Nandrolone History and Overview:
Nandrolone, otherwise known as Deca-Durabolin, is among the most popular steroids in the world. It’s not only popular amongst those that like to bodybuildg or get huge, but it’s well-known for its reputed therapeutic benefits, making it a must-have for those that are serious about their gains as well as those that are just the casual gym rat. Almost anybody can get something out of Deca-Durabolin.
Nandrolone was born in 1960 and then distributed around the globe by a firm called Organon. It was originally called Nandrolone Phenylpropionate (NPP), but it was simply called “Durabolin.” While that was the original moniker that it had, it would become famous under the name Deca Durabolin, even to this day, it remains the most well-known label for the drug. If you utter this word, people in the know will be aware that you’re in the know, too. From there, there are have been a number of different kinds of Nandrolone that have floated around, but Deca Durabolin is king as far as popular brands go. There are different types of Nandrolone products despite them being different, it’s not out of the ordinary for sellers to label them under the same Deca-Durabolin title.
With Nandrolone, you can basically link it to almost any kind of ester. Typically, however, it’s going to be found with Decanoate and Phenylpropionate attached. Very rarely, you’ll find it in a Cypionate ester, but it’s very, very rare for that to happen. Because of the properties and capabilities of Nandrolone, it’s notorious for being a primarily bulking compound. No matter what steroid user you talk to, almost all of them will vouch for how powerful Deca-Durabolin is when you’re in the offseason and looking to add a ton of mass. A lot of these gymrats will also boast about Deca-Duabolins amazing therapeutic benefits, and believe it or not, there is a lot of truth to these claims. But because the name “Deca” is associated with anabolic steroids, a lot of medical practitioners shy away from prescribing, but it should be made known that it is an awesome compound for medicinal as well as muscle-building purposes.
Functions and Actions of Nandrolone:
No matter what form you find this compound in, Nandrolone is known as a 19-nor AAS, otherwise known as an anabolic androgenic steroid compound. What makes this designator of 19-nor so unique is the fact that it has a structural manipulation to it that is solely found in the testosterone hormone. This means that it’s a testosterone hormone without the carbon in the 19th location. Because this little tweak occurs, it allows scientists to maintain the powerful properties of testosterone, but create an entirely different steroid with unique characteristics.
Nandrolone is way, way more anabolic than a lot of other compounds, but it is only slightly more anabolic than testosterone. However, compared to testosterone, it is way lower on the androgenic scale. If you look at testosterone, it has an androgenic rating of over 100, whereas, with Nandrolone, you only have a rating of 37. This is a massive difference. The reason why it’s so much lower is that the compound has an ability to turn down your dihydronandrolone instead of your DHT, which is dihydrotestosterone. Because of that, Nandrolone is really easily tolerated by most adult males. The compound is also relatively inactive in terms of the estrogenic side effects, and only 20-percent of aromatase that is only a fraction of testosterone. It is also considered an active progestin and can enhance or manipulate the other potential side effects, but if you make an effort, you can ensure they’re controllable in most contexts.
Nandrolone is really great as a steroid because it has so many performance enahancer and practical benefits. This makes it amazingly versatile androgen. It can stop all of the bad hormones from being produced like glucocorticoids, it can raise your IGF-1 levels, more nitrogen is retained, more red blood cells, a lot more collagen, your bones are stronger, and you can expedite the process of protein synthesis. All these contribute to muscle growth, recovery and gains in strength, mass and speed.
When it comes to Nandrolone, the aforementioned positive effects are also found in a lot of other compounds. However, when it comes to nitrogen retention, no one else comes close to Nandrolone in terms of its capability. This is very important to know because our muscles have a lot of nitrogen in them, over 16-percent of our muscle tissue has nitrogen. This doesn’t seem all that important, but they to maintaining anabolism over catabolism relates to how much nitrogen we keep in our tissues. If it gets depleted, that means we can get into catabolic states and lose the potency of the compounds. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it means that our collagen and bone mineral qualities can be affected as well, and that’s where Nandrolone comes into play. No other compound can rejuvenate our collagen and bones like Nandrolone can, and this means it has a major recovery benefit when compared to other compounds that make it better than the rest of the pack.
Deca-Durabolin 50mg/ml Schering-Plough
But aside from the gym rats, a lot of medical professionals acknowledge how great Nandrolone is as well. They can appreciate its positive effects, and for that, they have adapted the drug throughout time for its benefits. It’s really great for muscle wasting syndromes, and it can help with fatigue and weakness found in older patients. It’s also awesome with dealing with anemia, and nandrolone has been found to even eliminate some forms of brain cancer, and for burn victims especially, it might as well be a miracle drug. People with ulcers will say the same as well. For children that suffer from dwarfism and kinds of physically developmental retardation, the drug is also very powerful. But undoubtedly, where it reigns supreme in terms of its amazing benefits is the area of osteoporosis. In the United States, however, you’re not going to find a lot of people give out prescriptions of Deca to battle Osteoporosis. There are some people in the anti-aging sector that give it a try as well. In some instances, HIV patients get it also because it can help them deal with the weakness that they typically suffer from.
