Androstenediol
is sold in pharmacies in Germany under the trade name Stenadiol and throughout Europe under the name Methandrol as an anabolic steroid. Considered by many European countries to be too strong for sale as a nutritional supplement, the laws in the US differ from those across the Atlantic. Since 5-AD is technically speaking a steroid precursor, it falls into the same category as Androstenedione and Norandrostenedione and for now is completely legal to sell and possess in the U.S. Although 5-AD does not provide as great a testosterone conversion as 4-AD, 5-AD has proven to be extremely anabolic in it's unconverted form. This means that 5-AD does not seem to require testosterone conversion to build muscle. This unique property makes it is far less androgenic than androstenedione which in turn makes it far less likely to cause unwanted side effects. Lastly, 5-AD has been shown to suppress Cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is the catabolic hormone that is released during heavy lifting and can cause muscle deterioration and can prevent muscle growth. 5-AD has also shown the ability to boost ones immune system by increasing your body's resistance to infections. Some bodybuilders have taken this product along with anabolic steroids or pro hormones to boost their immune systems lowered by anabolics.
It began with DHEA and the new supplement laws established only a few years ago in the United States…naturally occurring steroidal hormones/prohormones meeting certain criteria could be offered to the public as nutritional agents. With DHEA established as a precedent, other steroidal compounds were soon to follow. Androstenedione was introduced next as a potential pro-hormone that could significantly raise testosterone levels. Although efficacious to a certain degree, many people found this compound too harsh on the system (accelerated hair-loss, gynocomastia problems, and oily/acne prone skin). 5-Androstenediol falls under the same legal classification as DHEA. Now for the first side of 5-androstenediol…this compound (androstenediol) has been sold in the past in certain countries as a legitimate anabolic steroid. Many of you will recognize the name Methandriol and indeed this is the oral, 17-alpha alkylated version of androstenediol. Methandriol is a very popular anabolic steroid that is still used throughout the world and especially in Australian veterinary anabolic steroid preparations. It is known to have moderate androgenic properties with fairly high anabolic properties. Androstenediol was always sold as an injectable steroid and was also known for being moderately androgenic and highly anabolic. In the United States, androstenediol was never sold or recognized as an anabolic steroid, is naturally occurring, and thus can be sold legally as a nutritional compound-meet 5-androstenediol.
Again, 5-androstenediol is totally legal at this time and although some individuals will swear that it is a controlled substance, the DEA's steroidal technical expert personally told me that androstenediol is not considered an anabolic steroid and is perfectly legal at this time. Androstenediol has been shown to be at least 100 times more potent than DHEA in regulating systemic resistance against various lethal infections. Androstenediol has been shown to protect against virus induced myocardiopathy, pancreopathy, and mortality. In addition to its protective effects, androstenediol induced a 3-4 fold proliferation of the spleen and thymus in virus infected hosts. Strenthening the Immune system in beneficial for muscle building because a weak immune system will not only cause a person to be susceptible to frequent illnesses but will also chronically impair an individual's sense of well-being as well as his recuperative abilities. Books could probably be written on this subject but take it as fact: a strong immune system is a VITAL link to feeling better, looking better, and performing better.
As I continued to review the research regarding androstenediol, there is some research which shows that androstenediol has moderate antiglucocorticoid function (third side). This function of androstenediol probably explains at least to some extent why it has such potent immune system stimulating properties. Glucocorticoids, like cortisol, suppress the immune system, preventing lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production. Thus, by being an antiglucocorticoid, androstenediol blunts your body's natural suppressive effect on its immune system. Glucocorticoids are also catabolic to muscle tissue, venous tissue, connective tissue, as well as just about any other proteinaceous tissue in the body. Thus, androstenediol can be considered a potent anticatabolic as it halts the destructive nature of cortisol on proteinaceous tissues.
A person supplementing with 5-androstenediol should thus experience venous hypertrophy (enhanced vascularity), stronger muscles, and a noticeable weight gain from increased lean mass. Most evident in the research done on androstenediol is its ability to interfere at the receptor level in estrogenic stimulation (fourth facet). Indeed, androstenediol has been shown to bind at least to some degree to the estrogen receptor. This does not mean that it is strogenic though, research shows that although it binds to the estrogen receptor, it is much less estrogenic than estriol or estradiol and thus logically when it binds to the receptor it will cause much less of an estrogenic response.
Finally, many individuals have used the orally active Methandriol for decades without any noticeable problems with an estrogenic response. I think it is thus safe to assume that an estrogenic response will not be a problem with 5-androstenediol. In fact, from all the evidence, I would feel safe in assuming that one will experience some degree of an anti-estrogen effect. The fifth and last facet of androstenediol is its side effect profile. It is this area where we have little evidence to determine exactly what the side effects will be. I do have one study in front of me which shows that in regard to DHT binding, androstenediol is less active than testosterone. Furthermore, Methandriol has always been known to have very few androgenic side effects. There is also a study which shows 5-androstenediol (5-androstenediol) to be much less androgenic than 4-androstenediol (Androdiol by Osmo). Finally, because it is probably somewhat antiestrogenic, I doubt that individuals will have a problem with gynocomastia as some have with androstenedione. I am proposing that most individuals will see hardly any negative side effects on 5-androstenediol as they have with other steroidal compounds such as androstenedione and Androdiol.
As you can see, 5-androstenediol is an amazing compound and should rival norandrostenedione in terms of efficacy as an ergogenic booster without negative side-effects. Furthermore, 5-androstenediol should be ideal to stack with norandrostenedione as one would then get the benefits of both a C-17 and a 19-Nor steroid.
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