Oxandrolone (aka Anavar)

History of Anavar

Anavar is the trade name for the oral anabolic steroid oxandrolone, which is the common chemical name.

Anavar was developed and marketed during the height of anabolic steroid research between the 1950s and 1980s.

It can be considered the culmination of the never-ending quest to discover and develop the perfect anabolic steroid.

As such, Anavar is probably the closest science has ever come to developing the perfect anabolic steroid.

Anavar is known for its incredible safety profile and side effect-to-benefit ratio, and is one of the few anabolic steroids considered suitable as a medication for women and children (two patient types known to respond quite negatively to anabolic steroid therapy in the first place).

The history of Anavar begins in 1962 as oxandrolone[1].

Shortly thereafter, Anavar was introduced to the prescription drug market under the trade name Anavar by G.D. Searle & Co. Laboratories, which today is known as Pfizer Inc.

Other pharmaceutical companies have also used other trademarks and brand names for oxandrolone.

These include "Protivar, Anatrophil, Antitriol, Lipidex, Lonavar," and others.

Anavar has been one of the pharmaceutical industry's biggest successes in the prescription market, as numerous medical reports have been published showing that many patients tolerate the drug well.

Anavar is a modified derivative of DHT (dihydrotestosterone), and there are several variations that alter its activity in different ways.

It has been C-17 alpha alkylated for oral administration, replacing the second carbon atom with an oxygen atom, which gives it stronger anabolic properties.

Compared to testosterone, Anavar has been shown in studies to be at least three and up to six times as strong as testosterone [2].

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Chemical Properties of Anavar

Anavar is a DHT-derivative anabolic steroid that belongs to the DHT-derivative anabolic steroid family.

As such, Anavar is essentially dihydrotestosterone with a methyl group attached to the 17th carbon (known as C17 alpha alkylation), a chemical structural modification that allows it to survive the first pass through the liver when orally ingested and makes the anabolic steroid more resistant to liver metabolism.

It also contains a modification in which the second carbon on the second carbon of the first cycloalkane ring is removed and replaced with an oxygen atom.

This is what makes Anavar structurally very unique among all anabolic steroids, as it is the only anabolic steroid with a direct modification (complete replacement of a carbon atom with another atom) in the ring structure.

This modification is believed to increase the anabolic strength of the hormone compared to its parent hormone, DHT.

One of the ways in which this modification increases the anabolic strength of Anavar (compared to DHT) is believed to be through increased resistance to 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, an enzyme that is very abundant in muscle tissue that converts dihydrotestosterone into non-anabolic inactive metabolites.

This is why dihydrotestosterone is not anabolic in muscle tissue, as it is essentially inactivated by 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase before it can act on the androgen receptors in muscle tissue.

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Characteristics of Anavar (Oxandrolone)

Anavar is an anabolic steroid that belongs to the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) family of anabolic steroid derivatives/analogs.

Other compounds in this 'DHT family' of anabolic steroids include Winstrol, Primobolan, Masteron, and several other compounds that are derivatives of the parent anabolic steroid DHT.

What all of these anabolic steroids have in common is that they are all modified forms of DHT in some way, and as such, DHT can be considered the "parent" hormone of these anabolic steroids.

Anavar has a clear preponderance of anabolic strength over androgenic strength (as evidenced by its anabolic rating of 322 - 630 compared to an androgenic rating of 24).

When compared to testosterone, which has an anabolic:androgenic ratio of 100:100 respectively, it is easy to see that anavar is much less androgenic and has a strong anabolic strength that is at least 3 times the strength of testosterone, and studies have demonstrated anabolic strength as high as 6 times that of testosterone with little concomitant androgenic activity.

Anavar does not possess any measurable estrogenic activity (due to its nature as a DHT derivative), nor does it possess any progestogenic activity.

Because of these properties, it's easy to see how anavar becomes a favorable compound among athletes and bodybuilders looking to increase athletic performance, muscle gain, and strength where additional water weight gain is undesirable.

It is also an anabolic steroid used extensively by bodybuilders who wish to reduce body fat and retain as much muscle as possible while in a caloric deficit, again where the potential for additional water weight and fat retention/gain is undesirable.

