Testosterone Ester Report
http://www.sover.net/~timw/ester.htm
One of the most misunderstood subjects in the world of steroids is the
ester--the mechanism by which injectable esterified steroids like testosterone
cypionate, testosterone enanthate, and Sustanon work. If you take a quick look
around the Internet you will probably find countless articles that consider one
form of a steroid far more effective than another. Arguments over the
superiority of cypionate to enanthate, or Sustanon to all other testosterones
are of course very common. Such arguments are in all practicality, baseless. In
this report we'll take an authoritative look at the ester and what specifically
it does to a steroid.
WHAT AN ESTER IS, AND HOW IT WORKS
I'm sure that if you have taken an interest in anabolic steroids you have
noticed the similarities on the labeling of many drugs. Let's look at
testosterone for example. One can find compounds like testosterone cypionate,
enanthate, propionate, heptylate; caproate, phenylpropionate, isocaproate,
decanoate, acetate, the list goes on and on. In all such cases the parent
hormone is testosterone, which had been modified by adding an ester (enanthate,
propionate etc.) to its structure. The following question arises: What is the
difference between the various esterified versions of testosterone in regards to
their use in bodybuilding?
An ester is a chain composed primarily of carbon and hydrogen atoms. This chain
is typically attached to the parent steroid hormone at the 17th carbon position
(beta orientation), although some compounds do carry esters at position 3 (for
the purposes of this article it is not crucial to understand the exact position
of the ester). Esterification of an injectable anabolic/androgenic steroid
basically accomplishes one thing; it slows the release of the parent steroid
from the site of injection. This happens because the ester will notably lower
the water solubility of the steroid, and increase its lipid (fat) solubility.
This will cause the drug to form a deposit in the muscle tissue, from which it
will slowly enter into circulation as it is picked up in small quantities by the
blood. Generally, the longer the ester chain, the lower the water solubility of
the compound, and the longer it will take to for the full dosage to reach
general circulation.
Slowing the release of the parent steroid is a great benefit in steroid
medicine, as free testosterone (or other steroid hormones) previously would
remain active in the body for a very short period of time (typically hours).
This would necessitate an unpleasant daily injection schedule if one wished to
maintain a continuous elevation of testosterone (the goal of testosterone
replacement therapy). By adding an ester, the patient can visit the doctor as
infrequently as once per month for his injection, instead of having to
constantly re-administer the drug to achieve a therapeutic effect. Clearly
without the use of an ester, therapy with an injectable anabolic/androgen would
be much more difficult.
Esterification temporarily deactivates the steroid molecule. With a chain
blocking the 17th beta position, binding to the androgen receptor is not
possible (it can exert no activity in the body). In order for the compound to
become active the ester must therefore first be removed. This automatically
occurs once the compound has filtered into blood circulation, where esterase
enzymes quickly cleave off (hydrolyze) the ester chain. This will restore the
necessary hydroxyl (OH) group at the 17th beta position, enabling the drug to
attach to the appropriate receptor. Now and only now will the steroid be able to
have an effect on skeletal muscle tissue. You can start to see why considering
testosterone cypionate much more potent than enanthate makes little sense, as
your muscles are seeing only free testosterone no matter what ester was used to
deploy it.
ACTIONS OF DIFFERENT ESTERS
There are many different esters that are used with anabolic/androgenic steroids,
but again, they all do basically the same thing. Esters vary only in their
ability to reduce a steroid's water solubility. An ester like propionate for
example will slow the release of a steroid for a few days, while the duration
will be weeks with a decanoate ester. Esters have no effect on the tendency for
the parent steroid to convert to estrogen or DHT (dihydrotestosterone: a more
potent metabolite) nor will it effect the overall muscle-building potency of the
compound. Any differences in results and side effects that may be noted by
bodybuilders who have used various esterified versions of the same base steroid
are just issues of timing. Testosterone enanthate causes estrogen related
problems more readily than Sustanon, simply because with enanthate testosterone
levels will peak and trough much sooner (1-2 week release duration as opposed to
3 or 4). Likewise testosterone suspension is the worst in regards to gyno and
water bloat because blood hormone levels peak so quickly with this drug. Instead
of waiting weeks for testosterone levels to rise to their highest point, here we
are at most looking at a couple of days. Given an equal blood level of
testosterone, there would be no difference in the rate of aromatization or DHT
conversion between different esters. There is simply no mechanism for this to be
possible.
