One of the most powerful steroids available is trenbolone. It is considered to be the most effective means by which people can gain extremely lean muscle at an accelerated pace. Due to its ability to get desired results quickly, the steroid is a very popular option for bodybuilders, but it unfortunately has many side effects which can make its use potentially hazardous and, in some cases, debilitating.
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What Is Trenbolone?
Trenbolone is a steroid that has both androgenic and anabolic effects on the bodies of mammals. Its use results in the development or promotion of secondary masculine sex characteristics, primarily the increased production of muscle tissue, although this has the effect of also increasing appetite. The mainstream use of the steroid is usually relegated to the livestock industry where it’s often administered to cattle to increase their overall weight and muscle mass.
Trenbolone works by increasing protein synthesis by encouraging muscles to uptake more ammonia ions. It simultaneously decreases the rate of catabolism, which is the process by which the molecules in food are broken down to later be absorbed by the body. This is the primary factor behind the uptick in appetite, which allows for the buildup of nutrients necessary to accommodate fast-paced muscle growth.
The steroid has the additional effect of binding to progesterone and glucocorticoid receptors, which can result in substantial hormonal changes.
Due to its relatively short half-life, trenbolone is combined with esters to create a method of slower distribution throughout the body, which ultimately amplifies the steroid’s effects. There are three different ester conjugates that are used to administer trenbolone:
- Trenbolone Acetate: Also officially known as Finajet or Finaplix, this form of the steroid was originally administered as a intramuscular injection, but was later transitioned to pellet form when it became solely marketed to livestock breeders. Trenbolone acetate is one of the more common forms of the steroid that is used, although it is not approved for human use. This version of the drug is considered to be short-acting when compared to the other esters.
- Trenbolone Hexahydrobenzylcarbonate: Marketed as Parabolan or Hexabolan, this prodrug was initially sold exclusively in France until it was discontinued in 1997. A long-acting form of the steroid, it was designed to assist patients with muscle-wasting diseases or conditions to maintain muscle mass or prevent further muscle degeneration from occurring.
- Trenbolone Enanthate: Unlike the other forms of the steroid, trenbolone enanthate has never been approved for either human or animal use. In 2004 it gained a foothold on the black market where it became a major steroid of choice for frequenters of internet sites that specialize in the sale of illegal substances.
What Are the Benefits of Taking It?
Considered to be the king of all steroids among many people in the bodybuilding community, trenbolone can yield results far greater than most other options for building muscle, especially if paired with other anabolic drugs (stacking). It’s scientifically designed to be 3 to 5 times stronger than testosterone alone and the dosing is generally minimal, with not a lot of it being required to work properly.
Due to its extreme effects, it’s not uncommon for users of the drug to obtain their desired physical results within less than a year, or roughly 2 to 3 cycles. Users swear by its ability to amplify the effects of other steroids taken in combination with it and how it can cause muscle gains to skyrocket unlike any other substance. Its use also coincides with a noticeable decrease in body fat, ultimately resulting in a bulky, toned, and lean physique.
The drug’s suppression of glucocorticoid in the body also allowed for more frequent workout sessions. As too much glucocorticoid is associated with wound healing issues, weak muscles, and a reduction in the calcium absorption of bones, its reduction throughout the body makes muscle repair much quicker and more effective.
Also, nutrient absorption can see a large boost. The steroid triggers hormonal changes that affect metabolism, allowing for more food molecules to be effectively processed, especially protein.
In addition, the steroid’s use has been associated with the following changes:
- Increase in red blood cells
- Increased nitrogen retention
- Increased muscle dryness
- increase in IGF-1 (growth hormone)
- Allows users to workout for longer
- Increased vascularity
Who Takes the Drug?
Most users of trenbolone are bodybuilders in their 20s or 30s looking to develop substantial muscle gain within a short period of time. Due to the implications of steroid use during athletic competitions, most users of the drug are not professional athletes, although recent years have seen a tremendous increase in the number of athletes who opt for using the steroid due to its almost unparalleled ability to enhance workouts.
The steroid is also sometimes used in a research setting to see the overall effects of anabolic drugs on the human body.
What Are the Side Effects?
While the steroid does have the capacity to exponentially increase muscle gain, there are many side effects which can have drastic repercussions. Most forms of the drug have never been approved for human use and the one that has was only on the market for a couple years due to its side effects being deemed too high risk. Here is a list of potential issues that might arise as a result of using trenbolone:
- Hair Loss: The drug causes hair loss or hair thinning in some users due to hormonal changes, although fortunately this development seems to reverse most of the time when use of the compound is stopped.
- Gynecomastia and Lactation: Trenbolone can cause significant issues with progesterone receptors and estrogen, which usually manifest in the breast tissue of users. It’s extremely common for the steroid to cause frequent lactation and even breast growth, with gynecomastia being an often seen side effect. This growth is commonly accompanied with the enlargement of the nipples and raises the risk of breast cancer due to unmitigated tissue growth.
- Cardiovascular Problems: In addition to making HDL and LDL cholesterol levels go completely haywire, the steroid often causes extreme damage to the cardiovascular system, especially to arterial tissue. The endothelial tissue that lines the coronary artery is often gravely affected by the drug and in some instances has led to current or former users suffering from heart attacks. In addition, prolonged use of the steroid can cause left ventricular hypertrophy, which is a potentially life-threatening thickening of the heart’s primary pumping chamber.
- Emotional Instability: Like most steroids, this drug has a tendency to induce intense feelings of anger in its users (roid rage). However, emotional changes extend far beyond anger and can include things like anxiety, paranoia, and sadness. For those in an already emotionally compromised position, taking the steroid is likely to have severe, unwanted consequences.
- Clotting Issues: Due to how it increases red blood cell count, the drug can be potentially dangerous as too many red blood cells can make blood abnormally thick, raising the risk of clotting by quite a lot.
- Sexual Problems: While the drug does stimulate the part of the brain which influences sexual behavior, including an increase in sexual arousal, this can cause serious problems when a steroid cycle ends. As a user’s brain becomes more adapted to the presence of trenbolone, it eventually becomes reliant on it and when use of the substance suddenly stops, the end result is an intense nullification of sex drive. Many former users of the steroid report that their sex drives are almost non-existent following its use, which causes a tremendous level of emotional distress.
Dosing Information
Most accurate dosing information is limited to use in livestock, usually cattle. Users have a tendency to underestimate the potency of the steroid, so end using much more than is necessary. How much intake is appropriate is very much up for debate and heavily depends on what kind of ester is being used.
Trenbolone is relatively short acting, so it will require frequent use (usually everyday or every other day), in amounts ranging between 50 and 100 mg, although for more intense muscle gain, it might be necessary to take between 300 and 400 mg. However, it should be noted that appropriate dosing will vary considerably from person to person.
