Winstrol AKA Stanozolol Is Still Very Popular Among Bodybuilders

Uses And Side Effects of Winstrol

When talking about the most well-known steroid among bodybuilders, Winstrol is one of the names that will pop up. It is commonly used for boosting performance and promoting a ripped body with impressive vascularity.

Many of those who use it can swear by anything that it works. You are probably considering using this drug too. The aim here is to cover the most important things you need to know before making a decision.

What is Winstrol?

Winstrol

Winstrol is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT), just like Anavar (oxandrolone). This is actually a brand name of stanozolol. Although it has medical uses, the drug is more popular these days for its use by bodybuilders and athletes.

Stanozolol is a synthetic drug. It is a 17-alpha alkylated androstane steroid that comes from an alteration of 5-alpha DHT. The structural alterations that result in the compound include attachment of a pyrazole ring to the A ring of the nucleus. There is also an addition of a methyl group at the 17th carbon position. This helps to boost its oral bioavailability.

Winthrop Laboratories developed the drug in the late 1950s. It was introduced into the American market in 1962 under the brand name “Winstrol.” This steroid is sold under the name “Stromba” in Europe.

Winstrol, like androgens such as testosterone and DHT, is an agonist of the androgen receptor. It is an already 5-alpha reduced steroid, which means it does not aromatize, which means that it is less likely to lead to water retention and other estrogenic effects.

As we noted, Winstrol is just a brand name of the generic stanozolol. The drug has a number of other unofficial names, including stanazol and stanazolol. Stanozolol has been marketed under numerous brand names, apart from Winstrol, including:

Stanabolic
Stanztab
Stanol
Menabol
Anaysynth

Therapeutic Uses

Since its introduction, stanozolol has been used for the treatment of different medical conditions, although it’s no longer advised for some of these.

It was originally believed to help treat senile postmenopausal osteoarthritis. The analysis also showed that it could be beneficial to some people with pituitary dwarfism. Doctors used it to deal with muscle wasting in patients.

Stanozolol has been used for treating people who suffered burns. It was also shown to be potentially beneficial for healing serious bone fractures. The drug is helpful in dealing with issues arising from long-term use of corticosteroids.

Winstrol is used to reduce the frequency and severity of hereditary angioedema attacks. It is even thought that Winstrol may be useful in treating certain forms of cancer.

In veterinary medicine, doctors use the steroid to promote the formation of red blood cells in animals.

Although the FDA has prohibited further marketing of stanozolol as a pharma drug, it is still possible to get in the U.S. The drug doesn’t appear to have lost its approval at any time.

Why Do Bodybuilders and Athletes Use Winstrol?

Stanozolol is one of those anabolic steroids that have attracted the most media attention.

Ben Johnson was arguably the person that brought the anabolic steroid to the consciousness of many people. The Canadian athlete tested positive for Winstrol after making easy work of huge favorite Carl Lewis to claim gold in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

That scandal, no doubt, made the U.S. government classify the drug as a Schedule III controlled substance.

But the deed had already been done. More people started to use Winstrol to boost their performance levels following the Johnson scandal. It also became popular for building rock-hard muscles.

The affinity of stanozolol for serum sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in humans is very low. This ensures a greater supply of steroids in an unbound state. It helps to ensure there is more free testosterone.

Winstrol helps the most when it comes to performance enhancement, especially for competitive athletes. It increases strength and helps athletes to run faster. It strengthens ligaments and tendons, promoting the health of bones. It does promote nitrogen retention in muscles, boosting protein synthesis. But it is not the most effective when talking about bulking, especially for men. Winstrol helps more for cutting and preserving lean muscle mass. It offers an effective means of improving vascularity.

One of the reasons Winstrol is quite popular is that it can be used by both men and women.

Administration and Stacking

As a result of the presence of a 17-alpha methyl group, stanozolol is orally active. That means you can take it orally without noticing a significant difference in efficacy. It is also available in injectable form.

For therapeutic purposes, usual daily oral dosage for men is about 6 mg, which may be divided into three doses. The typical for women is about 4 mg a day but may rise to 6 mg, if considered safe. The injectable form is commonly administered once in 2 or 3 weeks at a dose of 50 mg.

Athletes and bodybuilders take higher doses. Daily dosage for the oral form thought to be safe is about 25 mg, but some users take up to 80 mg. The injectable form may be taken at a dose of 50 mg (up to 100 mg) every other day.

When talking performance and bodybuilding benefits, female users will be better off sticking to the oral form of Winstrol.

Anabolic steroids are typically used in stacks to enhance their efficacy. The particular goal of a user will determine what other compounds to combine Winstrol with.

Those interested in cutting – the main reason many bodybuilders use it – may stack it with Trenbolone. Winstrol can provide support to testosterone for muscle mass building. The combination with Nandrolone is popular among athletes, with a view to warding off potential joint pain.

Cycles of use typically range from 4 to 6 weeks.

Legality and Availability

While Winstrol may be obtained from compounding pharmacies for certain conditions, it is illegal for use by bodybuilders and athletes. The drug belongs to Schedule III controlled substances under the Anabolic Steroids Act.

However, Winstrol is not one of those steroids that are hard to get. Many black market suppliers carry the drug. So, you should be able to get it, if you consider the associated risks worthwhile.

Warnings

Talking about risks, the first affects the quality of the drug for purchase. It is important to be aware that there are many fake Winstrol versions on the market despite the relative ease of getting quality ones. In most cases, the price could serve as a sign of genuineness.

Those who use Winstrol for illegal purposes usually get their supply via the Internet. This puts them at possible risk of losing their money to some faceless individuals.

Do not forget that legal prohibition means you stand at risks of heavy fines and prison sentence if found in possession of stanozolol without a valid prescription.

Being an anabolic steroid, Winstrol can produce side effects. The possible ones include:

Acne
Insomnia
Depression
Aggression
Stunted growth (in teenage males)
High blood cholesterol
Testicular shrinkage
Lower sperm count

Winstrol can lower natural testosterone production, although maybe less so as some other steroids. It can also cause liver damage, symptoms of which include nausea, fatigue, and yellowing of eyes or skin.

Winstrol supposedly increases your risk of liver cancer.

Conclusion

Based on the foregoing, you now understand why many professional bodybuilders and athletes use Winstrol. But its use poses serious risks to your health.

It is advisable to look at natural substances that can deliver similar benefits with fewer risks instead. A good example is the human growth hormone (HGH). For more info on HGH continue here!