Oxandrolone (Anavar) Profile

[The Anonymizer]

17β-Hydroxy-17-methyl-2-
oxa-5α-androstan-3-one
CAS number
53-39-4
ATC code
A14AA08
Chemical formula C19H30O3
Molecular weight 306.4442
Bioavailability 97%
Metabolism Hepatic
Elimination half-life 8 hours
Excretion
Urinary:90%
Fecal:6%
Pregnancy category X
Legal status Prescription only(US)
Routes of administration Oral



Oxandrolone (Oxandrin) is an anabolic steroid created by Searle Laboratories under the trademark Anavar, and introduced into the US in 1964. It is taken orally, and unlike other steroids delivered in this manner, most of which are Class II steroids, the majority of its effects are due to reaction with the androgen receptor. In sufficient dosage, Oxandrolone is highly likely to bind well with the receptor, and is therefore a Class I steroid, while having few other side-effects.
The drug was prescribed for a number of medical disorders causing involuntary weight loss, in order to promote muscle regrowth. It had also been shown to be partially successful in treating cases of osteoporosis. However, in part due to bad publicity from its illegal use by bodybuilders, Oxandrolone was discontinued by Searle Laboratories in 1989. It was picked up by Bio-Technology General Corporation who, following successful clinical trials in 1995, released it under the tradename Oxandrin. It was approved for orphan drug status by the FDA in treating alcoholic hepatitis, Turner's syndrome, and weight loss caused by HIV. In addition, the drug has shown positive results in treating anaemia and hereditary angioedema. Clinical studies however have shown links between prolonged use of the drug and problems of liver toxicity similar to those found with other 17α-alkylated steroids. Even in small dosages, many users reported gastro-intestinal problems such as bloating, nausea, and diarrhoea.
Before the Controlled Substances Act was passed to restrict the production, sale, and usage of anabolic steroids, Oxandrolone's characteristics lent itself well towards use by female athletes. Its specificity targeting the androgen receptor meant that, unlike many other steroids, it had not been reported to cause stunted growth in younger users, and at typical dosage rarely caused noticeable masculinising effects outside of stimulating muscle growth. In addition, Oxandrolone does not aromatise at any dosage, and is not easily metabolised into DHT or oestrogen. As such, a typical dose of 20-30 mg provided elevated androgen levels for up to eight hours. To increase effectiveness, bodybuilders typically "stacked" the drug with others such as Testosterone, further enhancing body mass gain.

[tiggerizme]

Characteristics:

AAn intrinsically weak steroid with a high price-tag and low availability, oxandrolone owes its large popularity due to its safety. In sharp contrast to oxymetholone, oxandrolone is quite generally considered to be the safest of all steroids. Its effects are more than well-documented and have been for a few decades now. The medical community values oxandrolone as a safe alternative for more harmful steroids, which is why it is considered safe for use in children and even in patients suffering hepa-toxicity as the result of alternate steroid use1.

It's most noted medical use has been in the expediting of wound healing2,3 often practically applied to the treatment of burns 4,5,6. But recently its gaining popularity again as a means of keeping weight on HIV-infected patients suffering from wasting due to the immuno-deficiency virus. It was also considered safe for use in prepubescent children with a growth delay7. No major harmful effects were noted from this particular therapy, eventhough one study8 reported that the use of oxandrolone did speed up the onset of puberty in these children. Furthermore oxandrolone has found frequent applications in the treatment of other wasting symptoms for hepatitis and cancer as well as the treatment of osteoporosis in both men and women of all ages.

Oxandrolone was introduced in the year 1964, when Searle came out with the original Anavar. It quickly became the popular drug in the sports crowd for people looking for a safer alternative to the major steroid at the time, Dianabol (methandrostenolone). It remained one of the best-sellers for well over 2 decades until it was indefinitely discontinued in the year 1989. Much to the regret of the recreational bodybuilding and powerlifting community. The prices have remained high for the little stock that remained available. The only brand readily found was oxandrolone SPA, manufactured in Milano, Italy. That is, until 1995 when its use in the treatment of the then vastly spreading immuno-deficiency disease AIDS9 sparked the interest of BTG, a US-based company who came out with Oxandrin. The first widely available oxandrolone product since Anavar production was stopped.