As you can easily see, Anavar is a very versatile compound when it comes to its uses.

For an anabolic steroid that is commonly touted as 'mild' it actually has a very impressive anabolic strength as seen by its anabolic rating of 322 - 630 and testosterone rating of 100, and when compared to another popular 'mild' anabolic steroid primobolan which has an anabolic rating of 88 you can see that Anavar is not as 'mild' in terms of anabolic strength as many have made it out to be.

Regarding the reported anabolic rating of 322 - 630, the reason why the anabolic rating is given this range rather than being singular (e.g. trenbolone's rating of 500 or testosterone's rating of 100) is due to Anavar's nature as an oral anabolic steroid.

Anabolic steroids are known to have a very low survival rate through hepatic metabolism when taken orally.

Oral anabolic steroids are modified at the 17th carbon (called C17 alpha alkylation) to make them more resistant to breakdown in the liver, so the percentage that passes through the liver into the bloodstream is very high, but this does not mean that 100% of the anabolic steroid passes through the liver.

Unfortunately, some percentage is still lost, which is why we give general ranges instead of hard numbers for many anabolic steroids (mostly oral compounds, as their strength can vary depending on liver metabolism).

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Anavar Side Effects

As mentioned earlier, Anavar is praised by bodybuilders, athletes, and the medical community for its excellent side effect-to-benefit ratio and generally fewer side effects than many other anabolic steroids.

Because Anavar is already a derivative of DHT, a male hormone that cannot be converted to estrogen, it has no estrogenic side effects.

Therefore, Anavar retains these properties.

This means that you will not see any of the typical side effects of estrogen (such as water retention, bloating, fat retention/gain, and the development of gynecomastia).

Not only does it have zero estrogenic activity, but Anavar also has zero progestogenic activity, which negates any potential negative effects as well."[3]

Although Anavar is much less androgenic than testosterone, side effects can still occur, especially in those who are sensitive to androgenic side effects.

These can include increased oily skin, acne, increased hair growth on the face and body, and risks associated with male pattern baldness (MPB) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

While Anavar is commonly touted as "gentle on the endocrine system," there is evidence to the contrary, with one study showing that just 5 days of use at 15 mg per day suppressed endogenous testosterone production and testicular function by nearly 40% in healthy young men[4].

Thus, Anavar should not be taken lightly in the realm of hormonal suppression and disruption. If it can suppress the HPTA (hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis) after just 5 days of use at 15mg per day, it can and does induce complete shutdown over several weeks at higher 'bodybuilding doses'.

Compared to other oral anabolic steroids, studies have shown that Anavar has the least amount of liver toxicity and burden on liver function[5].

Anavar still exhibits some degree of toxicity in this area, so it is not recommended to use Anavar for more than 8 to 10 weeks at reasonable doses.

It is always essential to properly supplement with good liver support compounds when using oral anabolic steroids, no matter how mild they may claim to be.

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Anavar Cycles and Usage

Anavar has gained popularity in the past as a 'cutting agent' or 'cutting steroid', but its capabilities are not limited to this.

While Anavar can perform quite well and help in the realm of achieving body fat loss and physique definition, it is an excellent compound for mass gain, strength and bulking.

With 3 to 6 times the anabolic strength of testosterone, an anavar cycle can actually be a bulking cycle without issue.

However, because Anavar imposes some burden and toxicity in the realm of liver function, it cannot be used for the same length of time as these core injectable compounds.

As such, it is often included at the beginning of every cycle for the first 6-8 weeks before discontinuing.

However, due to its lower liver toxicity than other oral compounds, Anavar cycles can be extended up to 10 weeks with reasonable doses.

For bulking purposes, Anavar cycles are usually run in conjunction with similar compounds used for bulking, such as long-esterified testosterone (e.g. enanthate) and compounds such as deca durabolin (nandrolone decanoate).

For use in fat loss and cutting, it is often used in shorter cycles with compounds used to achieve similar goals to Anavar.

Examples include anabolic steroids such as testosterone propionate, trenbolone acetate, and Masteron (drostanolone propionate).

These compounds generally have the same properties as anavar and promote little to no water retention or bloating, which is often unwanted during the cutting and fat loss phases when it is important for bodybuilders to observe changes in physique definition.

