Dianabol (Methandrostenolone, Danabol, DBOL): Bodybuilding Anabolic Steroid Profile

The steroid was originally developed by John Bosley Zeigler, an American physician, and was released in the United States by Ciba in the 1960's.  The medication was used for muscle growth by bodybuilders until is was banned by the Food and Drug Administration under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. 

Dianabol is considered a Schedule III medication by the Drug Enforcement Agency, which means when it is obtained by a physician, the prescription is refillable up to five times within a six month period.

The medication is currently illegal in the United States without a prescription, and must be obtained by a physician for medical use only.  Production of Dianabol has ceased in most of Western Europe and the United States, however the drug is still manufactured in Mexico, Romania, Republic Moldava, Russia, Thailand and Bulgaria.

What is Dianabol?

Methandrostenolone/Methandienone is an oral anabolic steroid that goes by the brand or slang names of Dianabol, D-Bol, Anabol (pinks), Methanabol, Naposim, Danabol or Reforvit B.  Dianabol is a strong anabolic steroid which has high androgenic qualities.   The medication is also capable of interacting with the enzyme aromatase, which results in the possibility of estrogenic side effects. 

Dianabol: Effects on the Body

As with any type of medication, anabolic steroids such as Dianabol have a large number of side effects, including but not limited to the following:

• Estrogenic tendencies:  promotes the production of estrogen, which results in development and promotion and maintenance of female sexual characteristics.
• Gynecomastia: female breast development in males.
• Water retention
• Loss of muscle definition
• Acne on face, neck, thorax, shoulders and back
• Body/facial hair growth
• Male pattern baldness
• Liver damage
• Increases in protein synthesis
• Decrease in cell respiration
• Decrease red blood cell production
• Masculinization effects in women (facial hair, body hair, deepening of voice)
• High blood pressure
• Jaundice (an obstruction of the bile ducts, which produces a back up of bilirubin in the body)
• Cancer (from long term exposure to c17 alpha alkylated)
• Increased aggression levels

Dianabol: Fat Loss/Mass Gain/Strength Builder

Dianabol has both strong anabolic and androgenic action which means a noticeable increase in strength, force and muscle mass.  With the medication users can expect an increase of 1-2 kg of weight per week, which during the first 6 weeks of usage is normal.

With the dosage of Dianabol being varied, particularly among trainees, weight lifters and athletes, the medication dosage may fluctuate between 2-10 pills per day and in some cases higher.  The effects on weightlifters can be most noticed at a dosage between 15-40 mg per day.

For the beginning weight trainer, the dose should never be higher than 15-25 mg per day, this dosage is effective to yield noticeable results within an 8-10 week continuous cycle.  If the steroidal effects of Dianabol are decreased after an 8-week cycle, the medication can be used in conjunction with another injectable steroid, but the dose does not need to be increased.

For a weightlifter, good results can be obtained at a dosage of 20-30 mg per day of Dianabol combined with an additional 200-400 mg dose of Deca-Durabolin weekly.  For those who seek a strength increase and muscular definition, combing Dianabol with Oxandrolon or Winstrol, will yield desirable results.

Dianabol is not recommended for competition weight training because it causes significant water retention.  Women who wish to use Dianabol can experience desirable results at a dosage of 10-20 mg per day.  For women who do not experience any adverse side effects from using Dianabol, a dosage of 2-4 pastilles a day for a period of 4-6 weeks can be ideal.

Though Dianabol has many adverse side effects, but are rare for athletes who take a dose of 20 mg per day.  The main side long-term side effect of Dianabol is liver damage, which can be experienced at both high and low doses.

Dianabol: Cycle

Dianabol has an active life of between 6-8 hours, with a half-life of around 3-4 hours.  A single daily dose of Dianabol will produce a varying blood level, with fluctuations experienced throughout the day.  A person can take a dose in whole form or split up the tablets during the day, by dividing up the dose the user will be better able to control blood concentration levels.

An average dose of Dianabol for males is between 15-50 mg per day and for women between 5-10 mg per day.  Being the preferable steroid for men, even a moderate amount of Dianabol will result in extreme masculinizing characteristics in women.

Dianabol: Use and Abuse in Bodybuilding 

Dianabol is a fast-acting anabolic steroid which works quickly and quite effectively on the body.  Depending upon the desired effects, athletes, weightlifters and power lifters will have a wide dosage range with Dianabol.  The daily dose range, depending upon the individual can range anywhere from 2-20 tablets per day, though an effective dose for athletes would be around 15-40 mg per day.

One reason that Dianabol is preferred for use in athletes is because of the medications ability to reduce endogenous cortisone levels by as much as 50-70%, which slows the rate of protein breakdown in the muscles. 

Any type of medication has the capacity to be used and abused, anabolic steroids are no different.  By law, there are steroids that have been approved for the treatment of valid medical conditions, however, non-medical use is illegal and is considered to be a form of abuse.

Russian Dianabol

Though illegal in the United States, methandrostenolone can be obtained legally, without a prescription in the form of Russian Dianabol.   Russian Dianabol is both side effect and steroid free, which makes it a safe choice for the purposes of performance enhancement.

Russian Dianabol comes in a package push-out strips which contain 10-tablets apiece.  The strips are contained in a green colored box and held in place with a black rubber band.  The imprinting on the box is written in either blue or black and the tablets have no indentions, with the substance amounts listed in gram form. 

There have been reports of desirable results being witnessed in dosages of between 2-4 pills per day, while others have yielded results of increase in mass experienced at a dose of between 4-8 pills per day. 

Overview

Because of the potential for harm to users, steroids are prohibited in a large number of countries.  Steroids should only be used for valid medical purposes and under the close and careful supervision of a licensed physician.  The use of steroidal medications should never be taken lightly because of the high potential for abuse, the drugs side effects can be damaging and result in death.