The main reasons for the wide-spread use of oxandrolone in sports is because it is very appealing to female athletes as well as male athletes. It causes little or no virilization properties, demonstrated by its medical uses to treat women. This is rather surprising since oxandrolone does not aromatize either. It's the only steroid that is both safe and convenient without producing excess estrogen. That makes it particularly useful when cutting up for a contest or preventing an increase in body-fat due to estrogenic effects. In fact the main use of oxandrolone to a bodybuilder is in the maintenance of lean mass while reducing body-fat. Oxandrolone itself may not actually reduce body-fat, but it too plays a key role in the process. Like most non-aromatizing compounds it has a repressing effect on the appetite making it easier for the user to control cravings and stay strict with his diet.

Oxandrolone also has little effect on the body's own natural hormone production. The negative feedback was found to be very minor, meaning that during short term use no suppression of Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH, start of natural testosterone production) was noted. This meant that whatever gains made, as little as they may have been, were very easily maintained post-cycle. So there was also no use for products like Clomid or Nolvadex in conjunction with oxandrolone consumption. The easy to maintain low gains would indicate a low binding to the androgen receptor. While not extremely high, it should actually be noted that it does have quite decent binding to the androgen receptor. But the reason for its mild effects is quite likely the low dose used. Rarely if ever are doses higher than 20 mg used on a daily basis. Either because of convenience or due to the high price. But comparing that the doses of other steroids this is remarkably low. So its only logical the gains and side-effects aren't particularly notable.

Of course a bodybuilder has limited use for a compound that is both a weak androgen in the doses mostly used and doesn't aromatize since no mentionable effect on mass can be produced to satisfy the chemically enhanced athlete. Therefor it is best noted that oxandrolone is most popular with power- and weightlifters to enhance strength without increasing bodyweight. This is valued highly since strength athletes often compete in weight-classes. Oxandrolone does not increase strength through androgenic stimulation, at least not primarily. It stimulates the formation of phosphocreatine, a body compound that can replenish ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) , the main energy currency of the living organism. This gives an incredible increase in short term anaerobic performance, the type needed for explosive action such as sprinting and lifting weight.

For bodybuilders the best results are seen when stacking oxandrolone with a highly androgenic compound. Either during a mass stack with aromatizable products to boost strength a little more, or in conjunction with a non-estrogenic compound. This is most beneficial since it can maintain lean mass, decrease appetite, improve sharpness of the muscle and keep strength levels up without giving increased androgenic risk (acne, prostate hypertrophy, hair loss) when stacked with pure androgens (stanozolol, drostanolone). For those looking for safe maintenance of muscle mass a stack of Anavar with Primobolan is not a bad investment (but a big investment). The common use of oxandrolone is estimated, at 0.125 mg per pound of bodyweight. For men it should be closer to 0.2 mg per pound, for women 0.08 mg per pound per day.

The downsides to oxandrolone are minor. The worst problem by far is the poor availability and high price. But it has to be noted that, eventhough oxandrolone is nowhere near Halotestin or anadrol in hepa-toxicity, it too is a 17-alpha-alkylated substance that can cause liver damage if used for long periods on end. Other common side-effects include headaches, loss of libido, diarrhea and dizziness.

The conclusion to follow these paragraphs is of course that oxandrolone is understandably still a popular and very versatile steroid, much desired by both experienced athletes and novice users because of its many properties. While few will say this is the best or their favorite steroid, you won't find many that will have anything negative to say about it either.

Stacking and Use:

Because of its mild nature and the low doses generally used with oxandrolone there is very little use for secondary compounds like anti-aromatase drugs, estrogen receptor antagonists or blood pressure medication. That in itself may somewhat make up for the high cost and little gains made on it.