Effects of Nandrolone:
By understanding how Nandrolone works, you’ll be able to immediately realize why the positive effects of the anabolic steroid are present, especially for those that are looking to use it for medical purposes rather than athletics or bodybuilding. For someone that is just using it for performance enhancement, like aesthetic weight lifters or competitive athletes, they really love it, but the truth is, many of these individuals don’t truly understand why they like the drug so much. In other words, they don’t know much about the science behind it and proclaim a lot of benefits that might not really be there. Most people assume Nandrolone is great for bulking, and in truth, it is really great for bulking. But most people don’t use it for anymore than that reason alone. And frankly, that’s disappointing to not maximize everything this steroid is capable of doing. With something as versatile and incredible as Nandrolone, it’s doing a disservice to the compound. For one, you have to understand that the quality of the compound is not solely based on the amount of mass it can put on your body. And if you’re only using a versatile compound for the mass-building alone, it’s like driving a Ferrari just because you like the way the steering wheel feels. You’re just short-changing yourself out of a lot of other awesome features.
For someone who isn’t in their season, Nandrolone is commonly used because it will add mass but not too quickly. And even if you use a version of it that has a shorter ester, you’re going to get the same effects. You won’t see a ton of mass within a short time period like something along the lines of an Oxymetholone (Anadrol), but you’re going to get real high quality gains over a decent period of time. It’s not going to be sloppy, watery, blubbery weight you see with a lot of rapid mass compounds. You’re also going to see a slight increase in your strength, but it is not known to be one that adds strength. For this type of athlete, they’re also going to benefit from the recovery effects that the drug is known for providing. Usually around this time period is when you see athletes use the heaviest kinds of weights. Using too heavy in-season will inhibit performance and increase injury risk. So during this time period, you’re going to be able to gain a lot more mass with less added fat than you would during any other time. The compound also has a positive effect on metabolism.
Now for a true competitor, this is someone that doesn’t care about bulking or cutting, but they are someone who wants to get the most out of their performance. Nandrolone is going to be one of his best options and possibly even the best because it’s a compound that is going to deliver that and then some. Super low doses of the compound will be able to give recovery and relief from a lot of aches and pains and wear and tear, but a higher dose will allow for more muscular stamina. What’s also important to note about this compound is that it doesn’t “pretend” to give pain-relieving benefits. It actually works in a way to legitimately improve recovery and pain-relief.
As far as cutting goes, this is a time period where a lot of people try to avoid Nandrolone. However, for a long time, especially in more recent decades, a lot of serious bodybuilders realize that this is a very important drug to incorporate into cutting stacks. It’s not unheard of for someone to use really small amounts of it for the recovery benefits at 100-200mg injected per week. When cutting, you’re going to experience serious pain and wear and tear, but this compound can really help. But other people tend to use it not because of pain relief, but rather, to maintain the mass they might otherwise lose from cutting. It’s also important to note that during caloric deficits you have during cutting phases, Deca-Durabolin can help maintain those as you stay disciplined and continue to lose weight. The typical period of usage for competitors is that in the first half of prep they’ll drop in some Nandrolone, and then as time goes on, they’ll go for compounds that are more likely to add some hardening properties, that way when it comes to show time, they’ll look really dense and freaky on stage. These are commonly DHT based anabolic steroids. But of course, there are those that put it in also due to the great recovery benefits they can enjoy.
Nandrolone Side Effects:
When it comes to all of the compounds you can find in the marketplace, Nandrolone is going to be one of those few compounds that is just amazing as far as not having really terrible side effects. Women can really get a lot out of it, too, but they typically can only handle very low therapeutic doses before things get out of hand. There are a few side effects that could affect people with certain genetic traits that aren’t too common, but for most healthy males over the age of 18, you’re going to be perfectly fine as long as you use the compound in a responsible manner. To better elucidate as to what side effects you can expect to deal with, we’re going to break them down into sub-categories so you can really hone in on those that might give you the most concern, or simply, for your reading pleasure.
Estrogenic Side Effects From Nandrolone:
Unlike many drugs, this is a compound that is not estrogenic. This means that it will not cause the typical side effects you’ll get from an estrogen-heavy compound. Some of the side effects that people are really afraid of are the increased levels of blood pressure, the increase in the water retention, gynecomastia, hypertension and roid rage. You can avoid these things from happening by using an AI or SERM, but you have to beware that this is a substance that isn’t going to cause a lot of problems, this makes it a lot different from other compounds.
Believe it or not, Nandrolone isn’t very estrogenic, it is possible to experience estrogen-like side effects because of using it. However, these effects will not directly be caused by the drug. Nandrolone aromatizes at a rate of 20% that of testosterone, but when it comes to aromatization, we’re talking about the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. This will only happen when testosterone interacts with the enzyme known as a aromatase. When these conversions tend to happen, estrogen levels occasionally get elevated, which will result in unfavourable effects like gyncomastia and the retention of liquid in the body. With greater levels of liquid in the body, this means that your blood pressure can really go up to a high level. When you’re also dealing with lower levels of aromatase activity, you also have to realize that Nandrolone can serve as a progestin, which means that it will strongly bind to the progresterone receptor (PgR). This can sometimes interact with mammary glands, hence it can result in gynecomastia, but typically only in individuals that are particularly sensitive to these side effects.
