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Dianabol also known as D-Bol, Danabol, and many other names, is globally the most famous AAS. It is commonly considered the progenitor of anabolic steroids.
History Dianabol
Methandrostenolone a.k.a. methandienone, Dianabol, D-Bol, Danabol, and many other names, is globally the most famous AAS. Developed by Dr. Ziegler in the 1950s for the American Olympic team and banned by the American FDA in the 1990s. It is commonly considered the progenitor of anabolic steroids.
Dr. Ziegler worked in the early 1950s for the pharmaceutical company Ciba. As a veteran who had once been hospitalized with gunshot wounds during World War II and a descendant of 3 generations of doctors, he specialized in restorative medication. Additionally, he was an avid weightlifter and knew various top American weightlifters of that time. Ciba had access to documentation from the Nazis on experiments on camp prisoners with testosterone and produced testosterone for various, often experimental, purposes such as for burn patients and the disabled.
In October 1954, Ziegler accompanied the American weightlifting team as a team doctor to the World Championships in Vienna. There he spoke with a Russian chemist who, after a few drinks, asked him, “What do you give your boys?”. When Ziegler asked the same question to the Russian, he told him that the Russians were given testosterone. Upon his return, he tested the influence of testosterone on weightlifting and bodybuilding by providing it to several competitive bodybuilders and weightlifters (including himself, trainer Bob Hofman, John Grimek, Jim Park, and Yaz Kuzahara), for a period of less than 6 weeks. This resulted in more muscle strength and mass than normal training, but also caused many unpleasant side effects. He searched for a better alternative and found it in Methandrostenolone, which was produced as Dianabol in 1958 by Ciba in the U.S.
Entire American weightlifting team on doping
He provided the entire American weightlifting team with Dianabol for the Olympic Games in 1960 in Rome. This sounds very strange in today’s Olympic spirit because millions are spent nowadays to keep doping out of sports. At that time, however, it was just becoming clear what benefits (and drawbacks) AAS provide. Moreover, the Cold War was in full swing, and both superpowers were using everything to demonstrate their own superiority. Despite the Dianabol, they lost to the Russians. However, the difference between the Americans and the Russians was much smaller than between them and the rest of the field of participants.
Ziegler stopped experimenting with AAS when he found out that some were taking 20 times the prescribed amount and getting liver problems. In Science, he was quoted:
“I lost interest in fooling with IQ’s of that caliber. Now it’s about as widespread among these idiots as marijuana.” And later: “but I wish to God now I’d never done it. I’d like to go back and take that whole chapter out of my life”.
This later regret is entirely understandable when you know that when Ziegler himself was fighting for his life in the hospital with heart problems, some of his friends had already died from, among other things, prostate cancer and heart problems. On the other hand, when the Russians started using it, the tone was set, and it was only a matter of time before someone came up with a better variant.
Various bodybuilders have admitted to using this substance frequently and for long periods, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Haney, and Sergio Oliva. Long-term use, however, means prolonged use of relatively short courses. Due to its aromatizing effect (conversion to Estradiol), but especially its harmful effect on the liver, it is often used in short courses. This was particularly popular in the 1970s.
Dianabol orally ingestible
Dianabol can be taken orally by so-called 17 alpha alkylation. By adding a methyl group (CH
3 on the 17th position), the effectiveness is prolonged/enlarged by inhibiting the breaking action of the liver. Some call this the enhanced “First pass,” the first time the liver is passed. However, the substances pass the liver more than once. The question is whether it specifically passes the liver the first time the hormones pass through or every time the methyl addition does its job.
Action of Dianabol and effect on the liver
The addition of methyl not only provides improved absorption but also constitutes a heavy burden on the liver. Liver tumors and damaged liver cells have already been attributed to the use of 17 alpha alkyl Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids. Dianabol was very popular and freely available until the effects on the liver were discovered. This was also the main reason why Dr. Ziegler stopped prescribing Dianabol when these effects became known. Experienced (and therefore regular) users also take into account the dosage height, duration of use, or prefer injectable AAS. Because the damaging effect is now known, shorter courses are usually done. However, if you only use Dianabol as a short course, you will see that you lose at least half of the gained mass in the period when you are not using it.
