# Esters, made easy to understand. Great Read !



## Supermans Daddy (Apr 24, 2010)

This an easy to understand explaination of esters and their half lives I found



Testosterone Ester Report
One of the most misunderstood subjects in the world of steroids is the ester--the mechanism by which injectable esterified steroids like testosterone cypionate, testosterone enanthate, and Sustanon work. If you take a quick look around the Internet you will probably find countless articles that consider one form of a steroid far more effective than another. Arguments over the superiority of cypionate to enanthate, or Sustanon to all other testosterones are of course very common. Such arguments are in all practicality, baseless. In this report we'll take an authoritative look at the ester and what specifically it does to a steroid.

WHAT AN ESTER IS, AND HOW IT WORKS
I'm sure that if you have taken an interest in anabolic steroids you have noticed the similarities on the labeling of many drugs. Let's look at testosterone for example. One can find compounds like testosterone cypionate, enanthate, propionate, heptylate; caproate, phenylpropionate, isocaproate, decanoate, acetate, the list goes on and on. In all such cases the parent hormone is testosterone, which had been modified by adding an ester (enanthate, propionate etc.) to its structure. The following question arises: What is the difference between the various esterified versions of testosterone in regards to their use in bodybuilding?

An ester is a chain composed primarily of carbon and hydrogen atoms. This chain is typically attached to the parent steroid hormone at the 17th carbon position (beta orientation), although some compounds do carry esters at position 3 (for the purposes of this article it is not crucial to understand the exact position of the ester). Esterification of an injectable anabolic/androgenic steroid basically accomplishes one thing, it slows the release of the parent steroid from the site of injection. This happens because the ester will notably lower the water solubility of the steroid, and increase its lipid (fat) solubility. This will cause the drug to form a deposit in the muscle tissue, from which it will slowly enter into circulation as it is picked up in small quantities by the blood. Generally, the longer the ester chain, the lower the water solubility of the compound, and the longer it will take to for the full dosage to reach general circulation.

Slowing the release of the parent steroid is a great benefit in steroid medicine, as free testosterone (or other steroid hormones) previously would remain active in the body for a very short period of time (typically hours). This would necessitate an unpleasant daily injection schedule if one wished to maintain a continuous elevation of testosterone (the goal of testosterone replacement therapy). By adding an ester, the patient can visit the doctor as infrequently as once per month for his injection, instead of having to constantly re-administer the drug to achieve a therapeutic effect. Clearly without the use of an ester, therapy with an injectable anabolic/androgen would be much more difficult.

Esterification temporarily deactivates the steroid molecule. With a chain blocking the 17th beta position, binding to the androgen receptor is not possible (it can exert no activity in the body). In order for the compound to become active the ester must therefore first be removed. This automatically occurs once the compound has filtered into blood circulation, where esterase enzymes quickly cleave off (hydrolyze) the ester chain. This will restore the necessary hydroxyl (OH) group at the 17th beta position, enabling the drug to attach to the appropriate receptor. Now and only now will the steroid be able to have an effect on skeletal muscle tissue. You can start to see why considering testosterone cypionate much more potent than enanthate makes little sense, as your muscles are seeing only free testosterone no matter what ester was used to deploy it.

ACTIONS OF DIFFERENT ESTERS
There are many different esters that are used with anabolic/androgenic steroids, but again, they all do basically the same thing. Esters vary only in their ability to reduce a steroid's water solubility. An ester like propionate for example will slow the release of a steroid for a few days, while the duration will be weeks with a decanoate ester. Esters have no effect on the tendency for the parent steroid to convert to estrogen or DHT (dihydrotestosterone: a more potent metabolite) nor will it effect the overall muscle-building potency of the compound. Any differences in results and side effects that may be noted by bodybuilders who have used various esterified versions of the same base steroid are just issues of timing. Testosterone enanthate causes estrogen related problems more readily than Sustanon, simply because with enanthate testosterone levels will peak and trough much sooner (1-2 week release duration as opposed to 3 or 4). Likewise testosterone suspension is the worst in regards to gyno and water bloat because blood hormone levels peak so quickly with this drug. Instead of waiting weeks for testosterone levels to rise to their highest point, here we are at most looking at a couple of days. Given an equal blood level of testosterone, there would be no difference in the rate of aromatization or DHT conversion between different esters. There is simply no mechanism for this to be possible.

