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Chemical Name |
17alpha-Testosterone enanthate |
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Molecular Weight |
400.603 g-mol -1 |
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Formula |
C26H40O3 |
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Half Life |
10 days |
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Detection Time: |
3개월 |
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Anabolic Rating |
100 |
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Androgenic Rating |
100 |
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Original Manufacturer |
Squibb |
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Overview and History of Testosterone Enanthate
Testosterone enanthate is one of the many esterified variants of testosterone.
It is an injectable compound with a slower release rate due to the larger enanthate ester attached to the testosterone molecule.
This increases the release rate and half-life of testosterone to a slower release rate.
Most testosterone products are single products containing a single ester form, as opposed to testosterone products that contain a mixture of several different ester variants in a liquid (such as Sustanon 250).
Unesterified testosterone has a very short half-life, making it very inconvenient and impractical to use (testosterone suspension is one such testosterone product that consists of pure unesterified testosterone and has no ester bound to its structure).
The enanthate ester extends the half-life of testosterone to 10 days, and the hormone levels in the plasma remain elevated for about two to three weeks.
Testosterone itself is considered to be the most natural and safest anabolic steroid available to individuals, and it is also the most versatile and flexible anabolic steroid in that it can be utilized in different cycles and for different purposes and goals.
The enanthate variant of testosterone was first introduced to the market in the early 1950s and became increasingly widely used shortly thereafter.
It was the first injectable testosterone ester preparation with a slower release rate.
Prior to the development of testosterone enanthate, unesterified testosterone (testosterone suspension) or testosterone propionate, which is faster acting with a half-life of about 4.5 days, were the most widely used, requiring more frequent injections, which can be inconvenient for many people.
Therefore, testosterone enanthate was immediately the testosterone of choice to replace testosterone propionate for athletes and bodybuilders, as well as Western medical practices that use testosterone to enhance athletic performance and physique.
In the United States, delatestril manufactured by Squibb was the first testosterone enanthate product to be sold, and it is still manufactured and sold today by several pharmaceutical manufacturers that have purchased the rights to the brand.
For example, most recently in 2005, Indevus was the most recent pharmaceutical company to manufacture and sell the drug.
Internationally, the brand name for testosterone enanthate is known as Testoviron, and unlike delatestril, it has been manufactured by Schering since it was first introduced over 50 years ago.
Ultimately, the most popular and widely used testosterone enanthate product in the world is Testoviron.
In the medical realm, testosterone enanthate is used almost exclusively to treat hypogonadism and male menopause (two conditions in which adult males produce insufficient levels of endogenous testosterone).
Rarely, it is also used to treat male adolescents with delayed puberty and for puberty stimulation.
A rarer treatment where testosterone enanthate is used is to treat breast cancer in women.
Testosterone enanthate has also been thoroughly studied for the suggestion that it could be used as a treatment for male contraception [1].
In this case, it was found that a dose of 200 mg per week effectively reduced sperm production in most men, although it had to be taken consistently for three months before significant changes in sperm production and motility were seen.
This suppression of spermatogenesis appeared to last as long as the testosterone enanthate was administered, and slowly returned to normal after discontinuation.
However, in the current western social climate, there is a tremendous amount of irrational stigma and hysteria associated with anabolic steroid use, so it is highly unlikely that testosterone enanthate will ever be marketed and sold, which is a great shame.
However, many countries and cultures in Eastern Europe and the Far East have much more accepting attitudes towards anabolic steroid use than we do here.
Chemical Properties of Testosterone Enanthate
As mentioned earlier, Testosterone Enanthate is just testosterone with an enanthate ester bonded to the testosterone chemical structure.
Specifically, the “enanthate” is enanthoic acid, but once it is bonded to testosterone, it is properly called an ester bond in chemistry.
The enanthoic acid is bonded to the 17-beta hydroxyl group of the testosterone structure.
Esterified anabolic steroids are more fat soluble and release slowly from the injection site, but this is not the main reason why esters prolong the release rate of anabolic steroids.
The main reason for the increased half-life and release rate is that once Testosterone Enanthate enters the bloodstream, enzymes work to break the bond between the ester and the hormone, which takes varying amounts of time.
Eventually, the ester is removed from the hormone by the enzyme and what is left is pure testosterone that is free to act in the body.
This process of the enzyme separating the ester from the testosterone molecule is what causes the slow release of testosterone.
Testosterone alone, without the ester bound to it, has a half-life of about 2 to 4 hours.
When the enanthate ester is attached to testosterone to create testosterone enanthate, the half-life of testosterone is extended to 10 days, resulting in a slower release and activity of the hormone.
Properties of Testosterone Enanthate
The properties of testosterone enanthate are the same as you would expect from other types of testosterone preparations, with the exception of a different rate of release and half-life.
Testosterone is literally the original anabolic steroid.
It is naturally produced endogenously in all humans and the vast majority of animal species.
