoate - 20 days approx
Undecylenate - 8 days
Typical Vial/Tablet doses: Normal range 50mg/ml to 400mg/ml

Background
You will no doubt be aware that testosterone is the primary male hormone which is produced predominantly in the testes, and to a much lesser degree, is also secreted from the adrenal cortex. The profound effects of testosterone in the human body are plain to see in boys who are progressing through the pubescent years with marked changes occurring including facial and body hair growth, deepening of the voice, muscular increases, increased sexual desire and competitive behaviour and the prevalence of oily skin and acne, amongst others. Testosterone is also indirectly responsible (through its conversion to oestrogen (estrogen)) for bone maturation and the subsequent closure of the epiphyseal plates which is ultimately responsible for bone length and thus overall height.

First isolated from bull testes in 1935, the next hurdle was to identify methods of administration of a synthetic variant. Nowadays, there are a host of options available, including transdermal, oral and injectable versions.

Transdermal testosterone administration is most commonly seen in legitimate Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). Relatively small dosages are provided by a patch that is worn on the skin. This method is widely accepted for the intended medical use though offers little for the steroid using bodybuilder.

Orally, a user essentially has two choices. The first option is Methyltestosterone, which, as the name suggests, is simply a testosterone molecule with an added methyl group, which greatly increases its bioavailability by assisting the drug to survive the first pass in hepatic (liver) metabolism. However, there appears to be two problems with this drug: Being methylated, it will be liver toxic which in essence will limit the user both in terms of dosage and cycle length; and also the lack of esterification which not only necessitates frequent ingestion, but also causes sharp peaks in concentration levels, especially given the relatively high dosages necessary for meaningful muscular growth. This in turn encourages a host of typical side effects, most notably perhaps, an increased risk of gynecomastia since the aromatisation of methyltestosterone produces a particularly troublesome methylated estradiol.

There is, however, an alternative oral testosterone, namely Andriol / Restandol which are manufactured by Organon. This product has a novel administration method in that an oil based testosterone with an attached undecanoate ester is absorbed through the lymphatic system, thereby avoiding hepatic metabolism, the need for methylation and its inherent risks. Each crimson coloured capsule contains 40mg of the steroid plus its undecanoate ester, which means only around 25mg is actually testosterone. Designed for use with TRT patients, it appeared that a safe oral testosterone solution was found. However, there are issues that remain problematic: It has been shown that wide variances in steroid uptake are possible between different individuals using the drug, as well as variances in steroid uptake with the same user from each dose. This makes it difficult to determine with any level of certainty how much of the hormone is actually being delivered. For the bodybuilder, there are other concerns too, in that some claim that Andriol is much less likely to pose problematic side effects when compared to other injectable forms. This misconception is probably due to the fact that the actual amount of steroid delivered is low from such a suggested cycle. Relatively high daily dosages (upwards of 320mg) are required to provide comparable results to a modest injectable cycle, with incidences of side effects then appearing similar too. Furthermore, the high cost of maintaining a meaningful Andriol cycle makes this a poor choice from the options available. For the purposes of this article therefore, we shall concentrate solely on the injectable versions, and the choices that lay therein.

There are four main esterified, injectable testosterone preparations, differing only by the carbon ester chain attached to the steroid molecule. Simplified, the length of ester chain will determine the half life (time taken to metabolise half of the drug administered) of the parent hormone; the shorter the ester, the shorter the half life and therefore requiring frequent administration. The opposite is true for longer esters. Testosterone is universally considered the ?King? of all the steroids, and whilst most cycles will consist of testosterone by itself, or contain a testosterone as a base when stacking other steroids, it is not compulsory to do so.

Suggested Cycles/Uses
Testosterone Propionate (Test Prop) is the shortest ester variant which requires administration every day, or every second day. This can create issues for longer cycles, where the user may tire from frequent injections and naturally, this compound is not suited to the needle-shy. Furthermore, testosterones with a propionate ester are typically less concentrated than longer esterified variants. This means that there are lower amounts of hormone (measured in milligrams, mg) suspended in a given amount of oil carrier (measured in millilitres, ml). Typically, pharmaceutical grade versions will have a concentration of 50mg/ml, with underground labs tending to manufacture at 100mg/ml. Whilst this increase in concentration is desirable in terms of reducing the total volume of carrier oil that is injected, the result can be injection discomfort, experienced both at the time of administration and in some cases, for several days thereafter. This problem appears to stem from the fact that propionate is less soluble than longer esters, and is prone to ?crashing? out of the oil carrier and crystallizing, especially where a higher concentration of steroid is present.

[OneBetter]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17 (1)

[s117611]

I only want to gain 10 lbs of lean mass, what kind of diet and workout routine do i need to do?