Dianabol stacking
Therefore, it is often used stacked. That means in combination with other, usually slower and longer-lasting steroids such as testosterone enanthate or Nandrolone. More often, it is stacked with injectable AAS like Deca-Durabolin and Primobolan. In this way, Dianabol is used as a kind of kickstart for the course because it works very quickly, unlike other products where this can take 2-3 weeks. As a stack, it is often recommended to use D-Bol for 5-6 weeks at the beginning of a 10-week course together with the mentioned long-lasting steroids. If you are using D-Bol for the first time, do not stack with other products. This applies to any product you try for the first time. To see the effect of a specific product on your body, you need to keep the other factors as stable as possible.
Dianabol only: how many ml?
This varies from person to person and depends on how your body reacts, but also how and with what you use it. The minimum amount is 15ml. per day, although some may not notice anything from this. This can average up to 60 ml., although anything above 50 ml. is seen as dangerous. More than 100 ml. is sometimes also used, although it is questionable whether this is effective. What the body cannot process is excreted in the urine. Additionally, this poses an even heavier burden on your liver and wallet. Lower amounts apply to women.
Dianabol course, divide over the day or not?
Opinions differ on dividing the day when using only D-Bol. Some argue that you should not divide it over the day. Each time, the liver breaks down the same amount. By dividing it over the day, you end up with less methandienone, the active substance, in the long run. If you do not combine it with other agents, they suggest taking the daily dose all at once. Preferably in the morning. Due to the short half-life, it is already out of the blood when the body itself produces the highest levels of testosterone, in the early hours of the night. Most users, trainers, and coaches also recommend dividing the dose over the day due to the short half-life of 3-6 hours.
Aromatase
Dianabol is highly aromatizing, meaning it has the property of producing estradiol. This causes testosterone to be converted into the female hormone estradiol (a type of estrogen). This can result in, among other things, gynecomastia, “Bitchtits”. Apart from being used for this reason in short courses, this effect can also be partly inhibited/blocked with other products such as Arimidex and Cytadren.
Results and properties dianabol
- It is a C17aa hormone and therefore can be taken orally. This can also cause liver problems if used incorrectly (which is essentially any non-medical use, but that’s beside the point).
- It is mainly for building muscle mass and strength, not for muscle hardness or definition.
- Dianabol is only mildly androgenic but highly anabolic. Because it is mildly androgenic, the risk of reduced testosterone production by the body is relatively small (depending on usage).
Side effects of Dianabol
- Benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH (enlargement of the prostate)
- Acne and oily skin
- Erectile dysfunction (temporary)
- Increased risk of heart diseases
- In men, testicles may temporarily shrink if precautions are not taken (Pregnyl)
- Swollen face due to water retention (problems in osmoregulation)
- Increase in body hair
- Androgenetic alopecia (hair loss)
- Masculinization (in women)
Impact of Dianabol on cholesterol?
Another less known side effect is the increase in bad LDL (low-density lipoproteins) and decrease in good HDL (high-density lipoproteins) as observed by the research group of Charles Glueck in 1984. LDL can be seen as necessary proteins packaged in fat droplets that are transported in the blood vessels. However, they can also adhere to the vessel walls, causing them to calcify and become less flexible. When the systolic blood pressure rises (the heart pumps and raises blood pressure), calcified vessel walls can rupture, leading to internal bleeding.
Moreover, it raises questions about which parts of the body are no longer adequately supplied with blood and what the dangers of that are. HDL is responsible for removing excess LDL. As HDL decreases and LDL increases during a D-Bol cycle, this balance deteriorates significantly. This was tested with an intake of 100ml per day, which is common but still a high dosage.
Is Dianabol prohibited?
