Nandrolone (aka Deca, Deca Durabolin, Nandrolone Decanoate, Nandrolone Phenylpropionate)
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Chemical Name |
19-norandrost-4-en-3-one-17beta-ol, 17β-Hydroxyestra-4-en-3-one |
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Molecular Weight |
274.40 g/mol |
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Formula |
C18H26O2 |
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Original Manufacturer |
Organon |
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Half Life |
15days |
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Detection Time |
17 - 18months |
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Anabolic Rating |
125 |
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Androgenic Rating |
37 |
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History and overview of Deca Durabolin
Deca Durabolin is a brand and trade name for the anabolic steroid nandrolone.
Specifically, Deca Durabolin is the trade name for nandrolone decanoate, the decanoate ester variant of nandrolone.
“Deca,” as it is informally known among bodybuilders, is the second most popular and widely used anabolic steroid in existence.
First place goes to none other than Dianabol (methandrostenolone), and third place goes to Winstrol (stanozolol).
There's a reason Deca Durabolin is so beloved by bodybuilders and athletes, and it's also highly regarded by the medical community.
Nandrolone Decanoate was first introduced to the scientific community in 1960[1] and was one of the first pioneering anabolic steroids to be developed.
Nandrolone decanoate was developed by Organon, and shortly thereafter, in 1962, it was introduced to the prescription drug market under the name Deca-Durabolin.
However, not many people realize that nandrolone existed as a short-acting nandrolone phenylpropionate ester variant a few years earlier, in 1957.
Nandrolone phenylpropionate gained considerable popularity, but unfortunately its very short half-life limited its use, requiring injections at least every other day, so it was reformulated as Deca Durabolin with the addition of the decanoate ester.
The decanoate ester gives nandrolone a much longer half-life of about 15 days, compared to the phenylpropionate variant's half-life of about 4 days (approximately).
Over time, it has been widely used as a medicine in the medical community and has gained popularity among bodybuilders and athletes due to its 'mild' composition.
There's some truth to this, but also a lot of misconceptions and myths, which we'll get to shortly.
Deca is slightly stronger than testosterone as far as anabolism is concerned, with a strength rating of 125.
In comparison, testosterone has an anabolic strength rating of 100.
However, it has a very low androgenic rating of 37, which is favorable for those who are sensitive to androgenic side effects or wish to avoid them.
Nandrolone also has very low estrogenic activity and binds very poorly to the aromatase enzyme, the enzyme that converts androgens to estrogen, with only about 20% of it being converted to estrogen compared to testosterone's conversion rate [2].
The fact that Deca is a progestin (as are all 19-nor compounds) contributes to this low estrogenic activity [3].
Looking further into this, we can see that nandrolone aromatizes to estrogen in the liver, but Deca is fairly resistant in areas of the body where estrogen conversion is typically high (e.g. adipose tissue) [4].
Deca is classified as a 19-no compound because it lacks the 19th carbon that testosterone possesses, making it a progestin and thus expressing affinity for the progesterone receptor [5].
This can lead to side effects and issues that are unique to 19-nor compounds and not seen with most other anabolic steroids.
Of particular note here is the common claim that deca durabolin is good for joints and bone tissue, which is true.
However, the explanation for why this is the case among athletes and bodybuilders is often a myth and misconception.
Deca does not “lubricate joints,” “store water in connective tissue and joints,” or any other ridiculous nonsense.
In fact, nandrolone increases collagen synthesis to a much greater degree than most other anabolic steroids [6].
Other studies have also shown that Deca significantly increases bone mineral content [7].
What does all this mean for athletes?
Bodybuilders and athletes can experience positive effects on connective and joint tissue, which can be enhanced during bulking, strength training, and weight gain cycles.
The increased resilience of bone and connective tissue not only allows them to lift heavier weights, but also increases their tolerance to the stressors on their joints and bones caused by intense exercise and resistance training.
Deca-Durabolin Side Effects
As mentioned earlier, Deca is often cited as a very 'mild' anabolic steroid compared to other compounds where side effects are concerned.
Unfortunately, this is a matter of mixing fact and fiction, and most of these 'Deca is a mild steroid' claims are from the past when not much was still known about these drugs, and today we know much more.
Deca-Durabolin is both a mild steroid and a potent anabolic steroid, possessing characteristics of both.
The good news is that Deca-Durabolin has a very low rate of conversion to estrogen, so it is less prone to estrogenic side effects compared to other anabolic steroids.
While estrogen related side effects are not completely eliminated with Deca, they are more manageable and users should still be mindful of this fact.
Estrogenic side effects can include abdominal bloating, water retention, increased blood pressure due to water retention, and gynecomastia.
