# Using Winstrol to lower your SHBG



## minimal (Jun 13, 2011)

*Winstrol - Oral versus Injectable (More Different Than You              Think!)*

 I tend to shy away from straight ???information???      articles- in other words, I???ve never written the ???How Androgens Work??? article,      because I???ve read it several times by several authors, and I really have nothing      to add. Gene Transcription and Androgen Receptor Action has been written about      over, and over, ad nauseum. All of the articles I???ve read on the topic are well      written and well- they???re all the same. Don???t get me wrong, all of the articles      which discuss the topic are very informative, but when you???re done reading them,      you don???t really have anything you can ???use??? in your next cycle.

     And I???m sure you know the difference between orals and injectables, but do yourself      a favor and read this article, because I???m going to explain some things in here      that you can use in your next cycle. Actually, I???m going to explain how you      can use Winstrol (Stanozolol) as either an oral or injectable, and get a very      different set of effects from the same drug- depending on which route of administration      you choose to utilize.
     First, lets go over the basics of Winstrol, so      we???re all on the same page here. 

     Winstrol is a steroid derived from the base structure      of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is just testosterone which has been 5alpha-reduced,      meaning it has had the c4-5 double bond removed by two hydrogen atoms. This      is very interesting from a chemical/biological standpoint. Once this bond is      removed, testosterone has become DHT, and DHT is the body???s most potent androgen.      DHT has a slew of beneficial effects which are more pronounced than the hormone      it???s created out of. DHT is able to increase androgen receptor proliferation      for almost 24 full hours (1) DHT also has profound effects on the Central Nervous      System (CNS), and this is why we often see profoundly increased aggression with      athletes who are using DHT derivatives such as Masteron (which has a deceivingly      low anabolic and androgenic rating). As an added benefit, DHT can not aromatize      (convert via the aromatase enzyme) into estrogen. It???s also noteworthy that      the injectable version of Winstrol is actually the same exact thing as the oral-      it???s just micronized Stanozolol  powder suspended in water (or sometimes      oil). 

     So what we have in Winstrol is DHT with two modifications-      an added c17 methylation, and a very weird ???pyrazol??? group. The c17 methylation      has been added in order to allow Winstrol to survive oral ingestion and the      subsequent first pass through the liver. The pyrazol group is a bit weirder-      what this means to you and I is that it has another whole ???ring??? attached to      the four ring Steran Nucleus of DHT. Take a look over at the lower left portion      of the two molecules below, and you???ll notice that Winstrol has an added cyclopentane      (5 sided) group (the pyrazol group):




 *DHT*



*Winstrol

*​                  When we really take      a look at Winstrol, the anabolic rating of this product is very high (320% that of testosterone)      as compared to its androgenic actions (30% of testosterone). Despite this, Winstrol      is really a disappointing drug for size gains. What we typically see with this      stuff is some pretty decent strength gains and some nice fat loss if the user      isn???t too sloppy with their diet. Not many people report huge weight gains off of Stanozolol. Although many      drugs which bind tightly to the androgen receptor are suspected to exhibit their      at least some of their lipolytic (fat-burning) effects through receptor bindingaffinity.  The     effects of androgens on the regulation of lipolysis in adipose precursor      cells.(2), Winstrol remains a potent cutting drug,      despite the fact that it has a relatively weak AR binding ability (3). What      this tells me is that there???s some stuff going on with regards to Winstrol???s      mechanism of action, which doesn???t involve androgen receptor mediated effects.      Still, Winstrol is a very potent compound for enhancing protein synthesis (4-5      ) .

      As previously discussed,      it???s derived from DHT, and DHT is known to have ant-estrogenic effects (6) and      Winstrol itself also has anti-progestenic properties (in at least some cases,      where it may "block" that receptor) (7). So I think it???s safe to say that some      of the ???hard??? look you can get in your physique from Winstrol is because of      it???s ability to inhibit estrogen and progesterone- known culprits in making      a physique appear smooth. 