When trying to deal with those estrogenic effects of Nandrolone, you can do it by using any form of anti-estrogen that you prefer. The best kinds are those that are considered Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs) like an Arimidex, which is the brand for the compound Anastrozole. You can also use a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) like Tomoxifen, typically known in the bodybuilding circles as Nolvadex. It’s best to use an AI because that is going to lower your serum levels of estrogen rather than just stop the binding to a receptor site the way that a SERM would. If you use an AI properly, you should be able to avoid getting gynecomastia altogether. But if gynecomastia tissue develops and hardens into fatty breast tissue, it’s way too late to deal with it at that point.
Although 19-nor compounds can mess with your prolactin levels, which some people mistakenly attribute to gynecomastia, the truth is, the reason gynecomastia can be caused by a 19-nor compound is because there is an imbalance of progesterone, estrogen and testosterone, so they interact with each other. Administering a dopamine agonist (Cabergoline) will help reduce the risk of gynecomastia by lowering aggravating hormones like prolactin. The standard advice is to use an AI and keep both a SERM and dopamine agonist on hand in case you run into problems.
Androgenic Side Effects:
Even though it’s super unlikely you’d ever experience androgenic effects from Nandrolone, they can still happen. But remember, as with any androgenic drug, the side effects related to androgens can only happen if you’re already genetically predisposed to a lot of these things. For example, if you have genes for male pattern baldness, this is just going to make you bald faster. But because Nandrolone is reduced to DHN (dihydronandrolone) and not DHT (dihydrotestosterone), this makes it far less likely to give you androgenic side effects as some other compounds. Commonly, DHT based anabolics cause the most severe problems in steroid users.
It should also be noted that if you use something like Finasteride to try and reduce the side effects, it’s not going to do much. Just like with estrogen and Nandrolone, using a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor like Finasteride is just going to exacerbate non-existent androgenic symptoms by making the compound as a whole much more androgenic. Though it will work on testosterone based steroids you’re using with Nandrolone.
Nandrolone and Virilisation:
When it comes to virilisation, it’s also something that can happen when you use Nandrolone. Virilisation is a fancy way of saying that if you’re a female, it’s going to give you male side effects, but not in a good way. This means your voice is going to sound more masculine, your body hair will grow, and your clitoris could be permanently enlarged. This means that if you do decide to use this sort of compound, make sure it’s linked with a short ester type of compound such as Phenylproppionate if you’re a female. If you immediately notice any of the above-mentioned side effects, stop immediately because if you don’t, they may be permanent.
Cardiovascular Side Effects:
For cardiovascular health, keep an eye on your cholesterol. Make sure you get those good fatty acids and keep saturated fats and sugars to a minimum if you can help it. And watch your blood pressure regularly. Plaque build up in arteries (calcification) can lead to severe cardiovascular related side effects.
Testosterone Inhibition:
Nandrolone is tremendously suppressive to endogenous testosterone. A single 100mg can result in full cessation of natural anabolic hormone (shutdown), so make sure you use testosterone when using Nandrolone. This will ensure there is no risk of sustained shutdown and suppression of your endogenous testosterone supply. After ceasing use, you’ll want to start post cycle therapy (PCT), but remember, regaining your previous state takes time, and if you’re stupid with your usage of Nandrolone or any other compound for that matter, irresponsible usage could result in permanent side effects that cannot be undone. Be smart and be patient, and you should be able to get back to normal sooner rather than later.
As far as the liver is concerned, Nandrolone is not hepatotoxic.
Nandrolone Administration and Uses:
Nandrolone is entirely injectable, so if you want the muscle-building benefits, go with 300-600mg per week, 100mg 1-2 times per week for therapeutic, and 400mg per week max for performance enhancing.
For shorter, faster acting esters such as, Nandrolone Phenylpropionate (NPP), every other day injections are required at the least. 100-300mg injected three times per week will suffice, depending on goals and previous steroid usage experience.
Nandrolone should always be used in combination with a testosterone based anabolic steroid like Testosterone Enantahte or Testosterone Cypionate. This will ward off the low sex drive related side effects when endogenous testosterone is at hypogonadal levels (zero).
Availability, Legality and Buying Nandrolone Online:
The drug is very commonly found on black markets under the Nandrolone Decanoate label. Be aware that some people like to underdose or scam people with this compound, so buyer beware. Know your source. But also keep in mind that it is illegal to buy this for non-prescription use in the United States as it’s a Class III controlled substance.
But overall, this is a powerful mass builder that has a load of therapeutic benefits with relatively low side effects. As a compound for the treatment of joint issues, 100-200mg can be used. As a performance enhancing drug (PED) 300-600mg per week is suggested. Always seek medical supervision when using all anabolic steroids.
