Deca-Durabolin is the brand name of the chemical compound nandrolone by human pharmaceutical company Organon (now part of the Schering-Plough Corporation). This is a long-acting drug because of the decanoate ester, which means that it can stay active in the system for two weeks after a single injection. Some report that period can extend to about four weeks.
Deca-Durabolin is one of the highly recommended steroids for beginners because it is relatively mild, as far as androgenic side effects are concerned, while quite effective in providing anabolic effects. It is quite similar to testosterone except for the carbon atom at the 19th position; thus, Deca-Durabolin is also known as 19-nortestoterone. The slight alteration results to a unique steroid – a drug that displays significantly weaker androgenic characteristics which is incapable of converting to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT, a biologically active metabolite of testosterone, is associated with undesirable effects, such as male pattern baldness and acne. Deca-Durabolin instead converts to a less potent androgen known as dihydronandrolone. As such, the scalp, skin and prostate are spared from being negatively influenced when using Deca-Durabolin; these areas are rich with androgen receptors and are, therefore, susceptible to DHT activity. Thus, side effects like male pattern baldness in males and hirsutism in females are rarely experienced with this drug. Acne outbreaks are also easily avoided. The drug exhibits its potency on the muscle tissues since it binds better on the androgen receptors than testosterone on these areas. Another asset of Deca-Durabolin is that it displays lower tendency to undergo estrogen conversion; it is estimated that its conversion rate is just around 20% of that displayed by testosterone. As such, selective estrogen-receptor modulators (SERMS) like Clomid are rarely necessary.
However, it is not all plus points for this drug as Deca-Durabolin is also known to be at a disadvantaged on some areas. First off, despite its great affinity with ARs, it yields less muscle-building results when compared with testosterone. Steroid experts say that this may be attributed to the fact that Deca-Durabolin is simply inefficient in non-AR-mediated anabolism. Second, although it has a low tendency to convert to estrogen, Deca-Durabolin is a progestin. This poses a great problem to individuals since this can cause side effects similar to those experienced with excessive estrogen like gynecomastia, fat retention, and inhibition of testosterone production. Because Deca-Durabolin as a progestin inhibits hormonal production, it follows that it can also negatively impact libido in both male and female users.
To those who are looking for rapid mass buildup, Deca-Durabolin is not a perfect drug choice. It is a slow-acting injectable ideal to use during longer cycles, preferably those that run from 8 to 12 weeks. The effective dose for men is 200-600mg; some prefer to administer 2mg of Deca-Durabolin per pound of bodyweight weekly. Female users should use about 50mg weekly with ideal results.
Since Deca-Durabolin inhibits natural production of hormones, it is prudent to adopt a post-cycle therapy, with the use of such drugs like Nolvadex and Clomid, to hasten the recovery period. Some opt to use human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to stimulate the testes to resume normal functions.
To athletes who undergo drug testing, Deca-Durabolin presents one drawback and that is detectability. This drug’s metabolites can appear in tests even after more than a year of discontinuance. This is a flaw generally associated with esterified compounds as their metabolites tend to be stored in adipose tissues for a significant period.
