Winstrol (Stanozolol)

Winstrol is a very popular testosterone derived anabolic steroid from the Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) family that is available as an oral tablet or as an injectable in the form of Winstrol Depot. First developed by Sterling-Winthrop Laboratories in the early 1960’s the active hormone in the compound Stanozolol was given the trade name “Winstrol” and as is common in the anabolic steroid world the first trade name ever given has been the name most associate with the steroid. While many anabolic steroids are normally only found in certain circles some are found across the board in every athletic category imaginable; Winstrol is such a steroid. Very popular in competitive bodybuilding circles due to its use in contest prep Winstrol is also a favorite of performance athletes in baseball, track & field and everything in-between. Further, as most anabolic steroids can be very damaging to women, due to its nature Winstrol is one of the few anabolic steroids that can be safely used by women as well when used responsibly.

The Benefits of Winstrol:

Most all steroids can provide quality benefits to most any cycle for any purpose; however, most anabolic androgenic steroids generally have one primary purpose and secondary characteristics that may be apt for another cycle. For example, the powerful steroid Anadrol is used primarily as a bulking steroid as its nature is best suited for this purpose, however, it does possess traits that can be beneficial in a cutting cycle when used properly; this is very common in competitive bodybuilding circles. Winstrol however is a little different; while its primary purpose is without question a cutting cycle and in the aid in athletic performance there is not much use for this steroid in a bulking cycle as it is not by its mode of action designed to build large amounts of lean tissue. Even so, regarding cutting and athletic performance Winstrol is often a fine choice.

The primary benefit(s) revolving around Winstrol are without question increases in strength and this can relate to physical power, speed and agility; further, as by its nature Winstrol can greatly enhance vascularity as well as promote a dryer and harder physique when body-fat is already low. While Winstrol will not specifically burn stored body-fat, most steroids won’t, it will have a very positive effect on this process. Winny is an excellent steroid for preservation purposes when in a caloric deficit as you should be if you are dieting and the more lean tissue we can hold onto when in this deficit the greater your metabolic rate will be, thereby leading to a leaner and harder physique.

Winstrol & Stanozolol Side Effects:

Winstrol is an ester free DHT steroid found in the form of a 17-Alpha-Alkylated steroid (17-aa) form as well as an injectable aqueous suspension (suspended in water.) Pertaining to the oral form the 17-aa alteration simply refers to the altered chemical structure that occurs at the 17th carbon position; without such restructuring the steroid would be useless in oral form. The 17-aa alteration allows the steroid to survive the first pass through the liver after ingestion and absorb into the blood stream where it becomes active; this has both positive and negative effects. The good news is once ingested it will enter the blood very rapidly, the bad news is it will bring about a level of toxicity to the liver as is common with most oral medications, steroidal and non-steroidal alike.  

As it pertains to the injectable aqueous form the same active Stanozolol hormone is being used, in that there is no difference. However, the toxicity to the liver will not be as large of a concern with the injectable form as by injecting the medication it goes to work directly and bypasses the first pass through the liver completely. Another important distinction is in the half-life; injectable Winstrol carries with it a half-life of approximately 24 hours while the oral Winny form as it is commonly known carries with it a half-life of approximately 9 hours. As you can see that’s a pretty big difference and administration will necessarily vary from one form to the next if absolute efficiency is going to be met.

Beyond liver effects Winstrol does carry with it other concerns, Winstrol can seriously bring problematic conditions to your cholesterol levels as it will increase your LDL and decrease your HDL somewhat dramatically. However, as is often overlooked healthy eating that is full of Omega Fatty Acids can greatly aid in controlling this; no, it will not fix it and prevent your cholesterol from moving but it will keep you in the realm of safety if you are serious and disciplined.

Additionally, Winstrol may be more prone than other anabolic steroids to increasing tendon brittleness. I am not so concerned about this as to consider it a reason to never use Winstrol at all, but it is reason to limit the total weeks of use per year. I don’t have any firm guideline on that, but for example I consider six weeks of use twice per year a reasonable amount.

Further, Winstrol use sometimes leads to joint pain during a cycle, One side-effect many speak of regarding Winstrol revolves around the injectable Depot form as injections can be very painful as is common with water-based steroids.

The suggested dosage of Winstrol is 50-100 mg per day (oral form) and 25-50 mg per day (injectable form) for men and 2.5-10 mg per day (oral form) and 2.5-5.0 mg per day (injectable form) for females, and period of use to be limited to 6 – 8 weeks.

 It is usually stacked with Dianabol, Testosterone Propionate, Testosterone enanthate, and Primobolan during a steroid cycle of six to eight weeks. Antiestrogens such as Clomid or Nolvadex are suggested as aspect of the post cycle therapy as creation of unwanted estrogens may be a problem, particularly for those who have sensitivity to Winny or any of its substances.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Winstrol (stanozolol)?

Do not take stanozolol without first talking to your doctor if you have prostate cancer breast cancer, or a high level of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia).

Before taking stanozolol, talk to your doctor if you;

• have heart or blood vessel disease
• have had a heart attack
• have a high level of cholesterol in the blood
• have bleeding or blood clotting problems
• have diabetes
• take an oral anticoagulant (blood thinner)
• have liver problems, or have kidney problems.  

Winstrol Profile (Stanozolol):

• [17beta-Hydroxy-17-methyl-5alpha-androstano[3,2-c]pyrazole]
• Molecular Weight: 344.5392
• Molecular Formula: C22H36N2O
• Melting Point:N/A
• Manufacturer: (Originally) Sterling
• Release Date:1962
• Effective Dose(men): 50-100mgs/day
• Effective Dose (women): 2.5-10mgs/day
• Active Life:8hours
• Detection Time:3 weeks (oral) to 9 weeks (injectable)
• Androgenic/Anabolic Ratio:30:320

Winstrol References:

1. Trop Doct. 2004 Jul;34(3):149-52.
2. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1989 Jun;68(6):1195-200
3. JAMA. 1989 Feb 24;261(8):1165-8.
4. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Jan;93(1):43-8. Epub 2005 Jan 25.
5. Di Yi Jun Yi Da Xue Xue Bao. 2003 Nov;23(11):1117-20.
6. Can J Vet Res. 2000 Oct;64(4):246-8.
7. Endocrinology. 1984 Jun;114(6):2100-6.
8. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1997 Sep 15;211(6):719-22
9. Agents Actions. 1994 Mar;41(1-2):37-43.
10. Chemical Muscle Enhancement
11. J Invest Dermatol. 1998 Dec;111(6):1193-7.