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For you to fully appreciate the things I am going to discuss in this article you have to have a background on how anabolic steroids are screened for activity. As you know, anabolic steroids are derivatives of testosterone which share two types of activity – muscle building (deemed anabolic) and non muscle male sex hormone related activity (deemed androgenic).
The goal of researchers in the golden age of anabolic steroid research (1935-1965) was to synthesize a compound which retained a high degree of anabolic activity coupled with a vastly diminished androgenic activity. This property was quantified using what is known as the Anabolic / Androgenic ratio (A/A ratio). The goal was not so much to produce a compound that was strongly anabolic, but rather the goal was to produce a compound with the highest possible A/A ratio. You must understand that the market for anabolic steroids was not bodybuilders / athletes but geriatric patients, patients recovering from surgery or injury, or those suffering from weakness or catabolism secondary to some other disease. These can include men and women, and even children. It was therefore paramount to avoid any virilizing effects when providing such people anabolic treatment, and so an anabolic agent with a very low A/A ratio was needed.
To determine the A/A ratio, scientists utilized a test called the Rat Levator Ani Assay. In this test, scientists use two groups of castrated rats. The rats are castrated to remove any interfering influence from fluctuating natural androgen levels. The first group of rats are a control group that receives a placebo, while the second group receives the steroid (either by injection or orally). After a period of time (several days to weeks) the rats are sacrificed. Researchers then isolate three organs from each of the rats – the seminal vesicles, ventral prostate, and levator ani muscle. These organs are all weighed and a comparison of the active group to the placebo groups is made. The differences in weights for the seminal vesicles and ventral prostate represent androgenic activity, while the difference in the weight of the levator ani muscles in the control and active group represent anabolic activity.
To give a landmark against which to gauge the relative activities of each steroid in this assay, a standard is used in some of the rats in the active group. This standard is usually testosterone, testosterone propionate, or 17alpha-methyltestosterone (MT) and the results obtained from the rats given this standard are designated an arbitrary number of 1 for anabolic activity and 1 for androgenic activity. Therefore these standard androgens are said to have an A/A ratio of 1.
Make sense? To tell you the truth I understood this before but I think in the process of writing it down I just confused myself. Anyway, lets look at some steroids.
Of course out of all the work done during the 30 year heyday of anabolic steroid research came many wonderful compounds. Nandrolone was found to be a steroid with anabolic potency comparable to testosterone but with substantially diminished androgenic activity. Stanozolol (Winstrol) was found to be an orally active androgen with enhanced anabolic activity and reduced androgenic activity relative to MT. Methenolone (Primobolan) on the other hand had slightly diminished anabolic acitivity compared to testosterone, but due to its ultra-low androgenic activity possessed a very favorable A/A ratio. It also was found to be orally active.
As I said before there are many great drugs that never made it to market and there are several possible reasons why these fell through the cracks. In the case of anabolic steroids specifically there are many powerful anabolics that simply did not have a favorable enough A/A ratio. In other words, they were too androgenic. This obviously is of little concern to male bodybuilders and athletes, but for doctors and patients in the clinical settings for which they were developed too much androgenic activity is a definite no-no.
Compound:---------------------------------Androgenic------Anabolic
1-Testosterone------------------------------------100------200
Anabolicum Vister(Quinbolone)(oral Boldenone)--------50------100
Anadrol 50(Oxymetholone)---------------------------45------320
Anadur(Nandrolone Hexyloxyphenylpropionate)---------37-----125
Anatrofin(Stenbolone Acetate)------------------107-144-----267-332
Anavar(Oxandrolone)--------------------------------24------322-630
Andractim(Dihydrotestosteron)-------------------30-260-----60-220
Andriol(Testosterone Undecanoate)-----------------100------100
Androderm(Testosterone)---------------------------100------100
Androgel(Testosterone)-----------------------------100------100
Boldabol(Boldenone Acetate)-------------------------50------100
Cheque Drops(Mibolerone)-------------------------1,800------4,100
Danocrine(Danazol)----------------------------------37------125
Deca-Durabolin(Nandrolone Decanoate)---------------37------125
Deposterona(Testosterone Blend)-------------------100------100
Dianabol(Methandrostenolone)--------------------40-60------90-210
Dimethyltrienolone------------------------------10,000+-----10,000+
Dinandrol(Nandrolone Blend)--------------------------37------125
