| Equipoise is the popularly referenced
brand name for the veterinary injectable steroid boldenone
undecylenate. Specifically it is a derivative of
testosterone, which exhibits strong anabolic and moderately
androgenic properties. The undecylenate ester greatly
extends the activity of the drug (the undecylenate ester is
only one carbon atom longer than decanoate), so that
clinically injections would need to be repeated every three
or four weeks. In veterinary medicine
Equipoise
is most commonly used on horses, exhibiting a pronounced
effect on lean bodyweight, appetite and general disposition
of the animal. This compound is also said to shows a marked
ability for increasing red blood cell production, although
there should be no confusion that this is an effect
characteristic of newly all anabolic/androgenic
steroids.
The favorable properties of this drug are greatly
appreciated by athletes, Equipoise being a
very popular injectable in recent years. It is considered by
many to be a stronger, slightly more androgenic
Deca-Durabolin. It is generally cheaper, and could replace
Deca in most cycles without greatly changing the end result. The side effects associated with
Equipoise
are generally mild. The structure of boldenone does allow it
to convert into estrogen, but it does not have an extremely
high affinity to do so. To try and quantify this we can look
toward aromatization studies, which suggest that its rate of
estrogen conversion should be roughly half that of
testosterone's. The tendency to develop a noticeable amount
of water retention with this drug would therefore be
slightly higher than that with Deca-DurabolinO (with an
estimated 20°/a conversion), but much less than what would
be expected with a stronger agent such as Testosterone.
While one does still have a chance of encountering an
estrogen related side effect as such when using this
substance, it is not a common problem when taken at a
moderate dosage level. Gynecomastia might theoretically
become a concern, but is usually only heaved of with very
sensitive individuals or (again) those venturing high in
dosage. Should estrogenic effects become troublesome, the
addition of Nolvadex should of course make the cycle more
tolerable. An anti-aromatase such as Arimidex would be a
stronger option, however probably not indicated with a mild
drug as such.
Equipoise can also produce distinct
androgenic side effects. Incidences of oily skin, acne,
increased aggression and hair loss are likewise all possible
with this compound, although will typically be related to
the use of higher doses. Women in fact find this drug quite
comfortable, virilization symptoms usually unseen when taken
at low doses. Boldenone does reduce to a more potent
androgen (dihydroboldenone) via the 5alpha reductase enzyme
(which produces DHT from testosterone), however its affinity
for this interaction in the human body is low to
nonexistent". We therefore cannot consider the
reductase inhibitor Proscar to be of much use with
Equipoise,
as it would be blocking what is at best an insignificant
path of metabolism for the steroid. And although this drug
is relatively mild, it may still have a depressive effect on
endogenous testosterone levels. A combination of HCG and
Clomid/Nolvadex may likewise be needed at the conclusion of
each cycle to avoid a "crash", particularly when
running long in duration.
Although it stays active for a much longer time,
Equipoise
is injected at least once per week by athletes. It is most
commonly used at a dosage of 400-600mg per week for men,
50-150 mg per week for women. Should a 50mg version be the
only product available, the injection volume can become
quite uncomfortable. The dosage schedule can be further
divided, perhaps injections given every other day to reduce
discomfort. One should also take caution to rotate injection
sites regularly, so as to avoid irritation or infection.
Should too large an oil volume be injected into one site, an
abscess may form that requires surgical draining. To avoid
such a problem, athletes will usually limit each injection
to 3ml and reuse each site no more than once per week,
preferably every other week. With
Equipoise
this may require using not only the gluteus, but also the
outer thighs for an injection site. Of course all problems
associated with 25mg and 50mg dosed products are eliminated
with the newer 100 mg and 200mg/ml versions of this steroid,
which clearly give the user much more dosage freedom and
injection comfort.
Not a rapid mass builder, instead
Equipoise
will be looked at to provide a slow but steady gain of
strength and quality muscle mass. The most positive effects
of this drug are seen when it is used for longer cycles,
usually lasting more than 8-10 weeks in duration. The muscle
gained should not be the smooth bulk seen with androgens,
but very defined and solid. Since water bloat is not
contributing greatly to the diameter of the muscle, much of
the size gained on a cycle of
Equipoise can
be retained after the drug has been discontinued. It is
interesting to note that structurally
Equipoise
and the classic bulking drug Dianabol are almost identical.
In the case of Equipoise the compound uses
a l7beta ester (undecylenate), while Dianabol is 17 alpha
alkylated. Aside from this the molecules are the same. Of
course they act quite differently in the body, which goes to
show the 17-methylation effects more than just the oral
efficacy of a steroid.
As discussed earlier, Equipoise is a
very versatile compound. We can create a number of drug
combinations with it depending on the desired result. For
mass, one may want to stack it with Anadrol 50(oxymetholone)
or an injectable testosterone such as Sustanon 250. The
result should be an incredible gain of muscle size and
strength, without the same intensity of side effects if
using the androgen (at a higher dose) alone. During a
cutting phase, muscle hardness and density can be greatly
improved when combining Equipoise with a
non-aromatizable steroid such as trenbolone acetate,
Proviron (mesterolone; 1-methyl DHT), Halotestin
(fluoxymesterone), or Winstrol (stanozolol). For some
however, even the low buildup of estrogen associated with
this compound is enough to relegate its use to bulking
cycles only.
Equipoise is not an ideal steroid for
the drug tested athlete however. This drug has the tendency
to produce detectable metabolites in the urine months after
use, a worry most commonly associated with Deca-Durabolin.
This is of course due to the high oil solubility of long
chain esterified injectable steroids, a property which
enables the drug to remain deposited in fatty tissues for
extended periods of time. While this will reliably slow the
release of steroid into the blood stream, it also allows
small residual amounts to remain present in the body far
after the initial injection. The release of stubborn stores
of hormone would no doubt also be enhanced around contest
time, a period when the athlete drastically attempts to
mobilize unwanted body fat. If enough were used in the
off-season, the athlete may actually fail a drug screen for
boldenone although many months may have past since the drug
was last injected.
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