In stacks Anavar is sometimes used to increase strength or help maintain it during mass phases. Oxandrolone obviously has very little to add in terms of mass compared to the other substances used to obtain such goals. It fades in comparison to test, Deca, Anadrol, D-bol and such. Nonetheless it is added quite often, perhaps because people assume it will make the overall stack less hazardous, but that's a myth of course. Frankly I would imagine there are better and cheaper things to waste your money on if mass is what you seek.

On a cutting phase oxandrolone makes a good match for 120-140 mcg of clenbuterol daily stacked with something in the nature of Halotestin or Winstrol. The combination improves muscle hardness and striation as well as support mass and strength retention. Experienced users would preferably add testosterone propionate or Equipoise no doubt, rather than Halotestin or Winstrol due to less hazard to the liver associated with those two drugs, especially Halotestin.

Mostly it is used for decent strength gains without gaining too much weight, particularly suited for weight- and powerlifters and martial artists. In that aspect, and in my humble opinion, Winstrol would be a good choice for a stack. 50 mg of Winstrol every day to every other day stacked with 30-40 mg of oxandrolone daily would give a very good result in overall strength enhancement without adding a mentionable amount of weight to the frame.

[Gbb]

my thanks to peregrine @bb.com
and bigsickD @AtmMuscle

Anavar 101

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything you need to know about Anavar
Note: BSD did not write this article, but I couldn't find out who did. I thought it was a good read though.

MYTHS

Myth #1 - Anavar will not suppress the HPTA.
False. Anavar, used in adequate dosages, will shut you down. To what degree you experience side effects of suppression (loss of libido, lethargy) is entirely dependent upon the individual and the dosages used.

Myth #2 - Var is a weak anabolic, and is not effective unless stacked with a more androgenic compound.
This could not be further from the truth. At dosages of 40mg a day and higher, anavar is incredibly effective at adding water free LBM. At around day 6-7, increased vascularity should become apparent (assuming your oxandrolone is legitimate in its dosing), and strength gains should start appearing around day 14.
If used during a clean bulk, gains of 10-20 pounds are possible. If cutting, you will maintain weight, or even put on 5-10 pounds (depending on the rate of fat loss/severity of diet). You will keep all of your gains with proper PCT.

Myth #3 - Anavar will not require any type of PCT.
This is one ive never understood. It's a pretty commonly known fact now that var is a suppressive compound. So why is it that some individuals still refuse to make a small investment in some clomid/nolva....this is your testicular function we're talking about. That said, PCT required for var is not as "heavy" as PCT for, say, a test/eq cycle. 15-20 days @ 50mg clomid should be sufficient.


LIBIDO

The only real issue of concern that i have found when running anavar alone is slight libido suppression. Anavar is suppressive enough to where you WILL feel a difference in your sex drive (and not for the better ) when using 40+mg a day. There are three options to counteract this.

#1 - Tribulus + Avena Sativa - Trib at 4-7g a day and Avena Sativa at 3-4g a day tend to help prevent any loss in performance or ability to get it up. However, using effective dosages is going to end up being as or more expensive than options 2 or 3...but its your call.

#2 - Proviron - If hairloss is an issue in your choice to use anavar, then you may want to avoid this one. But 25mg ED proviron, starting after week 2, will keep you rock hard. And it will help to harden up your muscles too .

#3 - Maintenance Test Dosage - Finally, you could choose to use testosterone to keep your willy in shape. At a dosage of around 200mg, split bi weekly, everything should keep running smoothly. Also, this will contribute to your gains much moreso than than options 1 or 2. I would keep nolva onhand on the off chance that you are severely gyno prone. Bloating should not be an issue at this dosage.

BENEFITS

Anavar is a badass drug. This is why.

#1 - Vascularity
Oxandrolone will make you veiny as all hell. And quickly. Look out for brand new bulging forearms veins by around day 6. If you are following a cutting regimen, expect new spider webs in your chest, shoulders and quads by around day 21.