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Anavar Dosage and Administration

Most medical applications have called for Anavar dosages in the range of 2.5 - 20mg per day, which of course depended heavily on the type of illness, disease, or disorder for which Anavar was intended.

In medicine, Anavar has been used in the range of 20 - 80mg per day in AIDS patients to prevent and/or reverse muscle wasting[6].

The same effect has also been demonstrated in burn patients [7].

This is a solid indication of a general dosage range that is effective for muscle growth and exercise.

The effectiveness of Anavar does not depend on age, as it is a drug with enough experience with patients of different ages [8].

Anavar has been falsely touted as a 'mild steroid' in the field of anabolic capacity, but research shows that this is not the case and as mentioned so far, it is a compound with 3 to 6 times the anabolic strength of testosterone.

Therefore, in the world of athletics and bodybuilding, anavar dosages for beginners tend to start and stay in the 25-50mg per day range, and should provide great results whether you're looking to gain or lose body fat.

Advanced users tend to venture between 50-80mg per day, and due to the dramatic results that such Anavar doses can provide, there is usually no need to exceed this range.

However, on very rare occasions, high doses of Anavar are taken within the 80-100mg per day range.

Most women use Anavar doses within the range of 5-10mg per day, as it is a great anabolic steroid for female athletes and bodybuilders who wish to minimize and eliminate masculinizing side effects as proven by research[9].

Advanced female users who want to push the envelope tend to take doses up to 20mg per day, but it is recommended that all women using Anavar for bodybuilding or athletic purposes limit their use to no more than 4-6 weeks at a time.

There's also something to be said about combining Anavar dosage with caffeine.

One study found that 300 mg of caffeine administered alongside Anavar increased the subjects' plasma levels of Anavar by 15 to 20 times compared to baseline [10].

Latest Research

January 09, 2018: A recent Portuguese study measuring the effect of coffee on oxandrolone dosing found that coffee had a positive effect on bioavailability and absorption.

The Laboratorio de Analises de Dopagem, a doping laboratory in Portugal, conducted a peer-reviewed and double-blind study in which patients were given 300 mg of caffeine along with oxandrolone.

The results of the study showed that the oxandrolone + caffeine group had increased plasma concentrations when compared to the oxandrolone alone group.

The results were significant.

A 1900% (20-fold) increase was seen, which is quite dramatic.

If you are using Anavar (oxandrolone), it is recommended that you stack the oral anabolic steroid with a cup of coffee, a caffeine supplement, or take the androgen with a pre-workout supplement.

Source: http://www.adop.pt/media/4114/Oxandrolone_excretion_effect_of_caffeine_dosing_.pdf

Anavar Reference

[1].Fox et al. J. Clin Endocrinol Metab 22 (1962):921.

[2].Oxandrolone: A potent anabolic steroid of novel chemical composition. Fox M, Minot AS and LIddle GW. Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 1962; Vol. 22, Pgs. 921 - 924.

[3].Personal communication from Saunders FJ (April 21, 1961) to the authors of Methyltestosterone, related steroids and liver function published in Reference. Arch Int. Med 116 (1965):289-94.

[4].Short-term oxandrolone administration stimulates lean muscle protein synthesis in young men. Melinda Sheffield-Moore, Randall J. Urban, Steven E. Wolf, J. Jiang, Don H. Catlin, David N. Herndon, Robert R. Wolfe, and Arny A. Ferrando. Sheffield-Moore et al. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. August 1, 1999; 84(8): 2705.

[5].Methyltestosterone, related steroids, and liver function. DeLorimier, Gordan G, Lowe R. et al. Arch Nephrol Med 116(1965):289-94.

[6].Proj Inf Perspect. November 1997;(23):19.

[7].JAMA. 2003 Dec 29(8):793-7

[8].Demling RH, DeSanti L., The rate of weight regain after burns with the anabolic agent oxandrolone varies with age, Burns Feb 2001;27(1):46-51

[9].Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). April 1993;38(4):393-8.

[10].Salema, J. Ruivo, X. de la Torre, M. Sekera1, L. Horta. Oxandrolone excretion: Effect of caffeine administration. Published at: www.adop.pt.