There is however one way that we can say an ester does technically effect potency; it is calculated in the steroid weight. The heavier the ester chain, the greater is its percentage of the total weight. In the case of testosterone enanthate for example, 250mg of esterified steroid (testosterone enanthate) is equal to only 180mg of free testosterone. 70mgs out of each 250mg injection is the weight of the ester. If we wanted to be really picky, we could consider enanthate slightly MORE potent than cypionate (I know this goes against popular thinking) as its ester chain contains one less carbon atom (therefore taking up a slightly smaller percentage of total weight). Propionate would of course come out on top of the three, releasing a measurable (but not significant) amount more testosterone per injection than cypionate or enanthate.

IN CONCLUSION
While the advent of esters certainly constitutes an invaluable advance in the field of anabolic steroid medicine, clearly you can see that there is no magic involved here. Esters work in a well-understood and predictable manner, and do not alter the activity of the parent steroid in any way other than to delay its release. Although the lure surrounding various steroid products like testosterone cypionate, Sustanon, Omnadren etc. certainly makes for interesting conversation, realistically it just amounts to misinformation that the athlete would be better off ignoring. Testosterone is testosterone and anyone who is going to tell you one ester form of this (or any) hormone is much better than another one should do a little more research, and a lot less talking.

ESTER PROFILES
Sustanon: The "king" of testosterone blends.
The four different testosterone esters in this product certainly look appealing to the consumer, there is no denying that. But for the athlete I think it is all just a matter of marketing (Hell, why buy one ester when you can get four?). In clinical situations I can see some strong uses for it. If you were undergoing testosterone replacement therapy for example, you would probably find Sustanon a much more comfortable option than testosterone enanthate. You would need to visit the doctor less frequently for an injection, and blood levels should be more steadily maintained between treatments. But for the bodybuilder who is injecting 4 ampules of Sustanon per week, there is no advantage over other testosterone products. In fact, the high price tag for Sustanon usually makes it a very poor buy in the face of cheaper testosterone enanthate/cypionate. Bodybuilders should probably stop looking at the four ester issue, and stick with totals (Sustanon is just a 250mg testosterone ampule). Were enanthate to be available for say $10 per amp of 250mg, and Sustanon priced nearly double that, buying the Sustanon would be like throwing money away. If you could get nearly double the milligram amount for the same price with enanthate, this is the better product to go with hands down. Leave the high priced stuff for the guys who don't know any better.

Acetate: Chemical Structure C2H4O2.
Also referred to as Acetic Acid; Ethylic acid; Vinegar acid; vinegar; Methanecarboxylic acid. Acetate esters delay the release of a steroid for only a couple of days. Contrary to what you may have read, acetate esters do not increase the tendency for fat removal. Again, there is no known mechanism for it to do so. This ester is used on oral primobolan tablets (metenolone acetate), Finaplix (trenbolone acetate) implant pellets, and occasionally testosterone.

Propionate: Chemical Structure C3H6O2.
Also referred to as Carboxyethane; hydroacrylic acid; Methylacetic acid; Ethylformic acid; Ethanecarboxylic acid; metacetonic acid; pseudoacetic acid; Propionic Acid. Propionate esters will slow the release of a steroid for several days. To keep blood levels from fluctuating greatly, propionate compounds are usually injected two to three times weekly. Testosterone propionate and methandriol dipropionate (two separate propionate esters attached to the parent steroid methandriol) are popular items.