#2 - Pumps
When on var, the pumps are constant. Bored sitting in class/at work? Do some unweighted calf raises. After about three minutes, your calves will be ready to pop. Youll be doing something like drinking a cup of water, and after a minute of holding it, your bi will be completely full and pumped. You may have to cut some sets short in the gym due to the painful pumpage.

#3 - Strength
Even when cutting, you can expect new strength gains every workout after about day 14-21.

#4 - Fat Loss
Anavar has been shown to contribute to accelerated fat loss in both subcutaneous and visceral fat, concentrated effects in the abdomen and thigh area. And if youve used the drug, you can attest to this...if you cant sport the 6-8 pack look on var, its not gonna happen .

CYCLE

Anavar should be run @ at least 40mg a day to see all of the benefits it offers. Dosages upwards of 80mg have been shown to exhibit diminishing returns. Also, i cant imagine the intensity of the pumps at that kind of dosage.

Cycle #1
Anavar 40-50mg ED Weeks 1-8
Tribulus 5-8g ED Weeks 1-12
Avena Sativa 2-4g ED Weeks 1-12
Clomid 50mg ED Weeks 9-11

Cycle #2
Anavar 40-50mg ED Weeks 1-8
Proviron 25mg ED Weeks 3-8
Clomid 50mg ED Weeks 9-11

Cycle #3
Anavar 40-50mg ED Weeks 1-8
Test Prop 50mg EOD Weeks 1-8
Clomid 50mg ED Weeks 9-11

If bulking, Test Enanthate could be substituted for prop, and 100mg could be injected every 3-4 days...however, this could cause more bloating, and complicate PCT timing.

LIVER PROTECTION

Anavar is a 17 Alpha Alkylated steroid, and is toxic. It has been shown to be less toxic than other orals, and is even used as liver treatment for recovering alcoholics. Still, i would limit my time using it to 8 weeks, 10 at the most.

It would be beneficial to you liver to use several different OTC supplements during, and perhaps after your cycle. A few preventive measures never hurt anyone .

1 - Milk Thistle
The classic liver protectant herb.supposedly works by blocking the entrance of harmful substances to liver cells, and hastening their expulsion. Make sure there is a high standardization of Silymarin

2 - R ALA
A powerful antioxidant

3 - NAC
Supports liver function and production of l-glutathione

4 - Vitamin C and E
Antioxidants

5 - LOADS of water
Helps to flush out your entire system

LIPID PROTECTION

Anavar isnt going to kill your cholesterol levels like some drugs (winny being one of the worst), but it may put your LDL/HDL profiles outside of the normal range. There are a few things that help, but as long as your not using 60+mg daily or running it for more than 10 weeks, i would just use flax...

1 - Flax Oil
Consuming lots of omega fatty acids promotes overall health, as well as helping to keep your lipid profile from becoming too bad.

2 - Policosanol
Used at 20mg daily to keep your HDL (good cholesterol) levels from crashing, and your LDL from becoming too high.

3 - Niacin
Preferably the flush free variety. If you wish, niacin can be used at 1-2g ED for a short period post-cycle to normalize HDL levels. Do not use for more than 7-14 days, as liver toxicity can be an issue when using those dosages of niacin for long periods of time.

[Gbb]

pulled as well
PATRICK BATEMAN

Anavar FAQ - A great read.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright guys, I have seen a lot of ?'s concerning anavar lately.

If I were to be stranded on an island with only one AAS to choose, I would take var over everything else. Why??

It's an oral, so no poking. It's a mild drug and is only slightly liver toxic. It makes you strong, lean, hard, and no aggression (IMO). If anything, it makes me feel jolly and warm.

This was originally posted by Twitched over at Elite.

Enjoy!

FAQ



Is oxandrolone an effective bridge?

See "Does anavar supress your HPTA".

What is the highest recommended dose for bodybuilding purposes?

From my research, the consensus is that anything over 80mg shows extreme diminishing returns.

