Trenbolone aka finaplix is often considered the ideal muscle-building compound that can be
utilized by strength athletes and bodybuilders.
Its appeal is that it is strong androgen but has no estrogenic activity. This combination, along with
the fat-burning properties of the drug that will be detailed later, makes it a
potent compound that offers several advantages. These advantages however are
tempered by some serious consequences if used improperly.
Trenbolone is a 19-nor steroid and is derived from the compound nandrolone.
The difference between it and nandrolone are the c9 and c11 double bonds. The
c9-10 double bond is the reason that trenbolone has no estrogenic activity.
This bond is necessary for the aromatization of the A ring to be possible and
by occupying this bond, no aromatization can occur (1,2).
Trenbolone can affect muscle growth in several different ways, making it one
of the best compounds for both maintaining and adding quality muscle mass.
First, trenbolone can greatly increases the level of IGF-1 within muscle
tissue. It also causes muscle satellite cells, those responsible for repairing
damaged muscle fibers, to be more sensitive to IGF-1 and other growth factors.
The amount of DNA per muscle cell may also be significantly increased by using
trenbolone (1).
Trenbolone has an extremely strong binding affinity for the androgen receptor
as well, even surpassing that of testosterone. This of course supports the
assertion that trenbolone is extremely anabolic as by binding to the androgen
receptor a compound is able to activate the anabolic mechanisms that are
dependent upon the androgen receptor, one of the many ways that anabolic
steroids aid muscle growth. Like most other anabolic steroids, trenbolone also
increases nitrogen retention in muscle tissue. However a rather unique
characteristic of the drug is its anti-catabolic abilities. Trenbolone binds
with the receptors that interact with glucocorticoid hormones, these being
catabolic hormones (3). By being able to inhibit cortisol and some other
catabolic hormones in the body trenbolone is ideal for those users that are
attempting to reduce body fat as the compound will help to minimize muscle
wasting when running a calorie deficit.
Due to the fact that trenbolone is manufactured for the sole purpose of use in
animals, there are a few studies that address its potential effects in humans.
Therefore it should be noted that the effects and safety of trenbolone for
human use are being extrapolated from animal studies. This is not to say that
nothing can be learned from animal-based research, but the findings of these
studies are simply not one hundred percent transferable to use in humans.
Despite this caution, trenbolone does have tremendous results with
commercially raised livestock and these results have led countless strength
athletes and bodybuilders to experiment with the compound. Most often it is
the concept of "feed efficiency" that is cited when people expound the virtues
of trenbolone. Basically the concept refers to the ratio of feed that results
in meat from the animal that can be sold commercially. Trenbolone has been
shown in countless studies and real world use to add muscle to livestock
without any changes in diet. This improved feed efficiency is a result of
trenbolone ability to have the body more efficiently process and
use the feed given an animal, as well as utilizing the vitamins and minerals
ingested at a greater rate. This is exactly what a user would hope for in a
compound and anecdotally users of trenbolone have reported that the compound
does indeed deliver on its potential, providing the user with dramatic gains.
Use/Dosing
Like other steroids that are extremely androgenic, trenbolone offers several
advantages for a user. First, due to the androgenic nature of the drug a user
can expect a large increase in their strength. This makes the compound
extremely popular with strength athletes. However bodybuilders looking to
reduce their body fat also find that trenbolone can help them achieve their
goals as well. This ability to help in the reduction of body fat stems from
the drug's affinity for binding to the androgen receptors. These androgen
receptors are located in, among other places, fat cells. When these androgens
bind to the androgen receptors they can affect these cells and increase
fat-burning. When this is combined with the fact that trenbolone has a
cortisol reducing effect along with the ability to bind to the glucocorticoid
receptor, it can be understood why this compound is so highly touted for
dieting and the reduction of body fat (4).
As for the ester of trenbolone acetate, acetate is a relatively short-chain
ester. It has an active life of two to three days. Ideally a user would use
daily injections to keep blood levels of the compound fairly stable, however
injections every other day will suffice. The acetate ester provides a rapid
and high concentration of the hormone which is beneficial to those seeking
quick gains, and coupled with a rapid clearing time the acetate ester can be
discontinued on the onset of adverse side effects without having to wait days
or even weeks for it's effects to diminish.
In terms of cycle length, due to the liver toxicity associated with trenbolone
most inexperienced users will limit their use of the compound to about eight
to ten weeks. However, like most compounds, more experienced users have
stretched these limits to accommodate their goals. However if a user chooses
to extend their use of the compound for lengthy periods of time it is
imperative that kidney and liver values are monitored to ensure that no damage
to the organs is being done.
Dosages for users are highly dependent on how they react individually to the
compound. Many users anecdotally report that side effects are minimal if doses
are kept at certain levels but can turn rather harsh if doses are increased
even slightly. For this reason it is important that inexperienced users start
with low doses of the compound to judge their reaction to it. 50mgs per day is
often cited as the standard starting point for most. However doses even lower
than this, such as 75mgs every other day, are used by some with good results.