Phenylpropionate: Chemical Structure C9H10O2.
Also referred to as Propionic Acid Phenyl Ester. Phenylpropionate will extend the release of active steroid a few days longer than propionate. To keep blood levels even, injections are given at least twice weekly. Durabolin is the drug most commonly seen with a phenylpropionate ester (nandrolone phenylpropionate), although it is also used with testosterone in Sustanon and Omnadren.

Isocarpoate: Chemical Structure C6H12O2.
Also referred to as Isocaproic Acid; isohexanoate; 4-methylvaleric acid. Isocaproate begins to near enanthate in terms of release. The duration is still shorter, with a notable hormone level being sustained for approximately one week. This ester is used with testosterone in the blended products Sustanon and Omnadren.

Caproate: Chemical Structure C6H12O2.
Also referred to as Hexanoic acid; hexanoate; n-Caproic Acid; n-Hexoic acid; butylacetic acid; pentiformic acid; pentylformic acid; n-hexylic acid; 1-pentanecarboxylic acid; hexoic acid; 1-hexanoic acid; Hexylic acid; Caproic acid. This ester is identical to isocarpoate in terms of atom count and weight, but is laid out slightly different (Isocaproate has a split configuration, difficult to explain here but easy to see on paper). Release duration would be very similar to isocaproate (levels sustained for approximately one weak), perhaps coming slightly closer to enanthate due to its straight chain. Caproate is the slowest releasing ester used in Omnadren, which is why most athletes notice more water retention with this compound.

Enanthate: Chemical Structure C7H14O2.
Also referred to as heptanoic acid; enanthic acid; enanthylic acid; heptylic acid; heptoic acid; Oenanthylic acid; Oenanthic acid. Enanthate is one of the most prominent esters used in steroid manufacture (most commonly seen with testosterone but is also used in other compounds like Primobolan Depot). Enanthate will release a steady (yet fluctuating as all esters are) level of hormone for approximately 10-14 days. Although in medicine enanthate compounds are often injected on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, athletes will inject at least weekly to help maintain a uniform blood level.

Cypionate: Chemical Structure C8H14O2.
Also referred to as Cyclopentylpropionic acid, cyclopentylpropionate. Cypionate is a very popular ester here in the U.S., although it is scarcely found outside this region. Its release duration is almost identical to enanthate (10-14 days), and the two are likewise thought to be interchangeable in U.S. medicine. Althletes commonly hold the belief than cypionate is more powerful than enanthate, although realistically there is little difference between the two. The enanthate ester is in fact slightly smaller than cypionate, and it therefore releases a small (perhaps a few milligrams) amount of steroid more in comparison.

Decanoate: Chemical Structure C10H20O2.
Also referred to as decanoic acid; capric acid; caprinic acid; decylic acid, Nonanecarboxylic acid. The Decanoate ester is most commonly used with the hormone nandrolone (as in Deca-Durabolin) and is found in virtually all corners of the world. Testosterone decanoate is also the longest acting constituent in Sustanon, greatly extending its release duration. The release time with Decanoate compounds is listed to be as long as one month, although most recently we are finding that levels seem to drop significantly after two weeks. To keep blood levels more uniform, athletes (as they have always known to do) will follow a weekly injection schedule.

Undecylenate: Chemical Structure C11H20O2.
Also referred to as Undecylenic acid; Hendecenoic acid; Undecenoic acid. This ester is very similar to decanoate, containing only one carbon atom more. Its release duration is likewise very similar (approximately 2-3 weeks), perhaps extending a day or so past that seen with decanoate. Undecylenate seems to be exclusive to the veterinary preparation Equipoise (boldenone undecylenate), although there is no reason it would not work well in human-use preparations (Equipoise certainly works fine for athletes). Again, weekly injections are most common.

Undecanoate: Chemical Structure C11H22O2.
Also referred to as Undecanoic Acid; 1-Decanecarboxylic acid; Hendecanoic acid; Undecylic acid. Undecanoate is not a commonly found ester, and only appears to be used in the nandrolone preparation Dynabolan, and oral testosterone undecanoate (Andriol). Since this ester is chemically very similar to undecylenate (it is only 2 hydrogen atoms larger), it has a similar release duration (approximately 2-3 weeks). Although this ester is used in the oral preparation Andriol, there is no reason to believe it carries any properties unique of other esters. Andriol in fact works very poorly at delivering testosterone, bolstering the idea that oral administration is not the idea use of esterified androgens.