Does oxandrolone supress your HPTA (natural testosterone production)?

Yes. Research shows as little as 2.5mg can supress in some folks. As far as the effects of this lowered test production, at 40mg a day, I would say that it's pretty much split evenly. Half of people will attest to loss of sex drive and testicular shrinkage late cycle, while about half attest that they retained sexual drive without any shrinkage. Bridging users be forewarned.

Reference: (Effect of low dose oxandrolone and testosterone treatment on the pituitary-testicular and GH axes in boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty. Crowne EC, Wallace WH, Moore C, Mitchell R, Robertson WH, Holly JM, Shalet SM. )

Is clomid needed post cycle?

Yes. This should be apparent from the above question. You may find that 50mg/day for two weeks is enough however.

Oxandrolone and liver damage. What's the deal?

There is room for serious debate here. Oxandroline is 17-alpha-alkylated, so it's starting off on a bad foot. Oxandrolone has shown to cause liver values to sway outside of the "normal zone" for some posters (which may or may not indicate liver toxicity, this is debatable), however, the insert also states that oxandrolone can alter blood test results. I would treat this drug as liver toxic, supplimenting with a lot of ALA, Liver Detox, etc. However, this drug has also been used at 80mg/day to treat (and reverse!) liver damage in alcohol abusers. Hard to say what this means. My advice is to play it safe and treat it like any other 17aa oral.

Reference: (1: Am J Gastroenterol 1991 Sep;86(9):1200-8, A randomized, controlled trial of treatment of alcoholic hepatitis with parenteral nutrition and oxandrolone. I. Short-term effects on liver function. Bonkovsky HL, Fiellin DA, Smith GS, Slaker DP, Simon D, Galambos JT.)


Cholesterol? Heart attack time?

User experience seems to point to the fact that prolonged use does bring your good cholesterol down and your bad cholesterol up. Take your flax seed oil.

"Also, because oral steroids can decrease the "good" HDL cholesterol and increase the "bad" LDL cholesterol, oral steroids can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). If you use oral anabolic steroids consider taking 400 to 800 IU of Vitamin E, and 1,000 to 2,000 mg. of Vitamin C with each meal. These vitamin antioxidants help to protect cholesterol from the oxidation that is associated with CVD."

(Oxandrin May Cause Liver Toxicity, by Michael Mooney (Original article in issue #7, October, 1998. Updated July, 2001)

Will grapefruit speed absorbtion?

Naringen present in grapefruit juice has shown to increase absorbtion of 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), however, it is pure speculation as to its effects are similar in 17-alpha-alkylated substances. Hey, it cant hurt!

(Can grapefruit juice influence ethinylestradiol bioavailability? Author: Weber A; J¨ager R; B¨orner A; Klinger G; Vollanth R; Matthey K; Balogh A)


What about the different brands of Oxandrolone floating around? What to choose?

** "10mg tabs" Street price: ~$.40/"10mg"

This product must be chewed says the "manufacturer". This product is underdosed, and of dubious purity and consistency. Lab results on a test done on another board showed the pills to contain a little over 4mg of oxandrolone.

BTG/SPA 2.5mg tabs. Street price: 1-2$ per pill.

Exceptional results can be obtained with this product using signifigantly lower doses (e.g. 25mg instead of 40mg). This can probobly be attributed to greater absorbtion via proprietary "delivery systems". Outstanding product if you can afford it.

Spanish Generic 10mg caps. Street price: $1/cap.

Nothing but positive feedback so far. Tested within pharm. margin of error (+-10%). Here are the results. These are great if you can still get them.

Percentage OX: 4.42%
Percentage moisture: 2.1%

Total OX content: 9.55mg

(Credit goes to Fonz.)

Ttokkyo Labs. 5mg tabs. Street price: around 1.50 each.

Consistent, well dosed product. Does not seem to have the absorbtion or potency of the BTG/SPA product. Because of the extreme cost, I would never choose this over BTG or SPA except for availability issues.

Side effects?