Originally Posted by Jamill

Pharmaceutical Name: Testosterone
Common Brand/Trade/Slang Names: Sustanon, Testoviron, Testabol, Virormone, Omnadren, Testovis, Testopin, Testex, Enantat, Testolic, Test, Sust / Sus

Chemical Structure: 17?-hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one

Delivery Method: Normally Injectable

Half Life: Ester dependant (more commonly found esters in bold):

Testosterone Suspension ? within 1 hour
Acetate - 1 day
Propionate - 1 day
Phenylpropionate - 1-2 days
Valerate - 3 days
Hexanoate - 3 days
Isocaproate - 5 days
Heptanoate - 5-6 days
Enanthate - 5-6 days
Octanoate - 6-7 days
Cypionate - 6-7 days
Nonanoate - 7 days
Decanoate - 7 days
Undecanoate - 20 days approx
Undecylenate - 8 days
Typical Vial/Tablet doses: Normal range 50mg/ml to 400mg/ml

Background
You will no doubt be aware that testosterone is the primary male hormone which is produced predominantly in the testes, and to a much lesser degree, is also secreted from the adrenal cortex. The profound effects of testosterone in the human body are plain to see in boys who are progressing through the pubescent years with marked changes occurring including facial and body hair growth, deepening of the voice, muscular increases, increased sexual desire and competitive behaviour and the prevalence of oily skin and acne, amongst others. Testosterone is also indirectly responsible (through its conversion to oestrogen (estrogen)) for bone maturation and the subsequent closure of the epiphyseal plates which is ultimately responsible for bone length and thus overall height.

First isolated from bull testes in 1935, the next hurdle was to identify methods of administration of a synthetic variant. Nowadays, there are a host of options available, including transdermal, oral and injectable versions.

Transdermal testosterone administration is most commonly seen in legitimate Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). Relatively small dosages are provided by a patch that is worn on the skin. This method is widely accepted for the intended medical use though offers little for the steroid using bodybuilder.

Orally, a user essentially has two choices. The first option is Methyltestosterone, which, as the name suggests, is simply a testosterone molecule with an added methyl group, which greatly increases its bioavailability by assisting the drug to survive the first pass in hepatic (liver) metabolism. However, there appears to be two problems with this drug: Being methylated, it will be liver toxic which in essence will limit the user both in terms of dosage and cycle length; and also the lack of esterification which not only necessitates frequent ingestion, but also causes sharp peaks in concentration levels, especially given the relatively high dosages necessary for meaningful muscular growth. This in turn encourages a host of typical side effects, most notably perhaps, an increased risk of gynecomastia since the aromatisation of methyltestosterone produces a particularly troublesome methylated estradiol.

There is, however, an alternative oral testosterone, namely Andriol / Restandol which are manufactured by Organon. This product has a novel administration method in that an oil based testosterone with an attached undecanoate ester is absorbed through the lymphatic system, thereby avoiding hepatic metabolism, the need for methylation and its inherent risks. Each crimson coloured capsule contains 40mg of the steroid plus its undecanoate ester, which means only around 25mg is actually testosterone. Designed for use with TRT patients, it appeared that a safe oral testosterone solution was found. However, there are issues that remain problematic: It has been shown that wide variances in steroid uptake are possible between different individuals using the drug, as well as variances in steroid uptake with the same user from each dose. This makes it difficult to determine with any level of certainty how much of the hormone is actually being delivered. For the bodybuilder, there are other concerns too, in that some claim that Andriol is much less likely to pose problematic side effects when compared to other injectable forms. This misconception is probably due to the fact that the actual amount of steroid delivered is low from such a suggested cycle. Relatively high daily dosages (upwards of 320mg) are required to provide comparable results to a modest injectable cycle, with incidences of side effects then appearing similar too. Furthermore, the high cost of maintaining a meaningful Andriol cycle makes this a poor choice from the options available. For the purposes of this article therefore, we shall concentrate solely on the injectable versions, and the choices that lay therein.

There are four main esterified, injectable testosterone preparations, differing only by the carbon ester chain attached to the steroid molecule. Simplified, the length of ester chain will determine the half life (time taken to metabolise half of the drug administered) of the parent hormone; the shorter the ester, the shorter the half life and therefore requiring frequent administration. The opposite is true for longer esters. Testosterone is universally considered the ?King? of all the steroids, and whilst most cycles will consist of testosterone by itself, or contain a testosterone as a base when stacking other steroids, it is not compulsory to do so.

Suggested Cycles/Uses
Testosterone Propionate (Test Prop) is the shortest ester variant which requires administration every day, or every second day. This can create issues for longer cycles, where the user may tire from frequent injections and naturally, this compound is not suited to the needle-shy. Furthermore, testosterones with a propionate ester are typically less concentrated than longer esterified variants. This means that there are lower amounts of hormone (measured in milligrams, mg) suspended in a given amount of oil carrier (measured in millilitres, ml). Typically, pharmaceutical grade versions will have a concentration of 50mg/ml, with underground labs tending to manufacture at 100mg/ml. Whilst this increase in concentration is desirable in terms of reducing the total volume of carrier oil that is injected, the result can be injection discomfort, experienced both at the time of administration and in some cases, for several days thereafter. This problem appears to stem from the fact that propionate is less soluble than longer esters, and is prone to ?crashing? out of the oil carrier and crystallizing, especially where a higher concentration of steroid is present.