Laurate: Chemical structure C12H24O2.
Also referred to as Dodecanoic acid, laurostearic acid, duodecyclic acid, 1-undecanecarboxylic acid, and dodecoic acid. Laurate is the longest releasing ester used in commercial steroid production, although longer acting esters do exist. Its release duration would be closer to one month than the other esters listed above, although realistically we are probably to expect a notable drop in hormone level after the third week. Laurate is exclusively found in the veterinary nandrolone preparation Laurabolin, perhaps seen as slightly advantageous over a decanoate ester due to a less frequent injection schedule. Again athletes will most commonly inject this drug weekly, no doubt in part due to its low strength (25mg/ml or 50mg/ml).


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## Marat (Apr 24, 2010)

Supermans Daddy said:


> ESTER PROFILES
> Sustanon: The "king" of testosterone blends.
> Hell, why buy one ester when you can get four?. In clinical situations I can see some strong uses for it. If you were undergoing testosterone replacement therapy for example, you would probably find Sustanon a much more comfortable option than testosterone enanthate. You would need to visit the doctor less frequently for an injection, and blood levels should be more steadily maintained between treatments.



Perhaps the others can provide some sort of defense, but I feel like at least those few statements are particularly untrue.


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## Tyler3295 (Apr 25, 2010)

That view on sustanon seems to be outdated..


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## VictorZ06 (Apr 25, 2010)

Tyler3295 said:


> That view on sustanon seems to be outdated..



It's about right, there are far better options than sust.  Sust is effective in HIGH doses.  The author stated "a bodybuilder who is injecting 4 ampules of Sustanon per week".  That's a gram right there and it will yield similar results to enan or cyp at the end.  BUT...it has to be a high and frequent dose (like 4 amps per week/1gr).  Or so my experiences have dictated to me.

Good post Superman!

/V


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## Dark Geared God (Apr 25, 2010)

so whick one is the best so u don't have to pin that often


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## Supermans Daddy (Apr 25, 2010)

The Situation said:


> so whick one is the best so u don't have to pin that often



Thats the whole reason I posted this particular one. T esters are actually listed in order shortest to longest. Since Test is Test you can look at the ester chart find the half live and kinda go from there.Pretty simple.

Peace and Love


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## CG (Apr 25, 2010)

Lmao did you say made EASY to understand? Lol great article either way, too bad I'm not jumping on the t wagon any time soon, lots of good info, shit, I might punch this into excel and organize 1 by 1 what esters last how long... now that's what I would call a good use of my unemployment time lol


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## Supermans Daddy (Apr 29, 2010)

Just came into a Testosterone compound with an ester that is longer that Cyp or En but shorter then decanoate by a day or two. But the really cool thing is that it has very little water retention way less than Cyp as a matter of fact more like prop. Testosterone Heptylate Sounds like the perfect bulk/cut compound .


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## jcar1016 (Apr 29, 2010)

I'm starting to get this mental image brah Rude Boi the mad scientist.LOL


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## fredlabrute (Apr 29, 2010)

Supermans Daddy said:


> Just came into a Testosterone compound with an ester that is longer that Cyp or En but shorter then decanoate by a day or two. But the really cool thing is that it has very little water retention way less than Cyp as a matter of fact more like prop. Testosterone Heptylate Sounds like the perfect bulk/cut compound .


 Will look for that compound!Thanks for interesting post.


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## Supermans Daddy (Apr 29, 2010)

jcar1016 said:


> I'm starting to get this mental image brah Rude Boi the mad scientist.LOL



Real Live Iron Chef ! LOL


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## Dark Geared God (May 7, 2010)

bump...


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## Dark Geared God (May 11, 2010)




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## VictorZ06 (May 11, 2010)

Tyler3295 said:


> That view on sustanon seems to be outdated..