Common side effects you should be prepared for: Appetite loss, stomach discomfort, increase skin "grease". I personally suffered extreme loss of appetite, but no stomach discomfort. Appetite came back in 1 week.

Rarer side effects: acne

Overall, this is an extremely mild drug. You should experience virtually no side effects. Those you do experience will diminish over time.

As ulter once said "safer then baby food".

How long before it kicks in?

Individual thing. Varies on product line as well. BTG hits quickest, ** slowest if at all.

I noticed vascularity and hardness within 2-3 days with generics, and strength in 2.5 weeks. Huck saw strength in 3 days on BTG. Wait about 3 weeks for the full effect before you get dissapointed.

Vascularity and hardness will come quick, it's very nice. I had spiderweb viens on my pecs that I've never seen before in just 3 days on Ox.

What is this drug used for?

Involuntary weight loss. HIV, AIDS, burns etc. Liver treatment in severe alcohol induced liver damage.

What is the halflife of Ox?

~9 hours.

When should ox be dosed?

There are two camps.

Camp 1: Take it all in the morning. The rationale is that your blood concentrations will 'fall off' by the time you go to bed, which will limit HPTA impact during this crucial "recentering" time for your body.

Camp 2: Spread it out evenly through the day. This will keep blood concentrations steady. Plus, don't we want that nice anabolic substance in our veins during our growth at night?

My comments: With a halflife of 9 hours, this issue is virtually meaningless. The ideas used in "camp 1" apply well when you have a substance with a 3 hour halflife (dbol), (e.g. if 30mg of dbol is taken at 9am, only about 1 miligram is left in your bloodstream by bedtime. great.) I don't think things pan out so well with a 9 hour halflife drug. If 40mg is taken at 9am, at bedtime you will have approximately 10mg or more in your bloodstream. You would have about 15 at bedtime if you took it 4 times evenly through the day. I don't think you are giving your body any dropoff at night anyway.

Conclusion: Take it whenever you want. Choose the camp you agree with and do it, things will work out.


What gains can I expect?

Individual question. I've heard of folks with no gain in lbm, I've heard of a 15lb gain. It all depends on your diet, brand, etc. However, don't expect this to pack 3 times the punch of a sust/dbol cycle because it costs 3 times as much. .

This question is actually pretty silly, so I won't delve into it.
You CAN expect hardness and vascularity.

How about doses for women?

Go scope out the Womens discussion. However, from the grape vine I've heard of dosages starting at 2.5mg/day ramping up to 10mg/day. I wouldn't recommend more. I know little about anabolics in women though. Don't use anything but BTG/SPA. The cost is so small with female dosages and the damage done to a women's body from counterfiets is far too great. Overmore, you can't dose small amounts accurately with 10mg caps/tabs.


How long is a typical Oxandrolone cycle?

Most tend to agree longer is better with Ox. 6 weeks seems to be the minimum, while 10 weeks is recommended and common. Over 10 weeks might be stressful on the ole' liver.

[Gbb]

Anavar

(Oxandrolone)
[17b-hydroxy-17a-methyl-2-oxa-5a-androstane-3-one]
Molecular Weight: 306.4442
Formula: C19H30O3
Melting Point: 235 – 238 Celcius
Manufacturer: BTG, SPA, Originally Searle (1964)
Effective dose: (Men)20-100mgs/day (or .125mg/kg~bdywt); (Women) 2.5-20mgs.day
Active Life: 8-12 hours
Detection Time: 3 weeks
Anabolic/Androgenic Ratio (Range): 322-630:24


Anavar (oxandrolone) is not very toxic, not very androgenic, mildly anabolic, and pretty mild on the body’s HPTA (Hypothalamic-Testicular-Pituitary-Axis). Those are its 4 major points, and I’d like to examine each one a bit further; as usual, gym-rumors and internet conjecture has made this steroid the subject of many misconceptions.