Durabolin(NPP)--------------------------------------37------125
Dynabol(Nandrolone Cypionate)----------------------37------125
Equipoise(Boldenone Undecylenate)------------------50------100
Esiclene(Formebolone)----------------------------No Data Available
Genabol(Norbolethone)------------------------------17------350
Halotestin(Fluoxymesterone)-----------------------850------1,900
Hydroxytestosterone--------------------------------25------65
Laurabolin(Nandrolone Laurate)----------------------37------125
Madol(Desoxymethyltestosterone)------------------187------1,200
Masteron(Drostanolone Propionate)---------------25-40------62-130
Megagrisevit-Mono(Clostebol Acetate)---------------25------46
MENT(Methylnortestosterone Acetate)--------------650------2,300
Mestanolone-----------------------------------78-254------107
Methandriol(Mythelandrostenediol)----------------30-60------20-60
Methyl-1-Testosterone------------------------100-220------910-1,600
Methyldienolone-------------------------------200-300------1,000
Methylhydroxynandrolone(MHN)---------------------281------1304
Methyltestosterone-----------------------------94-130------115-150
Metribolone(Methyltrienolone)---------------6,000-7,000------12,000-30,000
Miotolan(Furazabol)------------------------------73-94------270-330
Myagen(Bolasterone)-------------------------------300------575
Nilevar(Norethandrolone)-------------------------22-55------100-200
Omnadren(Testosterone Blend)---------------------100------100
Orabolin(Ethylestrenol)--------------------------20-400------200-400
Oral Turinabol------------------------------------None------100+
Oranabol(Oxymesterone)----------------------------50------330
Orgasteron(Normethandrolone)-----------------325-580------110-125
Parabolan(Tren Hexahydrobenzycarbonate)----------500------500
Primobolan(Methenolone Acetate)-----------------44-57------88
Primobolan Depot(Methenolone Enanthate)--------44-57------88
Prostanozol----------------------------------------n/a------n/a
Protabol(Thiomesterone)----------------------------61------456
Proviron(Mesterolone)---------------------------30-40------100-150
Sanabolicum(Nandrolone Cyclohexylpropionate)------37------125
Steranabol Ritardo(Oxabolone Cypionate)---------20-60------50-90
Superdrol(Methyldrostanolone)---------------------400------20
Sustanon 100 & 250-------------------------------100------100
Synovex(Testosterone Propionate & Estradiol)-------100------100
Test 400------------------------------------------100------100
Test Enanthate/Cypionate/Propionate/Susp & Blends-100------100
THG(Tetrahydrogestrinone)-----------------------No Data Available
Tren Acetate/Enanthate & Blends-------------------500------500
Winstrol(Stanozolol)---------------------------------30------320
The goal of researchers in the golden age of anabolic steroid research (1935-1965) was to synthesize a compound which retained a high degree of anabolic activity coupled with a vastly diminished androgenic activity. This property was quantified using what is known as the Anabolic / Androgenic ratio (A/A ratio). The goal was not so much to produce a compound that was strongly anabolic, but rather the goal was to produce a compound with the highest possible A/A ratio. You must understand that the market for anabolic steroids was not bodybuilders / athletes but geriatric patients, patients recovering from surgery or injury, or those suffering from weakness or catabolism secondary to some other disease. These can include men and women, and even children. It was therefore paramount to avoid any virilizing effects when providing such people anabolic treatment, and so an anabolic agent with a very low A/A ratio was needed.
To determine the A/A ratio, scientists utilized a test called the Rat Levator Ani Assay. In this test, scientists use two groups of castrated rats. The rats are castrated to remove any interfering influence from fluctuating natural androgen levels. The first group of rats are a control group that receives a placebo, while the second group receives the steroid (either by injection or orally). After a period of time (several days to weeks) the rats are sacrificed. Researchers then isolate three organs from each of the rats – the seminal vesicles, ventral prostate, and levator ani muscle. These organs are all weighed and a comparison of the active group to the placebo groups is made. The differences in weights for the seminal vesicles and ventral prostate represent androgenic activity, while the difference in the weight of the levator ani muscles in the control and active group represent anabolic activity.
To give a landmark against which to gauge the relative activities of each steroid in this assay, a standard is used in some of the rats in the active group. This standard is usually testosterone, testosterone propionate, or 17alpha-methyltestosterone (MT) and the results obtained from the rats given this standard are designated an arbitrary number of 1 for anabolic activity and 1 for androgenic activity. Therefore these standard androgens are said to have an A/A ratio of 1.
Make sense? To tell you the truth I understood this before but I think in the process of writing it down I just confused myself. Anyway, lets look at some steroids.
