The effect of Equipoise on the body of the athlete

Steroids (also known as cortisone or corticosteroids) are hormones that occur naturally in the body. Steroids decrease inflammation, suppress the body's immune system, block DNA from being made, as well as block a chemical called histamine (released during an allergic reaction). Steroid medicines are man-made but are similar to these natural hormones. The type of steroids used to treat disease are called corticosteroids. They are different to the anabolic steroids which some athletes and bodybuilders use. Anabolic steroids have very different effects. Steroids are available as tablets, soluble tablets and solutions, creams, ointments, inhalers, and injections.

Oral steroids are steroids that you can take by mouth - tablets, soluble tablets and liquids (solutions). Oral steroids available in the UK include: Betamethasone, Cortisone, Deflazacort, Dexamethasone, Hydrocortisone, Methylprednisolone, Prednisolone and Fludrocortisone acetate. They come in various different brand names. Prednisolone is the most commonly used oral steroid. This leaflet discusses the main possible side-effects of oral steroids as well as other important information if you take oral steroids. Oral steroids are used to treat a large number of conditions. Some examples include: inflammatory bowel diseases (for example, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), autoimmune diseases (for example, autoimmune hepatitis), joint and muscle diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica), allergies and asthma. They are also used to treat some cancers. In addition they can be prescribed as replacement treatment for people who have stopped making their own steroids - Addison's disease.

Consider the effect of Equipoise:
Equipoise was actually created while attempting to make a product which would be be a long acting injectable Dianabol (Methandrostenolone). What was actually created was a product which, in the real world acts nothing like D-bol, despite its similarity to it chemically. A simple way to think of Equipoise, chemically at least, is simply as Dianabol without the 17-alpha-methyl group (thats the thing which makes D-bol able to be ingested orally and not be destroyed by your liver). To make Equipoise, a double bond was added between carbon atoms 1 and 2 of the Steran Nucleus of Testosterone. What does this mean? Well, first of all, since Equipoise was created by one simple modification in the testosterone molecule, you could rightly suspect that it shares many similarities with it. Equipoise is just as anabolic as testosterone (as you can tell by its anabolic rating above), but only half as androgenic.

Its not very common to compare Equipoise to testosterone, however a far more common comparison is between Equipoise and Deca. Equipoise doesn't actually act much like deca at all. Deca is actually a progestin and a 19-nor derived steroid whereas Equipoise is more closely related to testosterone (being only one double bond differ rent). Duchaine later rescinded his original statement on Equipoise and said that it was disappointing as a mass builder when compared with deca, but a far better drug than for both strength gains and vascularity. Unfortunately, the myth that Equipoise's action is similar to Deca's has persisted for nearly 2 decades after he revised his opinion, this is most evident on internet message boards today, where many will advise against including both of them in a cycle because "they act the same way."

The 1-2 double bond that Equipoise has is responsible for many of its characteristics. First of all, it acts to slow aromatization (conversion into estrogen). The best estimate is that it does so at roughly half the rate of testosterone. This is the best number Ive found in studies. Athletes almost never report estrogenic side effects with Equipoise, even when the dose is up to a gram per week. Virilization (development of male sexual characteristics in women) is almost never seen with this compound, when reasonable doses are used by female athletes. This is one of the few injectable compounds which could be successfully be used by female athletes and bodybuilders, and isn't often faked. That double bond is also responsible for Equipoises resistance for being changed by the 5- 5-Alpha-reductase enzyme. This enzyme converts a small amount of Boldenone into Dihydroboldenone, which is a very potent androgen (7x as anabolic as testosterone). Such a small amount of it is converted that its really of no concern to most athletes taking Equipoise. This factor, plus its low aromatization rate mean athletes don't need to consider using ancillaries with Equipoise.

Equipoise Side Effects:
One of the most pronounced effects in Equipoise is its ability to raise your RBCs (red blood cells). This is very typical of anabolic steroids; however, Equipoise would appear to do it to a slightly greater degree than most. One of the other effects most Equipoise users report is an increased appetite. Its because of this ability to increase appetite that many will include Equipoise in a mass cycle, and its for the quality of muscle gained on it that many will include it in a cutting cycle.