Anabolic Insider

QUESTION: I’ve picked up a box of methyltestosterone from Aburaihan. Everyone says it’s a terrible steroid to take and its only good for aggression. Can I make any gains on it?

ANSWER: Methyltestosterone was the “original” oral steroid. Going back several decades, it was the first anabolic steroid that seemed to hold significant efficacy when taken orally. For chemistry geeks, methyltestosterone is simply testosterone with an added methyl group at c-17, which slows its liver breakdown. This testosterone variant did seem to work as an oral androgen supplement during the early years of medical use. But it was also fairly problematic, especially by today’s standards. One of the main issues is that it tends to be highly estrogenic. It turns out this is because methyltestosterone readily converts to a very potent “super estrogen” called methylestradiol, which is several times more active than normal estrogen (estradiol). For a bodybuilder looking to harness the muscle-building potential of methyltestosterone, the dose used is going to be pretty substantial (probably 25-40 mg per day). At this level, you’re going to notice significant estrogen conversion, and thus will have to endure or fight off side effects like water bloat and gynecomastia. The thing is, by the time athletes caught on to steroids during the 1960s and ‘70s, less estrogenic alternatives like methandrostenolone (Dianabol) and stanozolol (Winstrol) were already on the market. These are the drugs that became very popular. Methyltestosterone always languished as an unpopular and rarely used “problematic” steroid. You’d rarely even find dealers carrying it. So let me get back on track now. Your question wasn’t about why methyltestosterone was an unpopular steroid. You asked if you could use it to good benefit. The answer is “probably”. This steroid is sufficiently strong, and will impart a strong muscle-building effect. But you must deal with the estrogen issue if you plan on receiving quality gains from it. This would most likely entail nothing less than a modern aromatase inhibitor, such as anastrozole or letrozole. Either should significantly cut down on the estrogen conversion and side effects, hopefully making the drug appear more along the lines of maybe Dianabol. Granted, I suspect you’d find
regular Dianabol more to your liking. Still, methyltestosterone need not be summarily dismissed. It does have value if used correctly.

If you want William Llewellyn to answer one of your questions, send it to questions@muscle-insider.com or visit www.BodyofScience.com. Watch for his new book ANABOLICS 11th Edition which is the leading resource on the use of anabolic steroids. He is also the CEO of Molecular Nutrition (www.MolecularNutrition.net) which is a supplement company devoted to producing cutting-edge supplements backed by science.