There is however one way that we can say an ester does technically effect
potency; it is calculated in the steroid weight. The heavier the ester chain,
the greater is its percentage of the total weight. In the case of testosterone
enanthate for example, 250mg of esterified steroid (testosterone enanthate) is
equal to only 180mg of free testosterone. 70mgs out of each 250mg injection is
the weight of the ester. If we wanted to be really picky, we could consider
enanthate slightly MORE potent than cypionate (I know this goes against popular
thinking) as its ester chain contains one less carbon atom (therefore taking up
a slightly smaller percentage of total weight). Propionate would of course come
out on top of the three, releasing a measurable (but not significant) amount
more testosterone per injection than cypionate or enanthate.
IN CONCLUSION
While the advent of esters certainly constitutes an invaluable advance in the
field of anabolic steroid medicine, clearly you can see that there is no magic
involved here. Esters work in a well-understood and predictable manner, and do
not alter the activity of the parent steroid in any way other than to delay its
release. Although the lure surrounding various steroid products like
testosterone cypionate, Sustanon, Omnadren etc. certainly makes for interesting
conversation, realistically it just amounts to misinformation that the athlete
would be better off ignoring. Testosterone is testosterone and anyone who is
going to tell you one ester form of this (or any) hormone is much better than
another one should do a little more research, and a lot less talking.
ESTER PROFILES
Sustanon: The "king" of
testosterone blends.
The four different testosterone esters in this product certainly look appealing
to the consumer, there is no denying that. But for the athlete I think it is all
just a matter of marketing (Hell, why buy one ester when you can get four?). In
clinical situations I can see some strong uses for it. If you were undergoing
testosterone replacement therapy for example, you would probably find Sustanon a
much more comfortable option than testosterone enanthate. You would need to
visit the doctor less frequently for an injection, and blood levels should be
more steadily maintained between treatments. But for the bodybuilder who is
injecting 4 ampules of Sustanon per week, there is no advantage over other
testosterone products. In fact, the high price tag for Sustanon usually makes it
a very poor buy in the face of cheaper testosterone enanthate/cypionate.
Bodybuilders should probably stop looking at the four ester issue, and stick
with totals (Sustanon is just a 250mg testosterone ampule). Were enanthate to be
available for say $10 per amp of 250mg, and Sustanon priced nearly double that,
buying the Sustanon would be like throwing money away. If you could get nearly
double the milligram amount for the same price with enanthate, this is the
better product to go with hands down. Leave the high priced stuff for the guys
who don't know any better.
Acetate: Chemical
Structure C2H4O2.
Also referred to as Acetic Acid; Ethylic acid; Vinegar acid; vinegar;
Methanecarboxylic acid. Acetate esters delay the release of a steroid for only a
couple of days. Contrary to what you may have read, acetate esters do not
increase the tendency for fat removal. Again, there is no known mechanism for it
to do so. This ester is used on oral primobolan tablets (metenolone acetate),
Finaplix (trenbolone acetate) implant pellets, and occasionally testosterone.
Propionate: Chemical
Structure C3H6O2.
Also referred to as Carboxyethane; hydroacrylic acid; Methylacetic acid;
Ethylformic acid; Ethanecarboxylic acid; metacetonic acid; pseudoacetic acid;
Propionic Acid. Propionate esters will slow the release of a steroid for several
days. To keep blood levels from fluctuating greatly, propionate compounds are
usually injected two to three times weekly. Testosterone propionate and
methandriol dipropionate (two separate propionate esters attached to the parent
steroid methandriol) are popular items.
Phenylpropionate: Chemical
Structure C9H10O2.
Also referred to as Propionic Acid Phenyl Ester. Phenylpropionate will extend
the release of active steroid a few days longer than propionate. To keep blood
levels even, injections are given at least twice weekly. Durabolin is the drug
most commonly seen with a phenylpropionate ester (nandrolone phenylpropionate),
although it is also used with testosterone in Sustanon and Omnadren.
Isocarpoate: Chemical
Structure C6H12O2.
Also referred to as Isocaproic Acid; isohexanoate; 4-methylvaleric acid.
Isocaproate begins to near enanthate in terms of release. The duration is still
shorter, with a notable hormone level being sustained for approximately one
week. This ester is used with testosterone in the blended products Sustanon and
Omnadren.
Caproate: Chemical
Structure C6H12O2.