First of all, and this will come as no surprise to many people, Anavar is quite mild on your liver. It’s probably the most mild oral steroid available today. Dosages of up to 80mgs/day are easily tolerated by most men, and most side effects often found with other steroids are not common with ‘var (1). For this reason, Anavar is frequently the steroid of choice for many top level female bodybuilders and other athletes.

It’s a very mild steroid in every sense of the word. It binds reasonably well to the AR, but pretty high doses are still needed and I would never suggest doing less than 20mgs/day. In fact, 20-80mgs are needed to start halting AIDS related wasting(1) and recovering weight for burn victims (2) so that’s the range I’d recommend keeping your dosages in concerning this compound. Personally, I’d use 100mgs/day if I were ever going to try this stuff. Any less than this amount (20-100mgs) would be a waste. For women, however, I think 2.5-10mgs/day would suffice. Virilation is not a concern with this compound, as it is only very mildly androgenic (3). Water retention is also virtually nil with it.

Although Anavar is an oral steroid, and has been alpha-alkylated to survive oral ingestion and the first pass through the liver, it’s still relatively mild in that respect too..., the unique chemical configuration of oxandrolone both confers a resistance to liver metabolism as well as noticable anabolic activity. It would also appear that Anavar appears not to exhibit the serious hepatotoxic effects (jaundice, cholestatic hepatitis, peliosis hepatis, hyperplasias and neoplasms) typically attributed to the C17alpha-alkylated AASs. (17) Anavar has even been used successfully in some studies to heal cutaneous wounds (7), or to improve respiratory function (18). Both of these novel properties could make it a good choice for in-season use for boxers, Mixed Martial Arts competitors, and other such athletes.

Now here’s some interesting stuff for anyone interested primarily in the fat burning properties of this stuff: Anavar may be what we’d call a “fat-burning steroid”. Abdominal and visceral fat were both reduced in one study when subjects in the low/normal natural testosterone range used anavar (4). In another study, appendicular, total, and trunk fat were all reduced with a relatively small dose of 20mgs/day (8), and no excercise. In addition, weight gained with ‘var may be nearly permanent too. It might not be much, but you’ll stand a good chance of keeping most of it. In one study, subjects maintained their weight (re)gains from anavar for at least 6 months after cessation (2)! Concomitantly, in another study, Twelve weeks after discontinuing oxandrolone, 83% of the reductions in total, trunk, and extremity fat were also sustained (8)! If you’re regaining weight, Anavar will give you nearly permanent gains, and if you are trying to lose fat (and you keep your diet in check), the fat lost with Anavar is basically looks to be nearly permanent. Check this chart out:


Absolute change in total fat mass (A) and trunk fat ( by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry from baseline to study week 12 (solid bars) and from baseline to study week 24 (open bars) in the placebo (n = 12) and the oxandrolone (n = 20) study groups. Values are means ± SE. *Significant decrease from baseline, P < 0.001. Significant difference between study groups for change in fat mass from 0 to 12 wk, P < 0.001. (15)(8)

Keep in mind this is all without any Post-Cycle-Therapy, and without any change in diet or training! And although many of the studies done on oxandrolone use elderly men or young boys as the test subjects, some evidence suggests that many of the effects of oxandrolone are not age dependant (11). If you are following the typical “time on = time off” protocol, this means you can lose a bunch of fat during your time on, then keep most (if not all) of it off until your next cycle. That makes it a great drug for athletes who are drug tested and need to be clean for their season, yet need to keep the fat/weight they lost on their cycle off…I’m thinking about wrestlers and other weight-class athletes. Anavar is also the clear choice for a “spring-cutting” cycle, to look great at the beach…you can use it up until the summer starts, and then keep the fat off during the entire beach season!
Anavar is great for strength and cutting purposes, but not for bulking or a lot of weight gain. In other words, what I'm saying is that everything you gain will be solid. Personally I am leaning towards a theory which basically purports that the more solid your gains are, the more you’ll keep (percentage-wise). It makes sense, when you think about it; people make a lot of weight gains on the highly water-retentive steroids (Dbol, A50, long estered testosteones, etc…), but lose the greatest percentage of their gains afterwards. The same seems to be opposite for the steroids which cause less (or no) water retention (Anavar, Primo, Winstrol, etc…).

