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.

Anavar is one of those drugs that have attained cult status amongst athletes over the years. It has also become relatively hard to find and also fairly pricey. This puts it high on the ‘purchase it while you can and keep it stashed away’ list for many bodybuilders.

Anavar is also an extremely popular drug amongst female athletes who wish to avoid many of the side effects associated with anabolic steroid use (but more of that later).

Anavars near legendary status is due to the fact that it causes a strong strength gain without increasing water retention. It does this by stimulating the creation of phosphocreatine in the muscle cell without depositing water in either the joints or the muscles. Powerlifters often choose to combine Anavar with Halotestin to foster the strength and aggression required in their sport.

Another notable bonus with Anavar use is that this compound does not aromatize at any level. This provides the athlete with many benefits since it allows for a very hard and ripped appearance to evolve – making it the number one pre-contest drug. Another asset pre-contest is the fact that many users have noticed a distinct suppression of appetite whilst on the drug. Athletes preparing for a contest who are interested in gaining quality muscle would be advised to combine Anavar with steroids such as Winstrol, Parabolan, Primabolan Depot and Testosterone Propionate (check out these products elsewhere on our site). In this respect, a stack of Winstrol 50mg every two days, 50mg Testosterone Propionate every two days, and 25mg Anavar every day has proven to be very effective.

It is important to point out that Anavar is a 17 alpha alkylated oral steroid – an alteration that does put extra stress on the liver. However, despite this fact it is important to point out that Anavar is usually very well tolerated and whilst an elevation in liver enzymes is generally noted during use, actual damage to the liver is not usually a problem. It appears that Anavar is not as extensively metabolized by the liver as other 17 alpha alkylated orals.However this is not a green flag to allow you to take huge amounts of this drug, since side effects are always dose related.

SUGGESTED DOSAGES
Men: 20- 50mg/day
Women: 5- 15mg/day

Tablets are normally taken two to three times daily after a meal to ensure optimum absorption. This prevents the occurrence of gastrointestinal disturbances which some individuals may experience with this drug. The nausea, bloating and diarrhea sometimes encountered with Anavar use is due to its effect on the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. If you suffer these effects you may wish to try administering the drug one to two hours after a meal.

STACKING
Primobolan and Winstrol are often stacked with Anavar in order to achieve a harder, more defined look without water retention. Male athletes may also stack Anavar with strong non-aromatizing compounds like Halotestin, Pro-viron or Trenbolone.
Some athletes also choose to utilize Anavar in traditional bulking cycles, stacking it with Dianabol or Testosterone. The goal here would be a gain of strength to accompany the bulk gains facilitated with D-bol and Test.

ANAVAR FOR WOMEN
Women who wish to avoid the masculinizing effects of many steroids are often very happy with the results obtained on moderate dosages of Anavar. In this case a dose of 5mg day should produce significant growth without side effects. Less cautious females may combine Anavar with Winstrol, Primobolan or Deca Durabolin for faster, more pronounced muscle building effects. This may also increase the likelihood of androgenic build up and – if this is a concern – drugs should be discontinued on the first signs of masculinization (e.g. deepening of voice or increasing hoarseness, accelerated body hair growth -particularly on the face)

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.