Also referred to as Hexanoic acid; hexanoate; n-Caproic Acid; n-Hexoic acid;
butylacetic acid; pentiformic acid; pentylformic acid; n-hexylic acid;
1-pentanecarboxylic acid; hexoic acid; 1-hexanoic acid; Hexylic acid; Caproic
acid. This ester is identical to isocarpoate in terms of atom count and weight,
but is laid out slightly different (Isocaproate has a split configuration,
difficult to explain here but easy to see on paper). Release duration would be
very similar to isocaproate (levels sustained for approximately one weak),
perhaps coming slightly closer to enanthate due to its straight chain. Caproate
is the slowest releasing ester used in Omnadren, which is why most athletes
notice more water retention with this compound.
Enanthate: Chemical
Structure C7H14O2.
Also referred to as heptanoic acid; enanthic acid; enanthylic acid; heptylic
acid; heptoic acid; Oenanthylic acid; Oenanthic acid. Enanthate is one of the
most prominent esters used in steroid manufacture (most commonly seen with
testosterone but is also used in other compounds like Primobolan Depot).
Enanthate will release a steady (yet fluctuating as all esters are) level of
hormone for approximately 10-14 days. Although in medicine enanthate compounds
are often injected on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, athletes will inject at
least weekly to help maintain a uniform blood level.
Cypionate: Chemical
Structure C8H14O2.
Also referred to as Cyclopentylpropionic acid, cyclopentylpropionate. Cypionate
is a very popular ester here in the U.S., although it is scarcely found outside
this region. Its release duration is almost identical to enanthate (10-14 days),
and the two are likewise thought to be interchangeable in U.S. medicine.
Althletes commonly hold the belief than cypionate is more powerful than
enanthate, although realistically there is little difference between the two.
The enanthate ester is in fact slightly smaller than cypionate, and it therefore
releases a small (perhaps a few milligrams) amount of steroid more in
comparison.
Decanoate: Chemical
Structure C10H20O2.
Also referred to as decanoic acid; capric acid; caprinic acid; decylic acid,
Nonanecarboxylic acid. The Decanoate ester is most commonly used with the
hormone nandrolone (as in Deca-Durabolin) and is found in virtually all corners
of the world. Testosterone decanoate is also the longest acting constituent in
Sustanon, greatly extending its release duration. The release time with
Decanoate compounds is listed to be as long as one month, although most recently
we are finding that levels seem to drop significantly after two weeks. To keep
blood levels more uniform, athletes (as they have always known to do) will
follow a weekly injection schedule.
Undecylenate: Chemical
Structure C11H20O2.
Also referred to as Undecylenic acid; Hendecenoic acid; Undecenoic acid. This
ester is very similar to decanoate, containing only one carbon atom more. Its
release duration is likewise very similar (approximately 2-3 weeks), perhaps
extending a day or so past that seen with decanoate. Undecylenate seems to be
exclusive to the veterinary preparation Equipoise (boldenone undecylenate),
although there is no reason it would not work well in human-use preparations
(Equipoise certainly works fine for athletes). Again, weekly injections are most
common.
Undecanoate: Chemical
Structure C11H22O2.
Also referred to as Undecanoic Acid; 1-Decanecarboxylic acid; Hendecanoic acid;
Undecylic acid. Undecanoate is not a commonly found ester, and only appears to
be used in the nandrolone preparation Dynabolan, and oral testosterone
undecanoate (Andriol). Since this ester is chemically very similar to
undecylenate (it is only 2 hydrogen atoms larger), it has a similar release
duration (approximately 2-3 weeks). Although this ester is used in the oral
preparation Andriol, there is no reason to believe it carries any properties
unique of other esters. Andriol in fact works very poorly at delivering
testosterone, bolstering the idea that oral administration is not the idea use
of esterified androgens.
Laurate: Chemical
structure C12H24O2.
Also referred to as Dodecanoic acid, laurostearic acid, duodecyclic acid,
1-undecanecarboxylic acid, and dodecoic acid. Laurate is the longest releasing
ester used in commercial steroid production, although longer acting esters do
exist. Its release duration would be closer to one month than the other esters
listed above, although realistically we are probably to expect a notable drop in
hormone level after the third week. Laurate is exclusively found in the
veterinary nandrolone preparation Laurabolin, perhaps seen as slightly
advantageous over a decanoate ester due to a less frequent injection schedule.
Again athletes will most commonly inject this drug weekly, no doubt in part due
to its low strength (25mg/ml or 50mg/ml).