Types of Steroids: Nandrolone Analogues or Dihydrotestosterone Derivatives

There essentially exists only one Nandrolone derivative that is conventionally and commercially available: Trenbolone. Although other Nandrolone analogues have been developed, they are not commonly known and are not very popular for one reason or another. Nandrolone itself cannot technically be counted, as it is not a derivative – it IS Nandrolone. Therefore, the only Nandrolone analogue of question here is Trenbolone.

Nandrolone and Tren belong to a special unique category of anabolic steroids known as Progestins. Nandrolone itself is quite structurally similar to Testosterone. However, Nandrolone differs from Testosterone due to the lack of the 19th carbon. This is why Nandrolone and Trenbolone are often referred to as 19-nortestosterone compounds, meaning a carbon atom is missing at the 19th position. As such, any compound relating to (or is a derivative of) Nandrolone is also commonly referred to as a ’19-nor’ compound, including Nandrolone itself.

Trenbolone being a Nandrolone derivative is of course missing the aforementioned carbon atom at the 19th position (which is in reality a whole methyl group) and this carbon atom is instead replaced by double-bonds between the two carbon atoms that the 19th carbon was originally bound with (this
differs from Nandrolone where the lacking 19th carbon is simply replaced with a hydrogen atom instead of double-bonds in Trenbolone’s case). This lack of a 19th carbon is what increases the resistance of 19-nor compounds to interaction with the aromatase enzyme and therefore very resistant to any Estrogen conversion – however, this is not the whole story for Trenbolone when it comes to aromatization. Trenbolone also contains modifications at carbons 19 and 11, where one hydrogen atom was removed from each carbon so that carbons 19 and 11 become double-bonded with their neighboring carbon atoms in their respective cycloalkane rings. These additional modifications of double-bonds at carbon 19 and 11 are what provides Trenbolone not just increased resistance to aromatization, but to become completely immune to it and be unable to interact what so ever with the aromatase enzyme. These different modifications are also responsible for granting Trenbolone with the extreme anabolic and androgenic strength ratings it is so well known for.

19-nor Progestational compounds such as Nandrolone and Trenbolone exhibit various effects and side effects in the body that are unique only to 19-nor compounds, and are not seen among any other types of steroids. Studies have demonstrated that 19-nor anabolic steroids tend to exhibit binding affinity for the Progesterone receptors in the body. Trenbolone in particular possesses very strong binding affinity (much stronger than Nandrolone) for the Progesterone receptor 1. As mentioned above, this is one of the factors involved where Trenbolone possesses side effects that are almost never seen in other anabolic steroids that are not Progestins. Progestogenic side effects are almost identical to Estrogenic side effects, and they include: severe endogenous Testosterone production shutdown/suppression, gynecomastia, and water retention. It has been determined that the activity of Progestins is closely correlated with the activity of Estrogen in the body. This is why care must be taken to understand the Progestogenic properties of Nandrolone and its derivatives before using them, as well as how to properly deal with the associated Progestogenic effects.

19-nor compounds (Nandrolone derivatives) are preferred by athletes and bodybuilders for many of the same reasons that they would prefer DHT derivatives. 19-nor compounds are either highly resistant to aromatization, or do not aromatize into Estrogen at all (in Trenbolone’s case), and therefore eliminate the potential for Estrogen-related side effects such as water retention/bloating and gynecomastia. These types of steroids also do not interact with the 5AR enzyme, or they interact with it in very miniscule amounts (in Nandrolone’s case). However, Progestogenic effects are a concern that must be fully understood. For a further in-depth description of what these Progestin effects are, please refer to the specific profiles for both Nandrolone as well as Trenbolone where this is delved into greater detail.

Prohormone Cycle

So you have decided to embark upon your very first adventure known as a prohormone cycle! Without a doubt, you are going to enjoy the results that you are about to see. A prohormone cycle is very similar to a steroid cycle. You can’t run it as long, and it’s going to be a lot more intense, but in the end you’re probably going to see some serious muscle and strength gain, coupled with some fat loss, without the detriment of too much harm to your body.

Length
Standard steroid cycles can last up to 16 weeks, depending upon the intensity of compounds you are running. A simple cycle of 400 mg of Testosterone Cypionate could be run for up to four months, if needed. Your liver probably wouldn’t experience too much stress from such a low dose. Granted, if you decided to add 200 mg per week of Nandrolone Decanoate to your stack, it would suddenly become necessary to limit it to 10 to 12 weeks. The more compounds you added, the more intense the cycle would become – and thus the more negative the side effects. Prohormones, as you may know, are some seriously intense compounds. Many have been banned because, well, they’re just too powerful for some users who tend to use them for too long. If you are ready to run a prohormone cycle, then you are going to want to keep it limited to 6 to 8 weeks at a time, depending upon the instructions that come with the compound. Ideally, you will also want to have a doctor check your blood levels to ensure your liver enzymes don’t jump in too significant of a manner during this stretch as well. Staying on a prohormone cycle too long might feel good at first, but the negative changes you’ll see in the long run certainly won’t be worth it.

Intensity
As mentioned, prohormone cycles are very intense. Be prepared for this. Give your body a break before and after running each cycle. If you are sick or recovering from a serious illness, hold off on the cycle until you feel you are ready. There is nothing wrong with putting off a prohormone cycle. The gains will always be there when you’re ready.

Frequency
Following each cycle of 6 to 8 weeks, give your body a break of 8 to 10 weeks to fully recover from the cycle you just subjected it to. We aren’t machines. We are living beings who are very fragile when it comes to exposing our internal organs to stressful compounds. Don’t risk your health by running prohormone cycles too often.

Obtaining compounds
Choose a prohormone supplement that will be readily available should you like it, and wish to return to using it down the road. Many supplements are offered by new companies which quickly fail, or the supplement themselves are quickly banned. Instead, choose a supplement such as Mesobolin, Oral Testibol, or others that have been around for years, delivering solid results to users.