Unfortunately, since it is 17aa, it is also liver      toxic, especially more so when you inject it and it is subject to what is known      as the ???first pass??? through the liver. The difference between taking oral vs.      injectable Winstrol, even though it???s technically the same drug, is how and      when your body metabolizes it. When you consume a drug orally, that drug is      absorbed from the Gastrointestinal tract, where it then passes via the portal      vein into the liver -where some drugs are metabolised. This ???first pass??? can      mean that only a certain portion of the drug reaches your body???s bloodstream.      As previously discussed, a 17aa has been attached to Winstrol to allow a sizeable      portion to survive this metabolism.

     First pass metabolism      can occur in both the gut and the liver, and where this happens can vary with      different drugs. First pass metabolism actually occurs in your gut for some      drugs and in the liver for others. Once it has been metabolized, it enters the      bloodstream. It???s important to note that when a blood is metabolized in the      Gastrointestinal tract, the blood leaving the Gastrointestinal tract does not      go right to the heart, but actually still passes through liver via the hepatic      portal vein and then ultimately returns to circulation via the hepatic vein.      The liver is your body???s filtration unit, and removes large quantities of nutrients,      dangerous toxins (or fun toxins, depending on what they are) and other substances      from the blood.

     So as you can see,      when you take an oral steroid such as Winstrol, undergoes a first-pass metabolism      in the both the intestines as well as liver. Some drugs can be absorbed more      or less totally intact, after only moderate metabolic activity, while some are      absorbed only after very extensive metabolic activity. Once it is through this      first pass, a given drug then circulates in the blood until it is acquired by      another tissue, such as skeletal muscle. Now, if the drug reaches the liver      again, it may undergo what is cleverly known as ???second-pass??? metabolism. Of      course, in the case of Winstrol, an injectable version is available, and when      we compare the oral and injectable versions of Winstrol and their effects in      your body, I think there???s some surprising differences. The injectable is (naturally)      put right into your bloodstream and only undergoes the far less extensive second      pass metabolism, while the oral must endure the gut and liver on it???s first      pass before ending up in circulation.

     Now, here???s the interesting      part: When you inject Winstrol, instead of taking it orally, you actually get      more nitrogen retention (4) (and hence we can infer, more new muscle tissue      is being built). SO if you are trying to use Winstrol to build new muscle tissue,      the injectable version is going to be far superior to the Oral version. However,      there are some advantages that the oral version has over the injectable, including      a possible ???synergy??? with other drugs- but only (primarily) when taken orally.     

     While in the liver,      on it???s first pass, Winstrol is exposed to a variety of enzymes and proteins.      To understand how a possible synergy between Winstrol and other steroids may      be possible, a little background on Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) is first      necessary. For our purposes here, all we need to know is that SHBG is a glycoprotein      produced in the liver, which binds to testosterone and makes it biologically      unavailable to do all the things we want it to do- like building muscle. It      serves to transport testosterone throughout the body, but while it remains bound      to testosterone, the testosterone can not exert it???s anabolic effects.     












​                  As you can surmise,      a very large portion of the testosterone in your body is bound to SHBG. Wouldn???t      it be great if we could lower SHBG? With Winstrol we can. 

     A fairly conservative      oral dose of .2mg/kg of Winstrol has been shown to lower SHBG by close to 50%.      (8)For me (200lbs) this would mean I would only need around 18mgs/day to free      up half of my SHBG bound testosterone! For my omnipresent and hypothetical ???100kg      bodybuilder???- only 20mgs would be needed (he???s 220 lbs for the metrically impaired      among us). Now, with less SHBG floating around in me, my anabolic steroid cycle      will be more effective, right? Right.

