Stanozolol

Stanozolol, sold under the name Winstrol, was developed by Winthrop Laboratories in 1962. It is a synthetic anabolic steroid derived from testosterone, and has been approved by the FDA for human use. more...

Unlike most injectable anabolic steroids, Stanozolol is not esterified and is sold as an aqueous suspension. The drug has a large oral bioavailability, due to a C₁₇ α-alkylation which allows the hormone to survive first pass liver metabolism when ingested. Because of this, Stanozolol is also sold in tablet form

Stanozolol has been used on both animal and human patients for a number of conditions. In humans, it has been demonstrated to be successful in treating anaemia and hereditary angioedema. Veterinarians may prescribe the drug to improve muscle growth, red blood cell production, increase bone density and stimulate the appetite of debilitated or weakened animals.

Publicised abuse cases

• Ben Johnson was stripped of his gold medal in the 100 meters sprint at the 1988 Summer Olympics when he controversially tested positive for this drug after winning the final.
• Vita Pavlysh was stripped of her gold medal in shot put at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships after she had tested positive for Stanozolol. 5 years later at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary, she won the title again only to fail the drug test for the same reason. She was again stripped of her title and banned from athletics for life.
• Rafael Palmeiro was suspended 10 days from Major League Baseball on August 1, 2005, after testing positive for steroids. According to a published report in the New York Times, stanozolol was the steroid detected in Palmeiro's system. This came not long after he testified before a United States Senate subcommittee on steroid usage in baseball and he denied ever using steroids.

Use in bodybuilding

Used illegally in bodybuilding, typically "stacked" with other testosterone-based anabolic steroids. Stanozolol is liked by many due to the fact it causes strength increases without excess weight-gain, promotes increases in vascularity, and will not convert to estrogen. It also does not cause excess water retention, and even sometimes is thought to have a diuretic effect on the body. Comonly used by atheltes and bodybuilders alike to lose fat while retaining lean body mass, it is usually used in a ripping cycle, to help preserve lean body mass while metabolizing adipose, althought it has not been proven conclusivly that it has any special fat-burning properties.

It is presented most commonly as a 50mgs/cc (cubic centimter) injection or a 50 mg tablet. However, recently 100mgs/cc versions have become available. A common dosage can be 25-100mgs/day, with optimal results usually seen at 50mgs/day. It is micronized in a water-based suspension and does not have a typical elimination half-life. Authentic Stanozol can easily be seen, because it will separate in its container if left undisturbed for a number of hours (the micronized crystal will fall to the bottom, and the water suspension will rise to the top).It has a white, milky colour.

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