Winstrol

Alongside with Dianabol and Deca Durabolin, Winstrol is one the most widely used steroids in the world. A unique set of properties make Winstrol a very versatile steroid that can be beneficial in all kinds of cycles. Although it is often compared to Anavar (oxandrolone), winstrol has many traits that set this steroid apart.

History

Winstrol (chemical name stanozolol) was first discovered and publicly announced in 1959. Three years later, in 1962, the pharmaceutical company Sterling began producing stanozolol as a prescription drug under the brand name Winstrol. In 2003, the production rights for winstrol have passed to Ovation Pharmaceuticals, which did not last long. In spite of the fact that the use of winstrol for medical purposes is still approved in the USA, only several international companies outside the USA continue manufacturing this steroid.

During the many years of its existence on the market, many applications were found for winstrol. Stanozolol was used for the treatment of various medical conditions, for performance enhancement by athletes of different disciplines, and as a veterinary supplement.

Medical Use

Initially, the list of conditions treated with winstrol was quite extensive. Stanozolol was one of the top choices in the treatment of patients with wasting syndromes, where it stimulated appetite, maintained weight, and even helped gain additional weight. Furthermore, it was prescribed to osteoporosis patients for bone mass strengthening.

Due to its mild side effects and relative power, winstrol was also used to promote growth in children who had issues in this aspect. As a matter of fact, anavar was frequently used for this purpose too. Even more so, both of these steroids have proven to effectively accelerate healing and recovery processes in severe burn victims.

However, in 1970’s the FDA has limited the medical use of stanozolol, allowing its use only for treatment of growth-deficient children and osteoporosis patients. In 1990’s the array of conditions to treat with winstrol has been officially expanded to anemia and angioedema.

Profile

Stanozolol is a dihydrotestosterone (DHT) derivative, which brings along many of the advantages that the DHT steroids possess. First of all, this structure does not allow stanozolol to interact with the aromatase enzyme. As a result, this steroid will not convert to estrogen, meaning that the muscles gained with winstrol are lean and hard, and fat loss will be boosted.

However, this is no ordinary DHT steroid. Winstrol doesn’t have the 3-keto group attached to the cycloalkane ring (A-ring) in its chemical structure, and instead of it there is the 3-2 Pyrazole group. Thanks to this Pyrazol group, stanozolol interacts much more intensively with the androgen receptors in the muscles than the normal DHT. Moreover, this structure inclines stanozolol towards the anabolic action, reducing the androgenic effects of this substance.

Winstrol has yet another property that makes it such a good stacking agent for all kinds of steroids. It has a very high binding affinity with Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) and it suppresses natural production of this protein. According to several studies, after 3 days of using stanozolol, the levels of SHBG can drop by as much as 48.8%.

As a result, there is less SHBG in the blood stream deactivating sex hormones, such as testosterone and synthetic anabolic steroids. This leads to a greater amount of free steroid hormone flowing in the blood, exerting a more noticeable effect on muscle growth. Therefore, when stacked with other anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), winstrol improves their effectiveness. The addition of Proviron can boost the SHBG suppressing property even further.

Oral vs. Injectable

Stanozolol is available as an injectable and an oral steroid. Winstrol is different from many other steroids that are available for both ways of administration. Usually, other steroids (like deca durabolin) present certain modifications depending on the administration route. However, this is not the case with winstrol, where both forms present an absolutely identical structure.

Therefore, the C17 alpha alkylation (c17aa) present in the oral winstrol can also be found in the injectable version. This structure allows the active substance of the steroid to survive first liver pass at the cost of high hepatotoxicity. Hence, theoretically, the injectable version can be drunk because the c17aa structure should protect winstrol from being broken down by the liver. In reality, many bodybuilders do take winstrol in this way because the tablets are more expensive, and it is more cost effective to swallow the liquid form of winstrol to experience the same effects.

However, even though an identical structure renders the benefit of being able to use both forms of winstrol orally, there is one drawback. The c17aa structure makes the injectable winstrol toxic to the liver even when it is injected. It is not as toxic as the tablets, but the liver function will still be impacted.