     But why can we only      expect such a dramatic lowering of SHBG with the oral? Well, obviously, we???re      taking advantage of the first pass through the liver, where we can have our      Winstrol interact with SHBG where it???s produced- in the liver???without going      through the bloodstream first. 
     When we take a look      at a study done comparing injectable vs. oral contraceptives, we find that the      oral version at 70mgs/week (10mgs/day given orally) is more effective at affecting      SHBG levels than 400mgs/week given via an injection! (9)In this study, testosterone      undecanoate was given at a constant dose along with norestisterone (which raises      SHBG). What we see is that when norestisterone is given orally, it produces      a far greater effect on SHBG, than when it is administered via an injection.      And this is even when the doses of the injectable are 4x higher!

     Here???s a chart, illustrating      exactly what I???m talking about in this study, which I think suggests very strongly      that injectable versions of drugs, when compared with the oral version, will      have nowhere near as much of an effect on SHBG:



 Group I (Black Circles): Injections of 200 mg NETE at study                  wk 0, 6, 12, and 18 plus injections of 1000 mg TU at                  study wk 2, 6, 12, and 18 (T free window).                  Group II (White Diamonds): Injections of 1000 mg TU together                  with 400 mg NETE at study wk 0, 6, 12, and 18. Group III (Grey Squares): Injections of 1000 mg TU at study                  wk 0, 6, 12, and 18 combined with daily oral 10 mg norethisterone                  acetate (NETE) from week 0 to 24  (9)

​      Of course, in this study, they???re looking at oral      vs. injectable versions of a SHBG raising drug- but what we can take away from      it is that SHBG interaction with oral compounds is far more pronounced than      it is with injectables. 

     So lets take a small amount of Winstrol with our      cycles, and free up some of those steroids we???re taking, right? Right!

     Unless of course, we???re talking about women here???I      was recently asked why I recommend      that women use the injectable version of Winstrol over the oral. I was asked      this question by someone, who I assumed had a female friend who was considering      using Winstrol. I then realized I was totally incorrect- not about Winstrol,      but about the reason behind the question. You see???I saw a picture of the man      who had first asked me the question, and it???s readily apparent to me that he      probably doesn???t actually know any women. But still, his question is valid and      bears repeating and answering here. 

     I recommend that women avoid the oral version      of this product for the same reason that men will find that it gives them an      increased synergy and effectiveness in their cycles. 
     When SHBG is lowered in women, there is more free      testosterone floating around. And as we???ve seen, the oral is going to affect      SHBG exponentially more than the injectable will. When we lower SHBG too much      in women, we see a strong positive correlation with hyperandrogenism (10 ),      and hirsuitism (abnormal growth of body hair), as well In fact, non-SHBG-bound      testosterone may actually be the defining characteristic for identifying hyperandrogenism      in women. In addition, low SHBG contributes to menstrual irregularity.(11)
     Finally, and (partially) anecdotally, we also      see a greater incidence of clitoral enlargement and acne when the oral version      of Winstrol is used by women instead of the injectable. The reasons for this      are obvious- When we increase free testosterone by lowering SHBG, we increase      the amount of testosterone which is able to be 5a-reduced to DHT. DHT is the      primary culprit for steroid induced acne, and is also the hormone responsible      for external genital enlargement. Clearly, this is why we see the increased      level of clitoral hypertrophy as well as acne when oral Winstrol is used by      women.

     We can also see increased acne when men use Winstrol      orally, but these effects are relatively minor when a 2mg/kg dose is being used      to increase the effectiveness of other steroids in a cycle. This isn???t carte      blanche to go using Winstrol for an extended period of time under the excuse      that it???s increasing the overall effectiveness of the cycle. Stanozolol has      some of the worst liver toxicity (hepatoxicity) of any oral steroid on a mg      for mg basis. In addition, it???s deleterious effects on your lipid profile (Cholesterol)      are also very pronounced, even at low doses- 6mgs/day of Stanozolol can lower      HDL (good cholesterol)by 33% and raise LDL (bad cholesterol) by 29% (12 ).     

     So, hopefully, you???ve reached the end of this      article and realized that Winstrol can be used in any cycle to increase the      effectiveness of it, but that it must be used sparingly due to it???s possible      hepatoxicity and lipid profile effecting properties. Still, when used in heavy      testosterone-based profiles, at a dose that will cut your SHBG levels in half,      it can increase you other steroids effectiveness quite a bit???but when maximal      protein synthesis is wanted, you need to inject it.

