Oxandrolone is a very popular anabolic androgenic steroid and is considered to be one of the friendliest in terms of side effects. This is one of the few anabolic steroids that carry with it a high rate of success among women, so much so it’s often referred to as “The Girl Steroid.” But this is a title that’s a bit misleading as it is highly effective in men, it just happens to be one of the few oral steroids women can use without major issues.

Oxandrolone is also one of the most underappreciated anabolic steroids because of its mild nature, but the lack of appreciation some steroid users hold is due to a either ridiculous expectations or simply a purchase of a poor product. Oxandrolone is one of the most commonly counterfeited steroids to have ever existed.

Oxandrolone first came to be in the 1960’s and was brought to the market by G.D. Searle & co under the name Anavar. Anavar (Oxandrolone) was originally created by a Doctor Raphael Pappo under the trademarked name Oxandrin, who worked for Searle laboratories. He created Anavar around 1964 for the treatment of multiple disease including muscle wasting. At that point, anabolic steroids were almost unheard of on the market, and he was part of the founders of the 1st few oral steroids to hit the bodybuilding scene. The compound was reported to hold numerous therapeutic benefits but ceased to exist in 1989. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s there was enormous pressure placed on the steroid market by the FDA. Searle wa purchased ny Pfizaer and Anavar was simply discontinued the line. By the mid-1990’s almost all Oxandrolone disappeared from the market place until 1995 when the steroid reappeared through Bio-Technology General CORP (BTG) under the brand name Oxandrin. With the new brand and new ownership and a complete monopoly on the drug, BTG increased the price drastically making it one of the most expensive anabolic steroids to ever exist. In modern times the price has come down some thanks to generic manufacturing, but Oxandrolone still remains one of the more expensive steroids you’ll ever find.

Important Note: Anavar is still the most commonly used name associated with Oxandrolone. However, there is no pharmaceutical company that has manufactured Oxandrolone under that name since 1989. This is an important fact to remember should you ever be in the market.

When the AIDS epidemic began in the early 80’s, it was Anavar and Anadrol (Oxymetholone) that were prescriptions of choice when dealing with muscle wasting issues. Why? Well, Anavar produces lean gains with very little water retention, while it also increases strength, this really helped those receiving this drug.

Anavar really started to catch on big time with bodybuilders, athletes and recreational steroid users when the publication “Muscle Media 2000” (the first national magazine to talk openly about steroids) gave Anavar the highest rating in regard to benefit to risk ratio. The magazine made the point that Anavar gave incredible benefits for its very low toxicity and this “fringe” drug suddenly became the most coveted of all steroids.

CHEMICAL STRUCTURE
The official molecular structure of Anavar is 5-alpha-androstan-2-oxa-17 alpha-methyl-17 beta-ol-3-one. When developing the formula, Raphael Pappo synthesized the drug deriving its molecular structure from dihydrotestosterone. The key difference is that an oxygen atom replaces the methylation and 2 carbon in the 17 position. Basically, Oxandrolone was intended to be a gentler Dianabol – more anabolic and less androgenic, thus eliminating many of the harsh side effects. This was accomplished by substituting oxygen for the other elements ordinarily present in dihydrotestosterone. Through this process, Pappo succeeded in creating a steroid that has one of the lowest rates of androgenicity among synthetic steroids.

PROFILE
Anavar is an intriguing drug on so many levels. It seems to defy the definition and limitations of oral steroids. You have read about its “clean gains” and relative safety. Curiously, it’s so safe that unlike other steroids, which were used for malnutrition and anemia, Anavar was originally prescribed mainly for burn victims. In a randomized, double-blind study, patients with 40% total body surface area burns were selected to receive standard burn care plus oxandrolone, or without oxandrolone. Oxandrolone was used to help regain weight lost after surgery, severe trauma, or chronic infections. Those treated with oxandrolone showed quickened healing, improved body composition, preserved muscle mass and reduced catabolism and consequently lessened hospital stay time. No wonder it was of interest to bodybuilders!

Some people may think Anavar is a bit overrated because you don’t “blow up” from water retention like you would on Dianabol or Anadrol or Testosterone. But no one can deny that the muscle is quality and long lasting. More than that, there is a fat burning benefit that’s always discussed on the forums.

Many claim that anavar helps burn fat. Any steroid will build muscle and burn fat. Since you need to train and have your diet in check for best results, there’s a tendency to look leaner. But with Anavar, the muscles seem more defined because of its inability to hold water. Nevertheless, there have been studies that have shown Anavar to significantly reduce visceral fat in the stomach area with just moderate exercise. And the subjects kept the fat off after discontinuing usage.

All in all, Anavar is a “boutique” steroid. It’s high quality and relatively safe if used properly. It can be used to kick start a cycle and it works well as a “finisher” to add extra polish to the physique before a competition or photo shoot. Just remember, you still need to do an effective Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) and take the proper supplements to assure safety along the way.

APPLICATIONS, DOSAGE AND USES
Anavar is available only in oral form; though, some guys choose to crush the tablets and mix it with a fluid which is not recommended, partly for purity sake and the fact that it will degrade in a fluid base. The broscience use of taking it with Grapefruit juice may have some merit since grapefruit juice can increase the effects of many medications. Grapefruit juice can cause issues with P-glycoprotein and organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs), increasing bio-availability of many drugs. Ironically, this is the reason grapefruit juice is not recommended with any medicines or drugs. However, in our case, we have our reasons for wanting something to work even better.

The standard effective dosage is 25 to 50 mgs a day for men and 5 to 20 mgs for women.

For men, I suggest splitting dosages into AM (½ dose) and pre-workout (½ dose). For women, a preworkout 1/2 dose and postworkout ½ dose is best.