Female athletes

Many female athletes consider winstrol as a fairly safe steroid to take. Nevertheless, some guidelines can make the use of winstrol by women a little safer. Since the injectable stanozolol comes in a 1cc ampule, which is too much for a single dose, it is recommended to take the tablets because they are more convenient in terms of precise dosing.

The recommended dosage for oral stanozolol is 5-10 milligrams (mgs) daily. Although some women who compete in bodybuilding take up to 15-20 mgs per day, this is not a recommended practice. If the urge to use the injectable winstrol is too big, it is best to use 25 mgs every 3-4 days.

Women should remember that even though winstrol is relatively safe in terms of virilization, it is still a steroid with moderate androgenic activity, making masculinization possible.

Side Effects

The chemical structure of stanozolol makes this steroid very safe in matters of side effects. Due to the fact that it is a DHT derivative, winstrol doesn’t interact with the aromatase enzyme and the 5-alpha reductase enzyme. Therefore, it does not convert to estrogen or dihydrotestosterone, and estrogenic/androgenic side effects do not occur with this steroid.

However, the above mentioned doesn’t mean that winstrol is a side effects free steroid. First of all, since it has the the c17aa group added to its structure, winstrol is hepatotoxic. Meaning, it will stress the liver. Thus, such liver supporting supplements as N2Guard must be taken during winstrol cycles. N2Guard is especially good for this purpose because it additionally protects kidneys and heart.

Another side effect that is closely related to the major benefit of winstrol is joint pain. Winstrol is extremely effective at drying the muscles and giving them outstanding definition. Unfortunately, the so called “dry joints” may occur, making training painful. While this may be tolerable during cutting phases, where moderate weights are lifted, during bulking cycles dry joints may pose considerable difficulties. This condition may be alleviated by taking a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin, msm, calcium and collagen. All of these, and many more joint supporting substances can be found in N2Joints RX.

Special attention has to be paid to cholesterol levels. According to anecdotal evidence, winstrol can negatively affect cholesterol readings. When high dosages are taken, winstrol can decrease the levels of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and increase the levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL). Hence, regular blood work should be done to control this issue.

Finally, winstrol can be just as suppressive on natural testosterone production as most steroids. Therefore, a good post cycle therapy (PCT) should be ran after ending a stanozolol cycle.

Dosage

Depending on their needs, bodybuilders take somewhere between 40 and 100 mgs daily. Due to the considerable liver toxicity of winstrol, the cycle should not be longer than 6 weeks.

The recommended dosage for female athletes is 5-10 mgs daily.

Different Uses

The amazing cutting ability of winstrol is legendary. Since it does not have such estrogenic side effects as water retention and bloating, winstrol gives high quality muscles. Add to this a prominent fat burning property, and you will get a fantastic cutting agent. When combined with other non-aromatising steroids, such as trenbolone, winstrol will give very lean, hard, and well defined musculature. Hence, its popularity as a pre-contest steroid.

However, winstrol is not used exclusively for cutting. Its properties can be extremely beneficial in bulking cycles as well. Stanozolol can add quality to the massive muscles gained with Anadrol or Dianabol. On top of that, due to its anti-progestenic properties winstrol will decrease the estrogenic effects of these steroids. Furthermore, winstrol’s ability to suppress SHBG will greatly increase the effectiveness of any stacked steroid.

Winstrol is popular not only among bodybuilders. The muscle gains with winstrol are lean and hard, meaning that they do not weigh much, but still give a noticeable increase in strength and endurance. For this reason, winstrol is popular in sports with weigh categories and athletics where excessive weight can be a burden. A good example of an athlete using this steroid is Ben Johnson, an Olympic sprinter from Canada, who tested positive for stanozolol in the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympic Games.

Half-life and Detection Time

The half-life of oral winstrol is 9 hours. The injectable winstrol has a longer half-life of 24 hours. The detection time for both versions is roughly 2 months (8 weeks).

Conclusion

Winstrol’s unique properties have gained this steroid a tremendous popularity among bodybuilders. It is a cutting agent that doesn’t present any estrogenic side effects, making unnecessary the use of anti-estrogenic drugs. Furthermore, it suppresses SHBG protein production, which improves the performance of other steroids stacked with Winstrol. As a result, we get a relatively safe steroid in matters of side effects that allows the user to gain really high quality muscle mass and can boost cycles when combined with other steroids.