Masteron or Drostanolone is a unique androgenic steroid initially developed as an anti-estrogen product under the brand name Masteril. It was used alongside other drugs to improve the symptoms of breast cancer and other conditions. As new and better drugs were developed, the use of Masteron for this purpose reduced substantially. Today, very few countries still use the drug for therapeutic purposes.
Outside the medical field, Masteron was being used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts for bodybuilding purposes. The steroid proved to be very useful for increasing lean muscle mass and hardening the muscles. It also improved athletic performance expanding the user's endurance, stamina, energy, power, and strength.
Many bodybuilders also loved Drostanolone for its anti-estrogen properties. This basically meant that the drug was not subject to aromatization, i.e., it does not get converted to estrogen, so it doesn't produce some of the annoying estrogen-related side effects that are common among other steroids.
The anti-estrogen properties of Masteron also hinted at the possibility of pairing or stacking it with other steroids that aromatize to estrogen. In such cases, Masteron would help to prevent the conversion of the steroid to estrogen. It'd help in maintaining optimal free testosterone levels, which would mean faster and bigger muscle growth.
Forms of Masteron
Drostanolone is available in two forms:
Drostanolone Enanthate
Drostanolone Enanthate is formulated with a long ester giving it a relatively long half-life. Using the steroid is relatively easy since you only need a single dosage to last you quite a long time. This is part of the reason why some people prefer it over the other forms of Drostanolone.
On the flip side, Drostanolone has to be administered in large doses. The problem here is that if you have low tolerance, then the risk of adverse reactions after a single dose of Drostanolone Enanthate is significantly higher. In other words, this form of the steroid may be a better choice for experienced or advanced users.
Drostanolone Propionate
Drostanolone Propionate is the most popular form of the two. It is also the original form of Masteron, so it was widely used long before the Enanthate variety was produced.
Masteron Propionate is derived from dihydrotestosterone or DHT. The chemical structure has a carboxylic ester on the 17beta hydroxyl group and a methyl group attached at the carbon 2 position. This increases the steroid’s potency and reduces its metabolism. By lowering its metabolism, the drug stays longer in your system, thus allowing your body to make the best use of it before it is excreted. It doesn’t last as long as Drostanolone Enanthate, but it stays long enough to make a significant impact.
Benefits of Masteron
Here are some of the top Masteron results as reported by users:
Rapid Muscle Growth and Hardening
Drostanolone is very popular for its muscle hardening abilities. Many athletes run a Masteron cycle with the sole purpose of hardening and increasing muscle density. It also boosts muscle definition and improves one’s overall physique.
Besides hardening muscles, Drostanolone also stimulates muscle growth. One way it does this is by preventing the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. This increases the levels of free testosterone that the body can utilize for muscle growth.
While Drostanolone may give you a pound or so of lean muscle mass, it is still not the most potent steroid when it comes to muscle growth. Trenbolone easily beats Masteron here. That explains why some people stack Drostanolone with other steroids to increase the results. For instance, Drostanolone Enanthate is commonly stacked with testosterone enanthate for faster and better results. Unfortunately, these stacks come with lots of risks that are simply not worth the results.
Increased Athletic Performance
Drostanolone boosts energy and strength levels to increase your athletic performance in and out of the gym. It can help you sustain strenuous workouts for longer durations. This speeds up your fitness progress, helping you gain more muscles within a short period of time.
Fat Loss
Masteron can help you reduce your body fat percentage allowing your muscles to pop out. The steroid increases metabolism to burn down fat for fuel. In doing so, it gives the user a shredded or ripped physique.
Drostanolone is also not the most powerful steroid when it comes to cutting. Yes, it can help you shed a few pounds, but other steroids like Winstrol and Clenbuterol are a better choice for drastic changes. But remember that the more powerful a steroid is, the higher the risks for severe medical complications.
Masteron Side Effects
The anti-estrogen properties of Drostanolone reduce the risk of estrogen-related side effects. The risk of experiencing water retention and gynecomastia issues is much lower when using Drostanolone compared to some of the other steroids.
With that said, the steroid can still produce some side effects, especially when it is overdosed or used for a long time. Some of the common adverse effects are:
Testosterone suppression
Suppression is a common side effect of all steroids and not just Drostanolone. When these drugs are in your system, your body identifies them as testosterone since they affect the same receptors. The body then responds by reducing the natural production of testosterone. The symptoms of this issue become more apparent when you stop using the steroid. The good news is testosterone suppression can be dealt with using certain drugs as cycle supports to maintain healthy testosterone production. Cycling the drug and running PCT after each cycle also helps to prevent and reverse suppression.
Scarring and infections
Continuous Drostanolone injections can result in scarring and injection infections. This is especially common among beginners or individuals who don’t know how to inject drugs. You could avoid these issues by having a licensed professional do the injections. But then most of these steroids are illegal, so licensed physicians rarely inject steroids for personal uses. The other option is using the steroids orally. This solves the injection issues, but it introduces new challenges. For one, oral use of steroids has been linked to liver damage.
Hair loss
Drostanolone can speed up hair loss in people at a predisposed risk of male pattern baldness.
Acne and oily skin
androgenic steroids cause skin issues like severe acne breakout and oily skin. You may have to consult a medical practitioner if this condition worsens.
Increased aggression and irritability
Many Drostanolone users, report increased aggression and irritability. This may go as far as affecting one's personal life, e.g., normal interaction with your spouse, children, and friends.
Masteron Dosage and Cycle
Dosage is based on various factors, including the form of Drostanolone you are using. Drostanolone Enanthate is usually dosed the highest at approximately 200mg/ml. The steroid should be injected twice per week.
Drostanolone propionate doses are much lower, ranging from 50 to 150mg/ml. But, since it has a shorter half-life, users have to make regular injections. You may have to use it once every two days for the best results.
Beginners should not use more than 300mg and 600mg of Drostanolone Propionate and Enanthate respectively per week. Experienced users can stretch the Drostanolone Propionate dosage a bit to 500mg per week.
Avoid using either form of the drug for more than a month. Taking breaks in between helps to prevent tolerance and dependence. You should also use some steroids PCT, to support natural testosterone production.
Final Thoughts
Masteron is not as potent and dangerous as some other steroids, but it is nonetheless a steroid. It still poses some risks like severe suppression and aggression. Not to mention that having to give yourself injections every other day or twice per week is less than pleasant. It’s for these reasons that we discourage the use of Masteron and all steroids in general.
In their place, we recommend legal steroids, which are produced using safe and natural ingredients. These will support your fitness efforts without exposing you to any side effects. They are also available in capsule form that are safe for your liver, so you don’t have to endure regular painful injections.