Anavar (Oxandrolone): Use, Benefits, Dosage, Indications
What is Oxandrolone (Anavar)?
Oxandrolone a unique oral anabolic steroid hormone that is also known as Anavar. Anavar was first synthesized in 1962 and has been used in the medical treatment of catabolic disorders for over 30 years. Anavar is unique because it has great oral bioavailability (can be taken my mouth) and is resistant to liver metabolism. Anavar also does not get aromatized into estrogen compared to testosterone. The primary use of Anavar is to prevent frailty and the loss of muscle mass due to aging (sarcopenia) and other related catabolic clinical disorders such as HIV -related muscle waiting, severe burn injuries, trauma after surgery and hepatitis.
Read more about Anavar and Trenbolone
Anavar has been shown to:
- Decrease visceral fat and total body fat
- Increase protein synthesis in skeletal muscle
- Increase dietary energy and protein intake
- Increase nitrogen retention
- Increase muscle function, growth, strength and physical activity level
- Substitute for the natural loss of androgen and estrogen hormones
What are Anabolic Androgenic Steroids?
Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) are a type of steroid hormone developed to promote anabolism; the process of building and synthesizing molecules in the body. All AAS are derivatives of the steroid hormone testosterone. AAS were designed to improve upon testosterone’s anabolic effect while minimize unwanted androgenic effect in treating patients with catabolic medical conditions. The anabolic effect of AAS are to promote protein synthesis through the efficient use of amino acids, prevent protein breakdown, retain nitrogen and build skeletal muscle. Androgenic effects are those related to puberty such as male pattern baldness, deepening of the voice, facial hair growth, increase sebaceous gland excretion. AAS, such as Anavar, have a high anabolic activity (high anabolic: androgenic ratio of 10:1) compared to testosterone (anabolic: androgenic ratio of 1:1).
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How does Oxandrolone (Anavar) work?
Anavar increases muscle mass in three ways
- Inducing protein synthesis in the body
- Up regulating the androgen receptor in skeletal muscle.
- Increasing IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor)
Anavar given to healthy men, has been shown to increase protein synthesis by as much as 44% and improve effects of resistance training.
What are the indications and usage for Anavar (Oxandrolone)?
Anabolic Androgenic Steroids are indicated in patients chronic wasting conditions (the loss of muscle mass) to prevent frailty. Such conditions include sarcopenia, AIDS related muscle wasting, severe burn injury, trauma following surgery and other catabolic disorders. Anavar is approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with prolonged use of corticosteroids to prevent protein catabolism and has been used to promote weight gain after extensive surgery, during chronic infectious states, or after severe trauma.
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How is Oxandrolone (Anavar) absorbed?
Anavar is an oral medication that is absorbed across the gastrointestinal tract. Peak serum concentrations of Anavar occur within 1 hour after ingestion. In the body, Anavar is 95% bound to protein, which may contribute to the steroid’s stability and resistance to breakdown by the liver.
How is Oxandrolone (Anavar) metabolized (broken down)?
Unlike other anabolic steroids, Anavar is rather resistant to liver biotransformation. Approximately 28% of Anavar is excreted in the urine unchanged.
What is the difference between Testosterone and Oxandrolone (Anavar)?
Anavar has a much higher potential to promote anabolic effects on the human body such as an increase muscle size, strength, nitrogen retention, reduce fat deposition and induce protein synthesis compared to testosterone. While testosterone will also promote androgenic affects, Anavar was designed to lessen the unwanted androgenic effects and promote more anabolic properties.
Anavar has much higher anabolic activity compared to testosterone. Anavar has an anabolic: androgenic ratio of 10:1 and a higher steroid protein activity level (SPAI) of 2.8. Testosterone on the other hand has an anabolic: androgenic ration of 1:1 and an SPAI of 1.
How does using Oxandrolone (Anavar) effect Testosterone production?
Anavar usage will decrease the natural pituitary axis necessary to maintain testosterone production. Men who use Anavar will experience a decrease in LH, FSH, SHBG and total and free testosterone. More commonly in men with chronic muscle wasting conditions or HIV wasting, Anavar is combined with testosterone.
Anavar usage has been shown to reduce sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Reduction in SHBG reduction increases the amount of free testosterone (active) in the body.
What are the side effects of Oxandrolone (Anavar)?
The most common side effect of all AAS is liver toxicity and cholestatic jaundice, among others. Such adverse effects on the liver are demonstrated in patients utilizing high dosages of Oxandrolone for greater than 1 yr and concomitant use with other anabolic agents. No evidence suggests that short term use of Oxandrolone had led to the development of liver function impairment.