     There you go???the differences between oral and      injectable Winstrol, and how you can use either form to maximize your gains!      And yes, Lyle, you can drink Winny.

*References:*


Neural Androgen Receptor Regulation:          effects of androgen and antiandrogen. Lu S, Simon NG, Wang Y, Hu S, J Neurobiol          1999 Dec; 41(4):505-12
         Endocrinology. 1990 Feb;126(2):1229-34.          Xu X, De Pergola G, Bjorntorp P
Endocrinology. 1984 Jun;114(6):2100-6.
Can J Vet Res. 2000 Oct;64(4):246-8.
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1997 Sep          15;211(6):719-22
MacDonald PC, Madden JD, Brenner          PF, Wilson JD, Siiteri PK 1979 Origin of estrogen in normal men and in women          with testicular feminization. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 49:905???916
Agents Actions. 1994 Mar;41(1-2):37-43.
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin          response to the Anabolic steroid: Stanozolol: Evidence for its suitability          as a Biological Androgen Sensitivity test. J Clin Metab Endocrinol 68: 1195,          1989)
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology          & Metabolism Vol. 87,No. 2 530-539. An Effective Hormonal Male Contraceptive          Using Testosterone Undecanoate with Oral or Injectable Norethisterone Preparations          Axel Kamischke, Tanja Heuermann, Kathrin Krüger, Sigrid von Eckardstein,          Ilka Schellschmidt, Alexander Rübig and Eberhard Nieschlag Institute of          Reproductive Medicine of the University (A.K., T.H., K.K., S.V.E., E.N.),          D-48129 Münster, Germany; and Schering AG (I.S., A.R.), D-13342 Berlin,          Germany
Non-sex hormone-binding globulin-bound          testosterone as a marker for hyperandrogenism DC Cumming and SR Wall J.          Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., Nov 1985; 61: 873 - 876.
Menstrual Irregularity in Women          with Acromegaly G. A. Kaltsas, J. J. Mukherjee, P. J. Jenkins, M. A. Satta,          N. Islam, J. P. Monson, G. M. Besser, and A. B. GrossmanJ. Clin. Endocrinol.          Metab., Aug 1999; 84: 2731 ??? 2735
JAMA. 1989 Feb 24;261(8):1165-8
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## minimal (Jun 13, 2011)

I think this is something worth considering for anyone running high test cycle


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## jrp4277 (Jun 13, 2011)

Good info


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## Yaz! (Jun 14, 2011)

IMHO doesn't worth it at all - high liver toxicity and destruction of lipid profile for this ?
My suggestion would be Proviron - it would do the exact same thing with no side effects whatsoever.


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## minimal (Jun 14, 2011)

I hear proviron isn't as effective as winstrol for SHBG reduction as proviron just replaces test due to higher affinity for SHBG while winstrol actually lowers SHBG production.


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## Yaz! (Jun 14, 2011)

minimal said:


> I hear proviron isn't as effective as winstrol for SHBG reduction as proviron just replaces test due to higher affinity for SHBG while winstrol actually lowers SHBG production.


I believe what you heard is wrong, because Proviron practically is oral DHT.


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## Mudge (Jun 14, 2011)

Not worth it to me for the HDL damage.


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## SFW (Jun 14, 2011)

Does tbol lower SHBG as effectively as winny?


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## unclem (Jun 14, 2011)

winstrol as i agree w/ mudge, my hdl is below 9.


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## minimal (Jun 14, 2011)

fuck winny then!


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## TGB1987 (Jun 14, 2011)

Good article that I have read before but as others have said it is not worth it.  Proviron is a good option.  Proviron will free up more test by binding to the SHBG.


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## UA_Iron (Jun 15, 2011)

I think its safe to say that I'll be running both oral and injectable winny at the same time soon here.


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