Masteron (Drostanolone)

Posted in: Blog, INFO.INJECTABLE

Masteron (Drostanolone, Dromostanolone)

Chemical Name			2alpha-methyl-androstan-3-one-17beta-ol, 2alpha-methyl-dihydrotestosterone
Molecular Weight			304.46 g/mol
Formula			C20H32O2
Original Manufacturer			Syntexand Eli Lilly
Half Life			4.5days (Propionate) 10days (Enanthate)
Detection Time			2weeks
Anabolic Rating			62~130
Androgenic Rating			25~40

Overview and history of Masteron

Masteron is the trade name for the anabolic steroid drostanolone.

Masteron is an injectable oil-based anabolic steroid and is derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which makes Masteron a member of the family of anabolic steroid derivatives and analogs derived from DHT.

Basically, all anabolic steroid analogs and derivatives are variations in one way or another of the three main anabolic steroids found naturally in all humans (testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and nandrolone).

In this case, the ancestral (or parent) hormone of Masteron is dihydrotestosterone.

Other anabolic steroids that belong to this family of DHT derivatives include Anavar, Winstrol, Anadrol, Primobolan, and many others.

Masteron is not considered a very powerful anabolic steroid, but it is not a weak steroid either.

Its anabolic strength is generally considered to be moderate at best (anabolic rating of 62 - 130), while its androgenic strength is quite low (25 - 40).

This is a stark difference when compared to testosterone, the ultimate natural anabolic steroid and the standard by which all other anabolic steroids are compared and measured.

Testosterone, which it is compared to, has an anabolic and androgenic strength rating of 100.

The details of Masteron (drostanolone) were first released and announced in 1959[1].

The origins of this compound are quite interesting, as this anabolic steroid was synthesized and developed by Syntex.

Syntex is also known for developing other popular anabolic steroids such as Anadrol and Methyldrostanolone (aka Superdrol).

Masteron didn't finally hit the market until about a decade after the details were made public.

Lilly and Syntex had been collaborating on the development and marketing of different drugs, and instead of one company having the rights to a drug, the two companies agreed to share research and development (R&D) resources and costs.

Ultimately, it was Lilly that ended up selling Masteron in the U.S. market under the brand name Drolvan.

Syntex also marketed the anabolic steroid, but instead handled marketing and distribution in international markets.

Masteron was initially approved by the FDA as an anti-cancer drug for the treatment of female breast cancer patients.

It was particularly well suited for this role because its low and mild androgenic strength compared to testosterone can be very beneficial to female users, and compared to many other anabolic steroids known to have strong androgenic strength, Masteron is less prone to aromatizing symptoms.

The prescribing information and guidelines also address this fact, stating that masculinization is much less likely to occur with Masteron compared to the same dose of testosterone propionate.

The problem, however, was that the initial prescribing guidelines for women were 300 mg per week of Masteron, which clearly proved to be too high a dose for women, as evidenced by the fact that masculinization occurred in many patients who took this dose.

Feminization was also an issue for female patients who took Masteron long-term.

Masteron's popularity among bodybuilders and athletes began in the 1970s and grew in the 1980s.

With the discovery and development of more effective breast cancer treatments, Masteron began to lose its value in the medical field, and it was during this time that several pharmaceutical manufacturers began to slowly discontinue the sale and production of the compound.

Drolban was officially removed from the U.S. market in the late 1980s, and two other brands of masteron preparations were removed from the market shortly thereafter.

Masteron still remains on the list of approved medications today, but it is not manufactured and is not sold in the U.S. (or European) market.

Chemical Properties of Masteron

Masteron's specific name is actually drostanolone (drostanolone is a slightly more abbreviated name for this compound shortly after its release).

As mentioned earlier, it is a modified derivative of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and belongs to the family of DHT derivatives and analogs.

Masteron is a modified form of DHT with a methyl group on the second carbon (known as carbon alpha) atom.

This modification is known to increase its anabolic strength slightly compared to testosterone.