So why else may you keep such a high proportion of what you gained on ‘var? Well, I think it may be due to it’s relatively light impact on the HPTA, which brings me to my final point; Anavar will not totally shut down your HPTA, especially at lower doses (unlike testosterone, which will eventually do this even at a 100mg dose, or deca which will do it with a single 100mg dose). This could be due, at least partly, to the fact that Anavar doesn’t aromatize (convert to estrogen).
Serum testosterone, SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), and LH (Leutinizing Hormone( will be slightly suppressed with low doses of Anavar, but less than with other compounds. FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) , IGF1 (Insulin Like Growth Factor 1) and GH (Growth Hormone) will not be suppressed with a low dose of Anavar and LH will even experience a “rebound” effect when you stop using anavar (3) If your endocrine system and HPTA are funtioning normally, you should be able to use anavar with minimal insult to it, and can even keep most of your values within the normal range (5).

Thus, Anavar may even be ideal for use in bridges between cycles, (at very low doses under 10mgs perhaps), or as previously mentioned, for cutting/strength cycles at 50-100mgs.

It’s relatively high cost is it’s only major drawback, and tablets can typically sell in Mexico or on the black market for up to a dollar (1USD) per 10mgs. Many black market dealers or Underground Labs, however offer capsules, liquid form (or in some cases, even their own brand of tabs) for substantially less money than the legit pharmaceutical versions, or even veterinary versions found overseas.

References:
1. Proj Inf Perspect. 1997 Nov;(23):19.
2. Burns. 2003 Dec;29(8):793-7
3. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1993 Apr;38(4):393-8.
4. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1995 Sep;19(9):614-24
5. jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/84/8/2705
6. Segal S, Cooper J, Bolognia J., Treatment of lipodermatosclerosis with oxandrolone in a patient with stanozolol-induced hepatotoxicity., J Am Acad Dermatol 2000 Sep;43(3):558-9
7. Demling RH., Oxandrolone, an anabolic steroid, enhances the healing of a cutaneous wound in the rat., Wound Repair Regen 2000 Mar-Apr;8(2):97-102
8. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Oct;89(10):4863-72.
9. Demling RH, Orgill DP., The anticatabolic and wound healing effects of the testosterone analog oxandrolone after severe burn injury., J Crit Care 2000 Mar;15(1):12-7
10. Hart DW, Wolf SE, Ramzy PI, Chinkes DL, Beauford RB, Ferrando AA, Wolfe RR, Herndon DN., Anabolic effects of oxandrolone after severe burn., Ann Surg 2001 Apr;233(4):556-64
11. Demling RH, DeSanti L., The rate of restoration of body weight after burn injury, using the anabolic agent oxandrolone, is not age dependent., Burns 2001 Feb;27(1):46-51
12. Demling RH, DeSanti L., Oxandrolone, an anabolic steroid, significantly increases the rate of weight gain in the recovery phase after major burns., J Trauma 1997 Jul;43(1):47-51
13. Papadimitriou A, Preece MA, Rolland-Cachera MF, Stanhope R., The anabolic steroid oxandrolone increases muscle mass in prepubertal boys with constitutional delay of growth., J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2001 Jun;14(6):725-7
14. Doeker B, Muller-Michaels J, Andler W, Induction of early puberty in a boy after treatment with oxandrolone? Horm Res 1998;50(1):46-8
15. J Appl Physiol 96: 1055-1062, 2004. First published October 24, 2003; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00808.2003
8750-7587/04
16. James JS., Wasting syndrome: oral oxandrolone re-released in U.S., AIDS Treat News 1995 Dec 22;(no 237):3-4
17. Drugs. 2004;64(7):725-50.
18. Mt Sinai J Med. 1999 May;66(3):201-5.