Other side effects of Anavar in males include:
- Inhibition of testicular function (infertility)
- Testicular atrophy
- Oligospermia
- Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)
- Priapism (Prolonged Erection)
- Epididymitis
- Bladder Urgency and Frequency (worsening of lower urinary tract symptoms)
- Gynecomastia
- Acne
- Bleeding in patients currently on anticoagulant therapy
- Insomnia
- Decreased glucose tolerance
Oxandrolone (Anavar) and Hepatotoxicity
All Anabolic Androgenic Steroids will impart a hepatic affect. Hepatic dysfunction has been shown to occur in men who have taken Anavar for greater than one year continuously. Hepatic dysfunctions as a result of Anavar use can include elevations in liver function enzymes, Peliosis hepatis, adenomas and concerns have been made for hepatocellular carcinoma. There has not been sufficient evidence to suggest that short term, less than 3 months of use of Anavar, will lead to serious forms of hepatotoxicity.
Who should not take Oxandrolone (Anavar)?
- Any male with known history of or suspected prostate cancer or male breast cancer.
- Hypercalcemia
- Renal Dysfunction
Why Did I Choose Anavar?
Since my adolescence, I wanted to participate and compete in a body-building competition. Now in my early thirties, I am a teacher at a city college.
From my busy schedule, I try to take a couple of hours in the evening to hit the gym. This helps me in maintaining my physique and keeps my overall health up to the mark.
Everything was going pretty smooth but things took a U-turn when my college decided to organize an activity program that is to be held at the college year-end.
Since I am a senior teacher at my school, I was given some of the most important responsibilities. As a result, during the time of preparations, I couldn’t find time to visit the gym for three months.
During these three months, I started consuming everything that I was able to get my hands on. Personally speaking, I guess the stress of perfect execution of the activity program later in the year got me.
This is when I was able to observe that I started losing my maintained physique and I was feeling as if my weight was increasing with the plenty of unwanted fat.
This made me even more stressed and in reaction, my frustration levels used to reach their limits whenever something went wrong.
Soon the d-day arrived, with this the preparations for the program were almost completed. Seeing this, I took a sigh of relief and told myself that now I will be able to focus on my body and hit the gym regularly.
There was a sponsor in the annual program distributing the handbook of some body-building competitions to be held in the neighboring city.
Later I found out that the handbook was being distributed by National Physique Committee. Seeing all these things my eyes started to sparkle, I was really happy and just wanted to register for the competition.
Not to miss, the long vacation from the college schedule after the program was like a cherry on the cake for me. The next day, I started searching for more information on the bodybuilding competition that was mentioned in the handbook.
Finally, I found all the detailed information regarding the same. I saw that the upcoming bodybuilding competition was to be held in December next year.
I thought, there is plenty of time to maintain my physique as I had earlier. That would eventually help in competing. Now I was really determined to participate in the competition.
In the early morning, I rushed to the gym. My trainer was surprised by the enthusiasm I entered the gym. Following this, I informed him about my participation in the upcoming bodybuilding competition.
After this, he was also ready to work on my body. As he was familiar with my workout routine. After two days of a regular workout routine, he suggested that I should consider Anavar as health support.
According to him, this would help me enhance the overall process to maintain the desired physique. To start with this, he connected me to a nutritionist.
The next day, I met that nutritionist. She planned my diet and guided me through the proper protein intake.
She also educated me on proteins. She mentioned that proteins contain amino acids that may help me in maintaining the muscle tissues and enhance building blocks for overall muscle growth.
My trainer accompanied me to the health substances shop where I purchased Anavar bottles for regular usage.
Anavar Benefits
Regular consumption of the product Anavar might give you a muscular physique and improve your concentration level during the workout session.
Due to the fact that it is more anabolic in nature than androgenic, people also use it with steroids that could boost the testosterone level in the body for getting the maximum results.
However, the biggest disadvantage of Anavar is that it is an artificial steroid that may cause different types of negative side effects and risks in the body.
According to the people who believe in Anavar, the following are the benefits:
- It might help in building blocks of protein which may improve the recovery of muscles and guide in enhancing muscle retention.
- Anavar may as well improve the hold of nitrogen in our body that could stimulate the level of protein synthesis and also improve the physical performance of bodybuilders and athletes.
- May help you with energizing the body to perform tough workouts with more force and stamina for a longer duration of time. This in turn increases the rate of fat burning in the body which helps in weight reduction.
- Help in fast recovery after a workout. As a result, you might not need to take a rest for a longer period after difficult exercises.
- Anavar may as well help in muscle expansion and muscle strength within a very few days.
- It could also help you with increasing the muscle power so that one can lift up more weights than normal and it will also enhance the speed in performing the workouts.
- Improve the rate of metabolism which means the food that you consume is converted into energy that is required to perform all the bodily functions.
- Could make the body leaner and is very effective for cutting.
- Might also enable your body not to retain water so it does not cause problems like bloating and swelling.
- Anavar might also Enhance the storage of oxygen in the body so that you can feel active and relaxed the whole day.
Anavar became popular among bodybuilders because according to them, it helped them in fat burning, muscle building and make them look bigger.
This product could be consumed by both men and women as it could show results and may as well help them with weight reduction in the initial phase.
On the other hand, if someone asks me about Anavar, I would definitely recommend that they stay away from this anabolic steroid.
This is because there are high chances of long-term side effects and it has not been approved by the FDA for general consumption as well.
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