Risks/Side Effects
Trenbolone does not exhibit any estrogenic activity and therefore estrogenic
side effects are not a concern with this compound. It is also resistant to the
5 alpha reductase enzyme, but this is of little comfort to a user as
trenbolone is already of the most androgenic drugs in common use by steroid
users. For this reason androgenic side effects should be expected by most
users that undertake a cycle of this drug. Prostate enlargement and oily
skin/acne are commonly reported by users. As well anecdotally many users have
reported that trenbolone is one of, if not the, harshest compound for losing
one's hair. If a user is genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness he
may want to avoid trenbolone.
Having listed the harsh androgenic nature and side effects associated with
trenbolone, it should come as no surprise that women are not recommended to
use this compound. The usual virilizing effects such as deepening of the
voice, body/facial hair growth, and enlargement of the clitoris, among others
are likely to cause problems for female users. These effects can appear at
even relatively low doses. Trenbolone is not a compound that women should
attempt to administer.
Now due to the lack of estrogenic side effects associated with trenbolone it
would seem that users would have little to worry about in terms of side
effects like gynecomastia, water retention, etc. However trenbolone is a
progestin, meaning that it has the ability to bind to receptors of the female
sex hormone progesterone (2). Also, like other 19-nor compounds trenbolone
increases prolactin levels. Side effects related to these reactions can
include breast growth and lactation. To prevent these side effects as they
relate to increased prolactin levels a user can use several compounds
including bromocriptine, vitamin b6, and/or cabergoline. Letrozole can also be
used to lower progesterone levels. It should also be noted that trenbolone
lowers thyroid levels temporarily which in turn raises prolactin levels (5).
It is therefore advisable that users may want to use the compound T3 to combat
this effect in part.
Being a progestin, trenbolone also has a dramatic effect on users??? natural
testosterone production. Much in the same way that nandrolone does, trenbolone
can suppress the natural production of testosterone for weeks after a user has
ceased administering it. For this reason it is advisable that users use
testosterone in conjunction with trenbolone if they wish to avoid sexual
dysfunction, libido problems, or mental side effects associated with a lack of
testosterone. Anecdotally many users have also reported that testicular
atrophy is nearly always a problem when using trenbolone and that it is much
more dramatic than with other compounds. Users may wish to administer human
chorionic gonadotropin to help counteract this.
The psychological effects of trenbolone use are also quite distinct in some
users. Of course the obvious effect would be a reaction to the androgenic
nature of the compound. An increase in aggressiveness is often reported by
users, as androgens help to affect brain chemistry and may cause feelings of
well-being, angst, aggression, or anxiety. As well, anecdotally some users
have also reported that they experience vivid dreams while using the compound.
Kidney and liver function is negatively affected by trenbolone use as well. It
is recommended that users closely monitor these throughout a cycle making sure
that no problems arise. As well, users will also report that darker than
normal urine is a common side effect of use of trenbolone. This should not be
a cause of alarm among users; however they should ensure that there is no
blood in the urine as this is obviously a sign of trouble.
Chemical Formula: C20 H24 O3 Molecular Weight of Base: 270.3706 Molecular Weight of Ester: 60.0524 Formula of Base: C18 H22 O2 Formula of Ester: C2 H4 O2 Melting Point of Base: 183-187 Celsius Melting Point of Ester: 16.6 Celsius Active life: 2-3 days Anabolic/Androgenic ratio: 500/500
References
1.Thompson SH, Boxhorn LK, Kong WY, Allen RE, Trenbolone alters
the
responsiveness of skeletal muscle satellite cells to fibroblast growth factor
and insulin-like growth factor I, Endocrinology 1989 May, 124 (5) : 2110-7
2. Ojasoo T, Raynaud JP. Unique steroid congeners for receptor studies.
Cancer Research 38 (1978) 4186-98
3. Bauer, Meyer et al. Characterisation of the affinity of different anabolics
and synthetic hormones to the human androgen receptor, human sex hormone
binding globulin and to the bovine progestin receptor. Acta Pathol Microbiol
Imunol Scand Suppl 108 (2000) 838-46
4. St John LC, Ekeren PA, Crouse JD, Schanbacher BD, Smith SB, lipogenesis in
adipose tissue from ovariectomized and intact heifers immunized against
estradiol and/or implanted with trenbolone acetate, J Anim Sci 1987 May, 64
(5):1428-33
5. Donaldson IA, Hart IC, Heitzman RJ. Growth hormone, insulin, prolactin and
total thyroxine in the plasma of sheep implanted with the anabolic steroid
trenbolone acetate alone or with oestradiol. Res Vet Sci. 1981 Jan;30(1):7-13.
