Of all the desirable anabolic steroids at our disposal, very few surpass the popularity of Anavar. Extraordinarily mild yet highly effective, Anavar can be used by both men and women, and that’s a rarity. So female friendly, Anavar is one of the few steroids that are responsible for the fitness looks so many aspire to obtain, but this is not said to take away from its male related benefits.
One of the oldest steroids on the market, Anavar has been part of the performance enhancement arsenal since the 1960’s. Since that time, it has become one of if not the most commonly counterfeited anabolic steroid of all time. If it’s not the most commonly counterfeited, it’s most certainly the most commonly counterfeited oral steroid. For this reason, it is imperative you tread lightly when making a purchase. Finding a supplier you can trust may take a little time, and while there’s an abundant amount of counterfeit product on the market, there’s plenty of high quality Anavar if you put in the time to hunt it down. In any case, assuming you have the ability to get your hands on some quality product, let’s look at exactly what you’re getting into.
Anavar is the popular trade name given to the mild dihydrotestosterone (DHT) derived anabolic steroid Oxandrolone. An oral steroid, Anavar belongs to the C17-alpha alkylated (C17-aa) family of steroids; a distinction necessary to its survival, and one that gives it a hepatotoxic nature. Carrying a very short active half-life, Anavar must be taken daily as its half-life is only about 9 hours. While it must be taken daily and does carry some liver toxicity, thankfully it is very mild, and liver damage is highly unlikely with responsible use. We’ll go into more detail pertaining to this steroid’s hepatotoxic nature in the side effects section.
Like many steroids, Anavar has the ability to promote nitrogen retention and protein synthesis, thereby providing enhanced anabolic activity; however, its primary trait is elsewhere. Anavar is often used to treat conditions such as anemia due to its ability to promote red blood cell count, which can be beyond beneficial to the performance enhancing athlete. Through such action, blood oxygenation is enhanced, and as a result so is muscular endurance. This also plays an important role regarding recovery, and just as important cardiovascular efficiency.
With its ability to promote red blood cell count being paramount to its abilities, Anavar also binds fairly well to the androgen receptor. The firmer a steroid binds, the stronger its anabolic properties can be displayed. This binding to the androgen receptor also promotes direct lipolysis, and this means Anavar can actually promote fat loss directly.
Highly anabolic, Anavar is only mildly androgenic and will display little to no androgenic traits. This makes it an excellent steroid for female athletes as it carries one of the lowest virilization ratings known to man. What this means is that the promotion of masculine-like characteristics is highly unlikely with this steroid; however, they’re not impossible. Responsible use is a must if virilization is to be avoided, and individual response must always be taken into consideration.
While tremendously mild in nature, Anavar does carry a few possible side effects; however, they are extremely rare with responsible use. Of the side effects of Anavar, those of a DHT nature will be the most common. One in particular comes with the issues of hepatotoxicity and virilization, both warranting a little attention. The side effects include:
Acne: Of all the side effects of Anavar, acne is the most common. Keeping your skin clean and dry at all times is enough to protect most people; however, if you’re genetically sensitive to acne, you may have to give it a little extra effort. If you are truly sensitive to acne, you may find dermatological medications necessary. In some cases, if you are ultra sensitive you may find DHT compounds are not for you.
Hair Loss: DHT has the ability to deteriorate the hair follicles; however, this will only be a concern for those predisposed to male pattern baldness. In such cases, the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor Finasteride can offer a bit of protection as it is an androgen suppressor. It should be noted, however, that those who are not predisposed to male pattern baldness will not be at risk of hair loss. Further, those who are predisposed, while they were going to lose their hair anyway, the use of Anavar may speed it up.
Prostate Enlargement: While highly unlikely, as a DHT based compound the abuse of Anavar, as with anything that can cause a DHT buildup, can lead to prostate enlargement. If your prostate is healthy, and that is the only time Anavar should be used, and you supplement responsibly, most men will be fine. Even so, if prostate enlargement occurs for any reason this is where Finasteride will prove to be invaluable.
Hepatotoxicity: A C17-aa anabolic steroid, this distinction refers to a structural change of the Oxandrolone hormone at the 17th carbon position. This change allows the hormone to survive oral ingestion and survive the first pass through the liver. Without this alteration, the liver would destroy most of the hormone before the body could use it; however, it also makes it toxic to the liver. While all C17-aa steroids carry a toxic nature, the toxic nature of each varies depending on the steroid at hand. In the case of Anavar, it’s about as low as it can possibly be, and if responsible does are used as well as excess alcohol avoided the odds of liver damage are highly unlikely.
Virilization: Virilization refers to the promotion of masculine-like traits in women such as body hair growth, a deepening of the vocal chords, and clitoral enlargement. Virilization is brought on by androgenic activity, but thankfully Anavar displays very little androgenic traits. Even so, if you are sensitive to the compound you may find you display unwanted traits and use should be discontinued immediately. If use is discontinued at the onset of symptoms, they will fade away rapidly, but if ignored, they may become permanent. For most women, if they keep their doses at a responsible level, no virilization will occur.
With responsible use, the side effects of Anavar can be avoided, and when this is achieved, only the benefits are left. Anavar is undeniably a beneficial steroid, and nowhere is it more beneficial than to the cutting cycle. Man or woman, Anavar will promote fat loss and bring forth a leaner and harder physique. Further, it will greatly protect your hard earned muscle tissue through its anabolic activity during a diet that is necessarily restricted in-regards to total caloric consumption. In the end, this means a more muscular and pleasing physique at the diet’s end.
As for off-season benefits, those of an increased muscular nature, Anavar is a poor choice for men; it’s simply too mild. Even so, as women are far more sensitive, it won’t take near as much for them to see nice muscular gains. With adequate calories, most any female can see her muscular nature enhanced, and while it won’t be as great as with other steroids, most women aren’t looking for massive gains. Further, through its metabolic enhancing properties, most will find they are able to add this new lean muscle tissue with less fat gain that would otherwise accompany it.
Regardless of the purpose of use, those who use Anavar will always benefit from its ability to promote muscular endurance and enhanced rates of recovery. This makes it an excellent steroid for performance athletes. As an added bonus, performance athletes’ strength will also increase. If that’s not enough, as many athletes do not desire large increases in size, Anavar is often the perfect choice to provide the desired added edge.