As a progestin, Deca can also increase prolactin levels in the body.
All of the problems associated with progesterone and prolactin can manifest themselves in the form of side effects that are very similar to estrogen, including nipple swelling, gynecomastia, and abdominal bloating.
Anti-estrogen and aromatase inhibitors are known to effectively combat these side effects, even if they are attenuated through the progesterone receptor.
However, for prolactin issues, taking 600 mg of vitamin B6 daily has been shown in studies to help control prolactin levels [8].
In addition, antiprolactin drugs such as cabergoline and bromocriptine are very effective in lowering prolactin levels and are often used as first-line treatment in prolactin problems [9][10][11].
Nandrolone is not a C17-AA oral anabolic steroid, so this compound has no effect on the liver.
Deca does exhibit some androgenic effects, so like its estrogenic properties, this is not a cause for concern, but should still be monitored and kept in mind.
Androgenic side effects can include increased oily skin and acne, increased body and facial hair growth, increased risk of male pattern baldness (MPB), and increased risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Nandrolone can also cause disruption and/or disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA), a common side effect of all anabolic steroids, and cardiovascular side effects.
For a long time, Deca was thought to be an anabolic steroid with mild effects on the HPTA and natural endogenous testosterone levels.
However, this is not the case, and studies have shown that even at doses as low as 100mg per week, suppression of endogenous testosterone production is rapid, approaching 60%, and even higher with higher doses of Deca [12].
This is common with all 19-NOR compounds, and this severe and rapid suppression is due to the fact that Deca Durabolin and other 19-NORs are progestins in nature [13].
Deca is quite concerning with regard to its effects on the cardiovascular system, especially in light of recent discoveries that were unknown decades ago.
Among other things, Deca has been shown to reduce HDL (“good” cholesterol) levels by 26% when administered for 10 weeks [14].
Furthermore, when compared to testosterone, nandrolone tends to produce significantly worse cholesterol changes on average [15].
If these potential cardiovascular issues weren't concerning enough, recent data has demonstrated that Deca is 11 times more damaging to blood vessels than testosterone [16].
Cycles and Uses of Deca-Durabolin
Deca-Durabolin is used naturally by most athletes and bodybuilders for bulking, mass gain, and strength building cycles.
This is partly due to its positive and beneficial effects on connective tissue and bone tissue, which can speed up the healing of these areas and prevent injury when using heavier weights and engaging in more intense physical activity.
Because Deca Durabolin is a long-acting long ester variant of Nandrolone (15 day half-life), Deca Durabolin cycles should be at least 12 weeks long.
Here it is often combined with similar long ester compounds such as testosterone cypionate.
Due to its long-lasting nature, most users will not experience the compound's 'kick-in' until at least a few weeks into the cycle, which is why many will insert a kick-start compound into their Deca-Durabolin cycle during the first few weeks.
This is usually done with an oral anabolic steroid such as Dianabol, Winstrol, Anadrol, Anavar, etc.
However, most people tend to rely on compounds that are generally well suited for these goals, such as Anadrol (Oxymetholone) or Dianabol (Methandrostenolone) for the first 4-6 weeks to gain muscle mass and strength.
These compounds are used because of their mass gaining properties, which work very well with Deca and testosterone.
This is where the classic old cycle stack of Testosterone/Deca/Dianabol is often discussed. Simply put, this is the most popular cycle stack of all time.
The Testosterone/Nandrolone/Dianabol stack was originally conceived, pioneered, and popularized by the golden age of bodybuilders in the 1960s and 1970s.
This particular stack is recommended for all user classes (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) and is a timeless stack because it provides qualitative gains for all users regardless of experience.
Deca Durabolin Dosage and Administration Methods
As a prescription drug and medication, Nandrolone Decanoate was originally recommended to be taken in doses of 50-100mg every 3-4 weeks, and not for more than 12 weeks.
Since every medical condition, disorder, or disease is different, the prescription recommendations for Deca have been altered to meet the needs of individual patients.
For example, patients with anemia were prescribed 100 to 200 mg of Deca Durabolin per week, which is significantly higher than the typical prescription dose.
For the purpose of enhancing athletic performance and physique, Deca is typically used by beginners in the range of 300 - 500mg per week.
Intermediate users generally do not need to exceed 500mg within the beginner range, especially if they are using Deca Durabolin as a kickstarter with other compounds such as testosterone or other oral compounds.
Advanced users likewise do not need to go beyond this dosage range, but doses of around 600 - 800mg or more may be sufficient, especially if nandrolone is the main anabolic compound in the cycle and testosterone is used in a TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) dose as a mere ancillary compound.
