Very few anabolic steroids have enjoyed the success of Masteron in therapeutic applications.
For over two decades Masteron was the go-to drug for the treatment of inoperable breast cancer in the US and elsewhere in the world.(1)
It has a strong anti-estrogenic effect which prevents cancer cells from binding to estrogen receptors in mammary tissue.
This effect is one of the primary reasons why a lot of bodybuilders add Masteron to their cycles.
To add to this, it is a powerful DHT-based anabolic steroid that has all the classic traits of DHT. It promotes lipolysis, amplifies strength and enhances the results of the other steroids in the stack.
But the predominant reason that makes Masteron so popular among pro bodybuilders is the muscle hardening effect.
If you are prepping for a contest and need to look at your shredded best, there’s no better compound than Masteron.
It makes gives you the paper thin skin with extreme vascularity and hardness to the muscles.
If this is the first time you are running Masteron, then here’s a guide on what to expect from your cycle.
Chemical structure
Masteron or Drostanolone belongs to the DHT family of anabolic steroids.
A methyl group is added to the carbon-2 position in the DHT hormone to produce Drostanolone, a very unique compound with more anabolism. (2)
The short acting propionate ester is then attached to it, which gives it a very short half-life.
Most Rx-grade Masteron that you find on the internet will be Drostanolone Propionate. Some UG labs do stock the longer acting enanthate version.
But it is extremely rare and even if you do manage to find a batch, the quality can be circumspect.
Besides, the only advantage of opting for the enanthate version is that you require fewer injections per week.
There’s absolutely no difference in the results that you can achieve with either variety.
Dosage and administration
In a therapeutic setting, Masteron is used at 100mg/week for short time frames to reduce the symptoms of breast cancer. Most women do experience virilization symptoms at this dose which maybe irreversible.
If you are a female athlete looking for the aesthetic effect of Masteron, 50mg/week should be a reasonably good dose.
For men, performance enhancement doses range from 200-400mg/week. The average duration of the cycle is 6-8 weeks.
Most men will only consider adding Masteron to the last few weeks of their cycle.
If you can tolerate the 400mg/week dose, then you can consider increasing it to 500mg/week. This should be the maximum dosage that you use, unless you are competing professionally.
Because if you are prone to acne or baldness, Mast can be a very difficult compound to deal with.
A lot of athletes who cannot use Mast for the above reason, switch to Proviron instead.
But make no mistake, the hardness and vascularity that you can achieve with Masteron is unparalleled.
Brand Names
Drostanolone is one of the anabolic steroidal drugs that is still approved by the FDA for therapeutic use in the United States.
That it is rarely used anymore, is a different thing.
However, it is very easy to find RX-quality Masteron on the market that’s manufactured by Indian, Russian and Thai brands.
Some brand names are Drostanolone Propionate by Swiss Remedies, Genesis and Magnus Pharma, & Masteron by Dragon Pharma.
Effects of Masteron
Despite having a higher anabolic rating than Testosterone, Masteron is not a great mass building steroid.
However, the cosmetic effect that it produces, makes it a very versatile one that can be added to most bulking stacks.
Here are some of the effects that you can experience from Masteron.
- Estrogen masking : Drostanolone has a strong anti-estrogenic effect which helps in prevent h estrogen side effects. There are many compounds that have high aromatase activity, such as Testosterone, Dianabol and Anadrol. There are others like Deca Durabolin and Trenbolone, which have progestin activity. While you can dial down your E2 levels by using an AI or a SERM,
depending on the compounds you are using, E2 symptoms can still mess with your general sense of wellbeing during the cycle. Masteron masks most high E2 symptoms such as water retention, mood swings and itchy nipples. The caveat is that if you aren’t careful with E2 management, gyno can hit you out of nowhere.(3) - Fat loss : Masteron will promote lipolysis directly. It is one of the few compounds that does it. But it is by no means a fat burner. One has to be at a very low body fat levels to notice the fat burning effect of Masteron. If you are above 15-18% body fat, then there will be very little difference to your body composition.
- Muscle hardening : This is where Masteron really shines. It makes your muscles look rock hard with very pronounced vascularity. Your skin will look paper thin with absolutely zeros ubcutaneous water retention. Think of the benefits of adding it to a wet-compound cycle. Irrespective of whether you are just running a cycle of Testosterone or just Deca Durabolin or even Dianabol, Masteron can take away the puffiness in a span of just days.In fact, it can be said that every athlete on the professional stage who’s shredded to the T is on Masteron.
- Strength gains : Masteron will give you moderate increases in strength. At the same time, it amplifies the rate of recovery which makes it a worthwhile addition to strength gain stacks.
- Libido : Masteron will give you a strong libido boost. If you experience a lack of libido while using compounds like Deca or Tren, this will get the job done.
Safety and side effects
Masteron is a reasonably well-tolerated anabolic steroid. The fact that it does not aromatize, nor does it cause liver toxicity, eliminates two of the most common concerns that athletes have.
The side effects are mainly centered around the estrogenic nature of the compound. If you are prone to hair loss, then Masteron will thin your hair at the rate of knots.
It can also have a significant impact on your cholesterol levels. Your HDL levels will be crushed and your LDL levels will skyrocket. But with a cholesterol-friendly lifestyle, there’s no reason why youcannot mitigate most of these effects.
Masteron will also suppress you considerably or shut you down completely. So, it should never be run solo.
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drostanolone_propionate#Medical_uses
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Dromostanolone-propionate
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0014296477901931