Eh....I agree with him that sust is only worth paying for if you are running 1gr or more ew or (or 4 amps as he stated above=1gr).  Thanks for the thread Superman!!


/V


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## Dark Geared God (May 11, 2010)

VictorZ06 said:


> Eh....I agree with him that sust is only worth paying for if you are running 1gr or more ew or (or 4 amps as he stated above=1gr). Thanks for the thread Superman!!
> 
> 
> /V


 
what about just for H replacement it has 4 diff test of do ya think test e is better i would think the 4 would be beeter


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## jcar1016 (May 11, 2010)

More is not always better sitch Test Enth or Cyp are going to keep plasma levels much more stable


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## Dark Geared God (May 11, 2010)

jcar1016 said:


> More is not always better sitch Test Enth or Cyp are going to keep plasma levels much more stable


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## VictorZ06 (May 11, 2010)

The Situation said:


> what about just for H replacement it has 4 diff test of do ya think test e is better i would think the 4 would be beeter



Nah, I would still go with a single ester for HRT.  If you are taking it for HRT, and are only pinning twice a week as mentioned above, you don't get the full effect of the tests with shorter esters.  Thus, causing the blood flux that jcar mentioned above.  Most men I know on HRT are taking cyp or enan, none of my boys who are on HRT run sust, though I have read of some that do.  It's best used for a supportive therapy for female-to-male transsexuals.  IMHO.


/V


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## Dark Geared God (May 11, 2010)

VictorZ06 said:


> Nah, I would still go with a single ester for HRT. If you are taking it for HRT, and are only pinning twice a week as mentioned above, you don't get the full effect of the tests with shorter esters. Thus, causing the blood flux that jcar mentioned above. Most men I know on HRT are taking cyp or enan, none of my boys who are on HRT run sust, though I have read of some that do. It's best used for a supportive therapy for female-to-male transsexuals. IMHO.
> 
> 
> /V


So your one of those transtestical? J/K
So test E would be the best


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## jcar1016 (May 11, 2010)

The Situation said:


> So your one of those transtestical? J/K
> So test E would be the best


 Hey no cheap shots at my boy


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## Dark Geared God (May 11, 2010)

jcar1016 said:


> Hey no cheap shots at my boy


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## Dark Geared God (May 12, 2010)

This should be a sticky


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## Supermans Daddy (May 20, 2010)

I came across another interest'n ester, TESTOSTERONE ACETATE . Like any of the acetate esters this would be used best with ED injects as the half life is as far as acetate goes, it's an ester that's a little shorter than propionate(3 days vs. 4.5 days respectively), so i would hypothesize that since propionate is detectable for 2-3 weeks then acetate would have a similar, though slightly shorter detection period. 




TESTOSTERONE ACETATE 
PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION

CAS NO. 1045-69-8 

EINECS NO. 213-876-6 
FORMULA C21H30O3 
MOL WT. 330.47 
H.S. CODE

TOXICITY


SYNONYMS Deposteron;  
17beta-Acetoxy-4-androsten-3-one; 4-Androsten-17b-ol-3-one 17-acetate; 17beta-Hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one 17-acetate;  
DERIVATION   

CLASSIFICATION

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL STATE white to off-white crystalline powder 
MELTING POINT  139 - 141 C 
BOILING POINT 