Of course out of all the work done during the 30 year heyday of anabolic steroid research came many wonderful compounds. Nandrolone was found to be a steroid with anabolic potency comparable to testosterone but with substantially diminished androgenic activity. Stanozolol (Winstrol) was found to be an orally active androgen with enhanced anabolic activity and reduced androgenic activity relative to MT. Methenolone (Primobolan) on the other hand had slightly diminished anabolic acitivity compared to testosterone, but due to its ultra-low androgenic activity possessed a very favorable A/A ratio. It also was found to be orally active.
As I said before there are many great drugs that never made it to market and there are several possible reasons why these fell through the cracks. In the case of anabolic steroids specifically there are many powerful anabolics that simply did not have a favorable enough A/A ratio. In other words, they were too androgenic. This obviously is of little concern to male bodybuilders and athletes, but for doctors and patients in the clinical settings for which they were developed too much androgenic activity is a definite no-no.
Compound:---------------------------------Androgenic------Anabolic
1-Testosterone------------------------------------100------200
Anabolicum Vister(Quinbolone)(oral Boldenone)--------50------100
Anadrol 50(Oxymetholone)---------------------------45------320
Anadur(Nandrolone Hexyloxyphenylpropionate)---------37-----125
Anatrofin(Stenbolone Acetate)------------------107-144-----267-332
Anavar(Oxandrolone)--------------------------------24------322-630
Andractim(Dihydrotestosteron)-------------------30-260-----60-220
Andriol(Testosterone Undecanoate)-----------------100------100
Androderm(Testosterone)---------------------------100------100
Androgel(Testosterone)-----------------------------100------100
Boldabol(Boldenone Acetate)-------------------------50------100
Cheque Drops(Mibolerone)-------------------------1,800------4,100
Danocrine(Danazol)----------------------------------37------125
Deca-Durabolin(Nandrolone Decanoate)---------------37------125
Deposterona(Testosterone Blend)-------------------100------100
Dianabol(Methandrostenolone)--------------------40-60------90-210
Dimethyltrienolone------------------------------10,000+-----10,000+
Dinandrol(Nandrolone Blend)--------------------------37------125
Durabolin(NPP)--------------------------------------37------125
Dynabol(Nandrolone Cypionate)----------------------37------125
Equipoise(Boldenone Undecylenate)------------------50------100
Esiclene(Formebolone)----------------------------No Data Available
Genabol(Norbolethone)------------------------------17------350
Halotestin(Fluoxymesterone)-----------------------850------1,900
Hydroxytestosterone--------------------------------25------65
Laurabolin(Nandrolone Laurate)----------------------37------125
Madol(Desoxymethyltestosterone)------------------187------1,200
Masteron(Drostanolone Propionate)---------------25-40------62-130
Megagrisevit-Mono(Clostebol Acetate)---------------25------46
MENT(Methylnortestosterone Acetate)--------------650------2,300
Mestanolone-----------------------------------78-254------107
Methandriol(Mythelandrostenediol)----------------30-60------20-60
Methyl-1-Testosterone------------------------100-220------910-1,600
Methyldienolone-------------------------------200-300------1,000
Methylhydroxynandrolone(MHN)---------------------281------1304
Methyltestosterone-----------------------------94-130------115-150
Metribolone(Methyltrienolone)---------------6,000-7,000------12,000-30,000
Miotolan(Furazabol)------------------------------73-94------270-330
Myagen(Bolasterone)-------------------------------300------575
Nilevar(Norethandrolone)-------------------------22-55------100-200
Omnadren(Testosterone Blend)---------------------100------100
Orabolin(Ethylestrenol)--------------------------20-400------200-400
Oral Turinabol------------------------------------None------100+
Oranabol(Oxymesterone)----------------------------50------330
Orgasteron(Normethandrolone)-----------------325-580------110-125
Parabolan(Tren Hexahydrobenzycarbonate)----------500------500
Primobolan(Methenolone Acetate)-----------------44-57------88
Primobolan Depot(Methenolone Enanthate)--------44-57------88
Prostanozol----------------------------------------n/a------n/a
Protabol(Thiomesterone)----------------------------61------456
Proviron(Mesterolone)---------------------------30-40------100-150
Sanabolicum(Nandrolone Cyclohexylpropionate)------37------125
Steranabol Ritardo(Oxabolone Cypionate)---------20-60------50-90
Superdrol(Methyldrostanolone)---------------------400------20
Sustanon 100 & 250-------------------------------100------100
Synovex(Testosterone Propionate & Estradiol)-------100------100
Test 400------------------------------------------100------100
Test Enanthate/Cypionate/Propionate/Susp & Blends-100------100
THG(Tetrahydrogestrinone)-----------------------No Data Available
Tren Acetate/Enanthate & Blends-------------------500------500
Winstrol(Stanozolol)---------------------------------30------320
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