This addition of the methyl group increases the anabolic strength by increasing Masteron's resistance to being metabolized into inactive metabolites by 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.

This enzyme is present in large amounts in muscle tissue and is responsible for metabolizing DHT into two inactive metabolites, 3-alpha-androstanediol and 3-beta-androstanediol, which are not anabolic in muscle tissue.

Therefore, many chemists and biologists believe that if 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase did not exist in muscle tissue, DHT would indeed be a very potent and powerful anabolic steroid.

In any case, Masteron adds a methyl group to the alpha carbon 2, effectively removing its ability to be metabolized by this enzyme.

There are two variants of Masteron: Drostanolone propionate and Drostanolone enanthate.

The most popular variant is the propionate variant, followed by the enanthate variant.

We'll use propionolone propionate as an example here.

Specifically, “propionate” is propanoic acid, but when it's bound to masteron, it's what chemistry calls an ester bond (or ester bonds).

The propanoic acid is bonded to the 17-beta hydroxyl group of the drostanolone (masteron) chemical structure.

The addition of this ester changes the half-life and release rate of the hormone, giving it a much longer release and half-life than if the hormone were not esterified.

The main reason for the increased half-life and release rate is that once drostanolone propionate enters the bloodstream, an enzyme in the body breaks the bond between the ester and the hormone, and the time it takes for this bond to break varies (depending on the size of the ester, the larger it is, the longer it takes).

The end result is that the ester is removed from the hormone by the enzyme, and what is left is pure Masteron (or the anabolic steroid that was previously esterified), which is now free to act in the body.

This process of the enzyme separating the ester from the testosterone molecule is what causes the slower release rate and extended half-life.

As a result, drostanolone propionate has a half-life of 2.5 days and drostanolone enanthate has a half-life of 10 days.

Esterification does not alter the effects and properties of the hormone other than increasing its rate of release and half-life.

Characteristics of Masteron

Since Masteron is a DHT derivative, it has the same properties as the parent hormone, one of which is its inability to interact with the aromatase enzyme.

The aromatase enzyme is the enzyme that converts androgens into estrogen, and Masteron is not affected by this process.

Therefore, Masteron does not produce estrogenic side effects at any dose and therefore poses no risks such as water retention and bloating, increased blood pressure (due to water retention), possible fat gain/retention, or gynecomastia.

Individuals using Masteron will only experience an increase in lean body mass without the addition of water weight, which can otherwise result in a very bloated, soft, and puffy looking physique.

As such, it is a favorite anabolic steroid of most bodybuilders and athletes as a 'cutting' compound that is very useful during pre-contest cycles and fat loss and cutting phases.

Due to its low to moderate anabolic strength, Masteron is not considered a very good compound for mass gain or bulking, and in fact many experienced anabolic steroid users say that due to its high price and moderate anabolic strength, it is only of real value to competitive bodybuilders who want a very hard, 'chiseled' physique for the show stage.

Masteron has been shown to enhance a 'ripped' physique when stacked with certain other compounds, but these 'hardening' properties of Masteron will not be seen in the user unless the user has a low enough body fat percentage to see these hardening effects. This leads to the next key attribute of Masteron.

Masteron is not only a moderate aromatase inhibitor, but has been proven to block estrogen at the receptor sites in breast tissue[2][3].

This is why Masteron was one of the first and primary treatments for advanced breast cancer.

This is also why many experienced users describe Masteron as having a “firming” and “chiseling” effect on very lean body types (less than 10% body fat).

Masteron inhibits the aromatase enzyme, removing the ability of estrogen to form from aromatizable anabolic steroids through the process of aromatization.

In essence, this effectively reduces water retention as estrogen levels continue to decrease due to the increase in the incapacitated aromatase enzyme.

Masteron Side Effects

Masteron is considered by the bodybuilding community to be one of the 'milder' anabolic steroids when it comes to side effects.