SPECIFIC GRAVITY  

SOLUBILITY IN WATER Insoluble 
pH  
VAPOR DENSITY  

AUTOIGNITION


NFPA RATINGS
 Health: 2 Flammability: 0 Reactivity: 0  
REFRACTIVE INDEX


FLASH POINT  

STABILITY Stable under ordinary conditions

APPLICATIONS

Testosterone is the major androgenic hormone that is responsible for the growth and development of masculine characteristics. It is produced in the Leydig cells (interstitial cells) of the testes. it regulates gonadotropic secretion and wolffian duct differentiation (formation of the epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicle), and stimulates skeletal muscle. It is also responsible for other male characteristics and spermatogenesis after its conversion to dihydrotestosterone by 5alpha-reductase in peripheral tissue. Testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone in the target tissues where it appears to mediate many of the biological actions of testosterone. In addition, testosterone possesses protein anabolic properties, manifested by retention of nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, and is important in maintaining muscle mass and bone tissue in the adult male. It is also converted by aromatization to estradiol in peripheral tissue. It has been synthesized for replacement therapy, in the form of various esters having prolonged duration of effects, in treating male hypogonadism, cryptorchidism, frigidity, inoperable female breast cancer, oligospermia, to suppress lactation, and as an anabolic agent. Esters administered by subcutaneous, intramuscular injection, buccally or intramuscularly include; 
· Cloxotestosterone (CAS RN: 53608-96-1)
· Ethisterone (Ethynyl testosterone, CAS RN: 434-03-7)
· Mestanolone (CAS RN: 521-11-9)
· 17alpha-Methyltestosterone (CAS RN: 58-18-4)
· Norethindrone (CAS RN: 68-22-4)
· Normethisterone (CAS RN: 514-61-4)
· Oxymetholone (CAS RN: 434-07-1)
· Silandrone (Testosterone trimethylsilyl ether, CAS RN: 5055-42-5)
· Testosterone Acetate (CAS RN: 1045-69-8)
· Testosterone Phenylpropionate (CAS RN: 1255-49-8)
· Testosterone Benzoate (CAS RN: 2088-71-3)
· Testosterone heptanoate (CAS RN: 315-37-7)
· Testosterone phenylacetate (CAS RN: 5704-03-0)
· Testosterone propionate (CAS RN: 57-85-2)
· Testosterone cypionate (CAS RN: 58-20-8)
· Testosterone ketolaurate (CAS RN: 5874-98-6)
· Testosterone Undecanoate
· Testosterone Glucuronide
· Testosterone Hemisuccinate


SALES SPECIFICATION 
APPEARANCE
 white to off-white crystalline powder 
ASSAY
 97.0 - 103.0%  
MELTING POINT
 139 - 141 C

OPTICAL ROTATION
 +86° ~ +90°

LOSS ON DRYING
 0.5% max

TRANSPORTATION 
PACKING 5kgs in can

HAZARD CLASS 6.1 (Packing Group:III) 
UN NO. 2811 
OTHER INFORMATION 
Hazard Symbols: T, Risk Phrases: 45-22-63, Safety Phrases: 53-22-26-36 

Peace and Love


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## jcar1016 (May 20, 2010)

So bro whats your thoughts on this vs Suspension. Just pickin your brain homey


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## Dark Geared God (May 20, 2010)




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## theCaptn' (May 20, 2010)

a mates got some test ace powder, he's gonna flick me some when he's done the chem


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## Supermans Daddy (May 20, 2010)

jcar1016 said:


> So bro whats your thoughts on this vs Suspension. Just pickin your brain homey



Damn J, get outta my head !!! LOL Dude the only thing I know of at the moment quicker than acetate would be whats called " Testosterone base" which is the foundation of Suspension. That being said we go back into half life and active life theory. We could logically use TA (done correctly is not uncomfortable as far as injects)ed in place of Suspension 2Xed ( painful as hell) and get a level plasma flow with pretty much exact results. I'd think this is a very logical option. Less pin'n, no throb'n pain, yeah Rasta thinks this is a good thing. I can only imagine that perhaps not get'n the big high profile that some compounds get has gotta be the main reason for this not find'n favor with a lot of people.

Peace and Love


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## jcar1016 (May 20, 2010)

thats what i was thinkin. Kinda figured with such a short ester water retention should be pretty much nill too. Sounds like a winner thanks for the info bro.


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## jcar1016 (Jun 5, 2010)

Bump


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## Dark Geared God (Jun 5, 2010)




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## jmorrison (Jun 5, 2010)

Anyway a mod can sticky this?  Outstanding article.


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