In principle, there is nothing mentioned about doping in the law. Some of the substances on the IOC doping list, such as EPO, growth hormone, anabolic steroids, and DHEA, are medicines and therefore fall under the Medicines Act. Providing these medicines is only allowed to pharmacists on prescription from a doctor. Doctors can only prescribe these medicines when someone has a certain illness (source: www.infopolitie.nl). Despite the common notion that only trading is illegal, this also applies to use and possession without a doctor’s prescription.
In the Netherlands, however, there is hardly any action taken against anabolic steroid use or trade, unlike in Belgium where a special team has been set up for this purpose.
Thai, Chinese, or Russian, real or fake?
As with several AAS (and supplements), the price-quality ratio partly depends on where and when they were produced (quality) and the effort it took to get them to the final destination (price). It also happens that fake batches are circulated. Take, for example, Akrihin, the Russian variant that is no longer officially produced. This was sold in jars of 200 and 300 pieces and strips of 100 pieces. Jars of 300 pieces are still regularly offered. However, these contain a lot of methyltestosterone instead of Methandrostenolone, the chemical name for D-Bol.
You may hear some bodybuilders talk about the “Good old days when Akrihin was still the real deal.” A bit like the (ex-)ravers daydreaming about the good XTC that used to be available. Although methyltestosterone is very powerful (and androgenic) and requires less usage than D-Bol, it is so harmful to the liver that few people use it anymore. Others contain clenbuterol, which in 1997 led to several hospitalizations in the Rotterdam region with symptoms such as dizziness, trembling, vomiting, very high blood pressure, increased body temperature, pressing chest pain, and arrhythmias.
Just like with XTC, you had to know exactly which color, size, or image on the pill meant it was “good shit” or not (or so I’ve been told, of course). The same applies to D-Bol. Although fake, these are at least pills containing an active anabolic ingredient. In other pills, you’ll find aspirin or caffeine, as often happened when fake Thaibol jars were sold. What you often see is that people post pictures of the pills and packaging on a forum for experienced users, asking if it’s real. Even then, you still have to wait and see if the visual differences are clear enough. In general, the (real) Russian D-Bol is known as one of “the best.”
Buying Dianabol?
Well, like all other illegal drugs, it depends on the market. You can bet you’ll pay a lot more than the production costs and profit margin of the producer. The real money goes to the importer who takes the risks and the guy at the gym who happens to sell it to you. Below, you can see, for example, the price list of Blue Runners from China, first per different tablet size, but also calculated for a (mild) cycle of 6 weeks (source: www.ergogenics.org).
If you look on the internet, you’ll pay around €32-€140 for 800mg. Keep in mind, because sales are illegal in the Netherlands, don’t be surprised if the online shop where you just ordered suddenly no longer exists.
Keep Eating!
For AAS in general, they help you train harder and heavier and enable your muscle cells to increase protein synthesis. However, this can only happen if there are enough building blocks present. Additionally, you need more fuel in the form of carbohydrates for muscle growth and (good) fats to enable the increased intensity of training.
General warning for the use of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS)
- I am not in favor of the use of AAS. In practice, these are used far too often when natural potential has not yet been maximized. Consider (possibly) using AAS only when you have fully utilized your natural potential at that time. So, first make sure you train and eat correctly and adequately for a few years before reaching for this elephant medicine. Also, make sure that your training and diet are consistent. Taking AAS won’t turn you from a skinny guy into the Hulk in a few days. If the foundation isn’t there, neither will the result.
- AAS and the results they offer can potentially be psychologically addictive. Be aware of this when you want to “try it out just once.”
- The sale of most AAS, and the possession and use without a medical prescription, is prohibited under the Medicines Act.
- The use of AAS can have various harmful side effects that can threaten health and be life-threatening if used incorrectly. Therefore, learn from those who have already gained experience and delve as much as possible into the subject before using AAS. Then ask yourself whether those few extra kilos of muscle mass are worth the risks.