This is due in large part to the fact that Masteron is a DHT derivative. Because it is derived from DHT, it has all of the same (or similar) properties and characteristics as DHT.

This includes the fact that it is unable to interact with the aromatase enzyme and therefore has none of the estrogen related side effects.

As mentioned earlier, Masteron is a DHT derivative, so it has no estrogen related side effects at all.

Not only does it completely avoid aromatization (conversion to estrogen), but there is evidence that it also acts as a mild aromatase inhibitor.

Side effects caused by estrogen buildup (water retention, bloating, fat retention and gain, gynecomastia, etc.) can be completely avoided or reduced with Masteron.

Although Masteron is less androgenic than testosterone, androgenic side effects may still occur, especially in those who are sensitive to androgen.

Masteron side effects, including androgenic side effects, may include increased oily skin (due to increased sebum production/secretion), increased facial and body hair growth, and an increased risk of developing male pattern baldness (MPB) in genetically sensitive or susceptible individuals.

Feminization (the appearance of masculine features in women) may also be a risk when used in female breast cancer patients, but it must demonstrate acceptable characteristics as a feminizing compound.

In particular, the side effects of Masteron have a greater negative impact on cholesterol and the cardiovascular system than other compounds.

This is mainly due to Masteron's anti-estrogenic properties in the body.

Masteron's ability to lower estrogen levels in serum results in a measurable decrease in HDL (“good”) cholesterol and an increase in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol [4].

Masteron is not hepatotoxic (liver toxicity), but like other anabolic steroids, it contributes to the inhibition/interruption of HPTA, which reduces endogenous production of testosterone.

Masteron Cycles and Uses

Masteron cycles tend to be fairly limited in their dynamics and scope of application.

This is because the nature of the compound makes it unsuitable for bulking, strength gains, etc.

Unfortunately, there exist anabolic steroids that are far better than Masteron as a cutting or fat loss agent.

Therefore, the Masteron cycles used by bodybuilders are limited to pre-contest and fat loss cycles.

Even in cutting or fat loss cycles, Masteron is generally not a compound that plays a key role.

Masteron cycles are usually between 8 and 10 weeks in length, mostly due to its short ester nature.

Some bodybuilders will only use Masteron during the last 2-4 weeks of a cycle leading up to a show or photo shoot, in order to capitalize on its physique hardening capabilities.

In general, cycles seem to be performed for 10 weeks using compounds such as testosterone propionate, trenbolone acetate, and anavar.

In the sixth or eighth week of that cycle, Masteron is added to the mix (possibly at the expense of one of the other compounds), and the cycle continues until the end of the tenth week.

For a more traditional Masteron cycle, the use of Masteron as a fat loss/cutting compound would require 8-10 weeks of stacking with a compound of a similar nature such as injectable Winstrol, testosterone propionate, trenbolone acetate, or an oral variant of Winstrol.

Masteron Dosage and Administration

In the medical community, Masteron has been utilized in the treatment of female breast cancer patients.

For this purpose, the prescribing guidelines for Masteron dosage call for 100 mg per week for a total of 300 mg to be taken three times per week.

The duration of this treatment was recommended to be at least 8 weeks. After 8 to 12 weeks, doctors would evaluate the patient and her progress, and depending on her progress and prognosis, Masteron could be used indefinitely to treat her cancer.

In retrospect, 300 mg per week is too much for women to use, and decreased virility was frequently observed among patients, which was more or less acknowledged by the medical establishment.

Female athletes and bodybuilders have found 50 to 100 mg per week to be a safe and acceptable dose.

Masteron dosages for athletic and bodybuilding purposes in male users range from 200 to 400 mg per week, with the lower end of this range (200 mg) typically used for pre-contest preparation and cycles.

Due to the nature of Masteron as an aesthetic physique enhancing compound, intermediate and advanced users tend not to exceed 400mg per week.

It should be remembered that Masteron is a weak compound when it comes to strength, mass, and the addition of muscle, and there are more effective and cheaper compounds for these purposes.