Because of this, testosterone is considered the safest anabolic steroid to use because every individual's body is already accustomed to the effects of testosterone to some degree.
In essence, using testosterone for the purpose of physique and athletic performance enhancement is simply an additional supplementation of the hormone, i.e., inserting more of a hormone into the body that the body already produces and uses.
Testosterone Enanthate Side Effects
Testosterone Enanthate is an anabolic steroid with a very moderate side effect profile.
It can be considered a very reasonable anabolic steroid in this regard, considering the potential gains and strength and the benefits in terms of side effect potential and profile.
While the distribution of side effects with Testosterone Enanthate is generally quite variable, it is important to understand that Testosterone Enanthate is a testosterone compound, which is the most natural anabolic hormone in the body.
After all, testosterone is what the body naturally produces endogenously, so it is the first and most familiar thing that the body is used to.
As with any kind of side effect, your individual body's response, sensitivity, and genetics will play a large role in whether you experience more or less (or none at all) of a particular side effect.
Testosterone enanthate side effects include estrogenic side effects, which are the most prominent side effects that users and potential users are most concerned about.
This stems from the fact that testosterone is a moderately aromatizing anabolic steroid (meaning that it converts to estrogen in the body at a moderate rate), and this of course occurs in proportion to the dose of testosterone enanthate used.
The higher the dose, the greater the degree of aromatization into estrogen.
Side effects of estrogen conversion can include water retention and bloating, increased blood pressure (due to water retention), increased fat gain/retention, and the possible development of gynecomastia.
Androgenic side effects can also occur when using testosterone enanthate.
Because testosterone is an androgen in itself, it can interact with androgen receptors throughout the body and cause androgenic side effects.
However, the majority of androgenic side effects are the result of testosterone being reduced to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a much more potent androgenic hormone.
This happens when testosterone passes through a few key tissues in the body, such as the scalp, prostate, and skin.
Androgenic side effects can include increased oily skin (sebum production), increased acne formation (related to sebum production), body and facial hair growth, and an increased risk of developing male pattern baldness (MPB) if you have a genetic predisposition.
Studies have shown that testosterone enanthate is not hepatotoxic (liver toxic) at any dose, including oral doses.
Testosterone enanthate does not pose a risk of causing liver problems.
Because testosterone enanthate is an anabolic steroid, side effects may be associated with suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA), or suppression of natural endogenous testosterone production.
Testosterone enanthate side effects include cardiovascular changes and temporary changes in blood cholesterol levels.
Testosterone Enanthate Cycles and Uses
A testosterone enanthate cycle typically refers to a bulking or mass gain cycle, but it can also be utilized in a very specific way for cutting or fat loss cycles.
Testosterone Enanthate is typically used in high doses (usually at least 500mg per week), and because it is an anabolic steroid with a long ester attached, it has a long half-life of around 7-10 days, so Testosterone Enanthate cycles usually last for 10-12 weeks or longer.
In both bulking and cutting cycles, testosterone enanthate is typically stacked with other compounds whose properties promote the user's end goal (bulking, muscle mass gain, or fat loss).
For example, a testosterone enanthate cycle for bulking purposes will usually include Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) and/or Dianabol (Methandrostenolone), with Dianabol usually being used as the kick-starting compound for the first 6 weeks.
If the testosterone enanthate cycle is a cutting or fat loss cycle, testosterone enanthate is usually run at a very low TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) dose of around 100mg per week, while other compounds more desirable for cutting and fat loss are emphasized during the cycle.
The use of testosterone enanthate at this dose is intended to maintain normal bodily functions rather than emphasize muscle mass gain and performance enhancement.
Testosterone Enanthate Dosage and Administration
Medically, testosterone enanthate is typically used at a prescribed dose of approximately 250 mg once every 2-4 weeks, depending on the discretion of the doctor and the patient's progress on TRT therapy.
For bodybuilding and athletic performance and physique enhancement purposes, testosterone enanthate is typically taken at a beginner's dosage of around 300 to 500 mg per week.
Intermediate doses of testosterone enanthate range from 500 to 750 mg per week, and advanced users have been known to take more than 1,000 mg of testosterone enanthate per week.
Because Testosterone Enanthate has a half-life of 7 to 10 days, it is recommended to be administered at least once per week, but for optimal performance and results (and to minimize unwanted side effects due to spikes in plasma levels), it is ideal to administer it twice per week, but to divide the weekly doses evenly.
For example, a weekly dose of 500 mg of testosterone enanthate should be administered as 250 mg on Monday and 250 mg on Thursday each week.
Testosterone Enanthate References
[1] Contraceptive efficacy and side effects of testosterone enanthate in Thai men. Sukcharoen N, Aribarg A, Kriangsinyos R, Chanprasit Y, Ngeamvijawat J. J Med Assoc Thai 1996 Dec;79(12):767-73
