Dianabol (Methandrostenolone)
Dianabol is one of the most popular anabolic steroids of all time and has been since it was first created thanks do Dr. John Ziegler and made ready for use through distribution by Ciba Pharmaceuticals in the 1960’s. The very first oral anabolic steroid synthesized, Dianabol was created as a means to aid the U.S. Olympic Team athletes who had been dominated by the Soviet Union athletes due to their use of the powerful testosterone hormone. What would come is one of the most powerful and effective anabolic steroids ever created to date and with its power it has since its inception remained high in demand. A favorite among competitive bodybuilders for its ability to add raw strength and size, Dianabol since its creation has found its way into the cycles of athletes and gym rats for a multitude of purposes.
Dianabol
Dianabol or Dbol as it is also known is the common trade name for the anabolic steroidal hormone Methandrostenolone. Methandrostenolone carries with it highly anabolic traits as well as moderate androgenic traits which allow it to be well-suited for both strength and size. By its mode of action, due to the effects produced via the androgen receptors Dianabol dramatically increases both protein synthesis and glycogenolysis very rapidly, more so than most anabolic steroidal hormones.
While Methandrostenolone can be found in an injectable form, Dianabol is an Oral Steroid and most will only find and use Methandrostenolone in an oral tablet form. As Dianabol is an oral steroid, like most Oral Steroids it is a 17 Alpha-Alkylated steroid. The 17-aa alteration simply means the Methandrostenolone hormone has been structurally altered at the 17th carbon position to allow it to survive ingestion so it may be absorbed into the blood after its first pass through the liver; without the 17-aa alteration the majority of Dianabol would be destroyed before it ever entered the blood stream. This structural change allows the hormone to become active in the body to the greatest extent possible; however, there is a downside. Most 17-aa steroids are toxic to the liver, some more so than others and Dianabol makes no exception. In the case of Dianabol while we do have a very powerful anabolic steroid it will prove to fall into the category of one that is more toxic than many others but not the most toxic of all by any means. While this is a downside, through responsible use serious liver damage can be easily avoided and liver enzymes will generally return to normal once use has been discontinued.
The Benefits of Dianabol
Dianabol was developed for the use in athletics which gives it somewhat of a special purpose as many steroids were first developed for medical purposes outside athletic circles. Being as this steroids intentions were designed for an athlete, particularly regarding strength and performance its benefits will translate perfectly to meet this end.
The most pronounced benefit of Dianabol is in its ability to increase fat free mass and it is for this reason it has been a staple in competitive bodybuilding for decades. By increasing both protein synthesis and glycogenolysis as we discussed; while most anabolic steroids increase protein synthesis the rate in-which Dianabol increases glycogenolysis is quite powerful; in simplistic terms this means your carbohydrate intake becomes more valuable and this is why so many choose to use this steroid when in a bulking or gaining phase. This raw energy in-which it provides will also translate into increasing strength but we must not neglect to understand Dianabol dramatically increases nitrogen retention as well, which in effect again will promote both size and strength. While many anabolic steroidal hormones also carry this nitrogen effect Dianabol will cause the individual to hold more nitrogen in his muscle tissue than most other anabolic steroids.
Those who use Dianabol will find increases of 20-30lbs to be very common place when diet and exercise are appropriate to meet such an end. However, as is with most steroids Dianabol can serve a multitude of purposes, although its primary purpose will be while bulking. Many competitive bodybuilders use Dianabol during their contest prep cycle; this practice is largely done in order to maintain strength so that one may push through training while on a calorie restricted diet. Further, because of the attributes associated with this steroid the athlete will enable his body to preserve more lean tissue while on a calorie restricted diet.
The Side-Effects of Dianabol
While Dianabol can be toxic to liver, as we discussed the effects are largely reversible assuming responsible use is applied. However, while a toxic effect remains a concern the most prominent negative side-effect will in-fact be that of increased blood pressure. Those who suffer from existing high blood pressure are highly cautioned against using this steroid until the problem is under control. While issues of increased blood pressure are the most common of all negative side-effects associated with this steroid many will find that even high doses of the steroid affect their blood pressure very little to not at all; it is impossible to predict where you will fall. Beyond blood pressure aromatase is something one will need to keep an eye on as estrogenic related side-effects such as Gynecomastia can occur. For this reason responsible use will normally include an aromatase inhibitor such as Arimidex or Letrozole. Last but certainly not least, Dianabol will suppress your natural testosterone production and most will find in order to use this steroid exogenous testosterone must be applied if we are to keep adequate levels of testosterone in the body. However, as most will greatly benefit from using both anabolic steroids Dianabol and Testosterone together in a stack for most this will be of little concern.
Dianabol & Anadrol
Dianabol and Anadrol are often mentioned together in an anabolic steroid discussion and as both are powerful orals apt towards strength and size it’s easy to understand why. In many circles Anadrol is often viewed as the more powerful choice but this is simply not true. Milligram for milligram Dianabol is much stronger than Anadrol but the misconception exists for one reason; most will take in far more Anadrol than Dianabol; common Anadrol cycles are upwards of 100mg while common Dianabol cycles are as little as 30mg. Make no mistake, both steroids will get the job done and some will find they tolerate one over the other but this doesn’t change the truth, as Dianabol is the most potent mass building oral steroid on the market.
Dianabol Cycles & Doses
As Dianabol is most apt for strength and size it is in a bulking cycle where it will be primarily used; it can be used in a cutting cycle as we discussed above but it is in bulking we will focus on as this is the primary purpose. Dianabol is a very fast acting steroid with a very short half-life to indicate as much. Dianabol carries a half-life of approximately 5 hours, making it one of the fastest acting and short duration oral anabolic steroids anyone will ever use. Due to its almost instant effect most will find using this steroid at the beginning of a cycle to be highly effective as a means to kick start the cycle. While kick starting is common place Dianabol can be used later in a bulking cycle in order to break through a plateau when gains begin to halt; many competitive bodybuilders will run Dianabol in two phases during one cycle, as a kick start and as a plateau buster.
As for dosing, there is nothing set in stone but 20mg will prove to the minimum in order to see true results with 100mg being the max most any advanced Dianabol user will ever want to undertake. While 100mg can be used safely most will find 50mg of Dianabol to be all they ever really need; assuming their product is real as there is a massive amount of low dosed Dianabol on the black market. For the beginner a dose of 30mg is generally recommended as it will give you the boost you need but low enough to ensure problems that may occur are manageable. As with all anabolic steroids it is important to keep the dosing very low in the beginning in order to determine how you will react and how well you tolerate the particular compound. Granted, for many a low dose may be all you ever need and in the case of Dianabol, as it is very powerful, low dosing may be perfect for you.