This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

Parabolan is a strong androgenic steroid which has no estrogenic activity at all and is reputed to be five times stronger than testosterone in terms of anabolic and androgenic activity. Also in its favor is its ability to bind fairly well to the androgen receptors which promotes the growth of muscle cells and the subsequent burning of fat cells. In addition, Parabolan also binds to the glucocorticoid receptors which leads to a reduction in catabolism. As if this weren’t enough, it is also considered to be a ‘nutrient partitioning agent’ which, put simply, means that it has the ability to convert more food into muscle and less into fat. This can lead to a visible increase in muscle hardness over the entire body in the course of several weeks. This makes it an excellent pre-contest steroid since it speeds up the metabolism and accelerates the fat burning process.

Another interesting observation about Parabolan is that bodybuilders who have used steroids for some time and who have reached a road block in their development suddenly make new progress whilst using this substance.

SIDE EFFECTS

Parabolan is best suited to shorter cycles of use since it is quite toxic. It is normally recommended that usage should be limited to a maximum of 8 weeks.
Parabolan puts stress on the kidneys (more so than the liver, although that too is effected) and an extra effort must be made to consume plenty fluids whilst using it. An additional gallon of fluid a day is recommended in order to ‘flush’ the kidneys.

On the good side, Parabolan does not cause water and salt retention; therefore blood pressure is rarely affected. Acne and hair loss are also rarely observed since it is not converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Occurrences of nausea, headaches and loss of appetite have however been noted by those who insist on using high doses. Parabolan is also known to increase aggression – which is good in the gym but not in the home!

Coughs, insomnia, night sweats and cardiac irregularities have also been well reported.

PRECAUTIONS WHEN USING PARABOLAN

In older athletes Parabolan may induce growth of the prostate gland and therefore it is wise to have physical check ups during and after administration.

It can also lower thyroid levels, so it is important to include T3 to minimize this. Sexual dysfunction has also been reported which can be reduced by stacking Parabolan with testosterone.

Parabolan is not a drug for novices or women, although some top competitors insist on using it for pre- contest preparation. Side effects for women include acne, hair loss on the scalp, irregular menstrual periods, missed periods, aggressiveness, deep voice, clitoral hypertrophy and increased hair growth on the face and legs (just the kind of gal you want to take home to meet mom!).

Leigh Penman, in addition to be a staff writer at MuscleSport Mag, has been writing for bodybuilding magazines, websites and nutritional supplement companies since 1985. Whilst residing in the UK, she earned the reputation of being one of the top female writers in bodybuilding-related media. Her credits included being a contributing editor on all the magazines in production as well as filling the shoes of Ladies Editor and Showbiz Editor on two publications (the later being on Arnold’s sanctioned magazine, ‘Bodypower’). During this time she also competed successfully on four occasions (placing in the top four in all contests).

Relocating to New York in the late 1990s she focused her writing attention to crystal healing techniques and metaphysics – however, she still maintained a five day workout schedule during this time and gained her personal training certificate.

Having also studied pharmacology in relation to sports performance, her writing began taking her in that direction until the present day which sees her embarking on a return to the magazine world, as well as extending her web-related work in the bodybuilding and fitness field.

Leigh has been working out for close to thirty years so she is clearly a writer who ‘walks her talk.’
She can be contacted personally at zeal2heal@yahoo.com or you can also check her out at New York’s favorite metaphysical store www.stickstoneandbone.com.

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

HALOTESTIN (Fluoxymesterone)

Halotestin is chemically a very interesting and complex drug. It is made by modifying testosterone with three major groups – a 17alpha-methyl group, an 11beta-hydroxy group and a 9-fluoro group (this being the group that gives the drug the chemical name ‘Fluoxymesterone’). These modifications enable it to survive the first pass through the liver, inhibit conversion to estrogen and increase its anabolic potential. However, with regard to anabolic potential, Halotestin is not really known as a muscle builder when used alone but the increases in strength and aggression gained by its use may assist the anabolic qualities of other drugs it may be stacked with due to the users accelerated training intensity. In addition, the fact that it has no estrogenic activity leads to zero water and fat retention which makes it ideal for use at the end of cutting cycles since in athletes who already have a low body-fat percentage it adds hardness and definition.

Endurance athletes may also benefit from its use since Halotestin increases the production of red blood cells and therefore cell respiration and aerobic capacity also show increases.

It is very easy to detect though, so those who enter drug-tested events would do best to steer clear of it. However, if testing is not an issue, a short cycle of Halotestin stacked with a longer cycle of Equipoise (maximum duration 4-6 weeks) will have a significant effect on VO2 max (aerobic capacity).

DOSAGE

The most important thing to remember (and take seriously) about Halotestin is that it is very liver toxic and should only be used by a select group of people who have very specific goals and who do not intend to use it for more than 4-6 weeks. It is also NOT a drug for women to even consider using.

Basically known for increasing aggression and strength, typical doses are 10-20mg/day and should never exceed 40mg. In fact, 10mg prior to a workout is often all that you need to increase strength and aggression levels. Cycles should also be kept to the aforementioned 4-6 week time frame. With Halotestin it is always recommended to play safe rather than be sorry.

Liver values and blood pressure should also be monitored when possible and the use of liver protecting agents such as Milk Thistle is advised throughout its use.
As far as stacking is concerned, it may stack well with Winstrol or be added for the last 4 weeks of a cycle of Boldenone, Methenolone or Trenbolone – this will give an extra density and hardness to the physique.

Leigh Penman, in addition to be a staff writer at MuscleSport Mag, has been writing for bodybuilding magazines, websites and nutritional supplement companies since 1985. Whilst residing in the UK, she earned the reputation of being one of the top female writers in bodybuilding-related media. Her credits included being a contributing editor on all the magazines in production as well as filling the shoes of Ladies Editor and Showbiz Editor on two publications (the later being on Arnold’s sanctioned magazine, ‘Bodypower’). During this time she also competed successfully on four occasions (placing in the top four in all contests).

Leigh has been working out for close to thirty years so she is clearly a writer who ‘walks her talk.’
She can be contacted personally at zeal2heal@yahoo.com or you can also check her out at New York’s favorite metaphysical store www.stickstoneandbone.com.