
Winstrol (Stanozolol)
is a really interesting variant of Dihydrotestosterone.
It’s been
modified at the A-ring (there’s 4 rings on steroids usually), to make
another whole “ring” called a pyrazol group. There’s only one other
steroid I’ve ever seen that has a similar modification. Winstrol is a
commonly used anabolic steroid for cutting cycles, and certainly it’s
been shown clinically to not elicit any really impressive weight gain
(if any at all)
[1]. It’s
usually seen as a less expensive alternative
to
Anavar.
And just like Anavar and
other DHT
derivations, it can not convert to estrogen at any dose, and
is not progestenic.
As with Proviron, another DHT derived
oral
steroid,
Winstrol may be
useful in any cycle (perhaps even bulking) in order to lower Sex
Hormone Binding Globulin.
[2] One of the
properties of Winstrol is it’s
profound ability to lower
SHBG much
more than other steroids. This
could make more testosterone (or whatever steroids
you are
using) more
likely to remain unbound and therefore active.
A nice quality look can be attained with the use of Winstrol in a
decent cutting cycle, but having it in a heavy bulking cycle could end
up being problematic, as people often get sore joints from using it for
extended periods of time. Stanozolol is an alkylated compound, which
means that it’s been specifically altered to endure the first pass
through the liver without being destroyed.
And since the injectable version is simply a suspended version of the
same compound, it’s able to be orally ingested instead of injected.
However, since it is alkylated, it is also pretty liver toxic, having
one of the worst hepatoxicity (mg for mg) of any
steroid.
As regards cholesterol, and it’s quite harsh on both LDL and HDL
[3],
and cardiac hypertrophy could be a possible concern with
Winstrol also.
[4] Needless
to say, most men don’t use Winstrol for
very long in their cycles, and limit it to about 6 weeks or so at
50-100mgs every day (and yes, the same dosing applies for the
injectable or the oral). Women typically use 10-25mgs per day, with the
high end of that being reserved for competitive bodybuilders and figure
competitors. Of course, acne, hairloss and (in women) clitoral
hypertrophy are very real concerns.
As it is available in both an oral form as well as an injectable form,
and both contain the same compound, you might find this next part odd,
but the injectable route actually produces greater nitrogen retention.
[5]
Another counterintuitive fact about Winstrol is that although the
anabolic rating of this product is very high, not too many people
report much weight gain off of it. Also, it has a very weak Androgen
Receptor binding ability
[6], which is
kind of odd for a drug with
Winstrol’s effects. unusual for
a “cutting” steroid. Protein synthesis is reasonably high with
Winstrol [7],
although weight gain is low, paradoxically.
In all, this is a very odd compound, from a chemical/biological point
of view. My personal experience with it was that it can be used as a
cheap substitute for Anavar, although I prefer the latter. Also, the
injections hurt like hell..
Winstrol is available widely on the black market from a variety of
sources, including veterinary companies as well as human grade
pharmaceutical houses. As is always the case, underground labs produce
it very cheaply, and it’s available as paper anabolics as well. Going
rate at the time of this writing is roughly under $100 for a 10-200ml
bottle of 100mg/ml concentration, and is basically
the same for a bottle of 100 x 10mg tablets.