1-testosterone (dihydroboldenone), or DHB for short, is an anabolic steroid that has some unique properties of interest to bodybuilders. Interestingly, in spite of the fact that the name can be confusing, in no way is DHB testosterone. In fact, it is simply the 5alpha reduced form of Equipoise (boldenone), which acts in a completely different way. Therefore, you can think of it as a dihydrotestosterone (DHT) version of equipoise.

Chemical name: 17beta-hydroxyandrost-1-en-3-one, 5alpha-androst-1-en-3-one, 17beta-ol

Facts about DHB

On paper, DHB has an anabolic to androgenic ratio of 200/100. If these figures don't tell you much, we can remind you that testosterone's ratio is exactly 100 (1[00:10]0), so DHB is twice as anabolic as testosterone. However, lets not forget that ratios given to anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) can be misleading. Hence, DHB is actually very minimally androgenic, so such side effects as aggression and blood pressure are going to be lower than with other steroids. Moreover, compared to other compounds, DHB is very mild, so it does not cause major stress on the kidneys.

As mentioned above, DHB is very anabolic, which means it should give you some nice lean muscle gains. Interestingly, DHB is more anabolic than testosterone, equipoise, and deca durabolin. Furthermore, to put icing on the cake, it does not aromatize. Therefore, there is no need to worry about estrogenic side effects like gynecomastia or water retention. All in all, it is a great pre-contest hormone, and if you are looking for a compound that will give you slobs of water weight gains, and move the scale, then DHB isn't for you.

Unfortunately, one of the negative aspects with DHB is the prominent post injection pain (PIP) that some users report experiencing. This occurs after injection and can feel like your muscle is very sore for up to several days. However, the PIP is no reason to avoid DHB, since there are ways to combat this. For instance, I recommend diluting the oil with another compound of your choice, or if you are experienced, use grapeseed oil (sterilized). Meanwhile, some users are well off by heating up the oil beforehand as well, and injecting slowly small amounts at a time per muscle.

User experiences

Many users claim that DHB has some thermogenic properties, similar to trenbolone, in terms of sweating and insomnia at night. On the flipside, DHB gives very nice strength gains without hurting appetite, so it can be a very nice bulker. Although it may share its name with equipoise or testosterone, users consider DHB more as trenbolone's baby brother. Just like all steroids, DHB is suppressive, so a thorough post cycle therapy (PCT) should be implemented, and support supplements should be taken on cycle.

Typical cycle

Users will usually kickstart their cycle off with an oral and then stack around 500-600 milligrams (mg) per week of DHB with some long lasting testosterone. When you do this, you should also run an aromatase inhibitor (AI) to offset the estrogen increases from testosterone. Typical cycle would be 500-800mg of DHB, 40-50mg of oral Winstrol daily, 250-400mg of Testosterone per week.

Female use

Virilization symptoms such as deepening voice, enlarged clitoris, and facial/body hair can occur when females intentionally, or accidentally, run androgenic compounds. As stated above, although DHB on paper is as androgenic as testosterone, that doesn't mean that it will yield as much androgenic symptoms as testosterone, so females usually chose DHB over testosterone. What's more, DHB is structurally more similar to primobolan and equipoise than to testosterone, so the virilization risk is lower. In the end I would only recommend DHB to very experienced females who are aware of the risks, as DHB is in no way a weak steroid. Female users should start low at 25 milligrams (mg) per week, and work their way up to 75mg per week at the most.

Side effects

Since DHB does not aromatize, if used by itself or stacked with other non-aromatizing compounds, it will not cause prominent estrogenic side effects, such as lethargy, low libido, and depressed mood. For this reason it is a good idea to stack some testosterone with it, as males also need estrogen to function correctly, plus the testosterone will give the cycle an androgenic kick as well. Other than that, the side effects are not bad compared to trenbolone, and are probably more in line with equipoise, and should be easy to deal with as long you are using and not abusing. As stated above, support supplements, blood work, and a full post cycle therapy (PCT) should be used at all times.

Half life

DHB is usually tied to the cypionate ester, hence the half life in that case would be of approximately 8-10 days. It is wise to inject every 4-6 days, and once you stop using DHB, it will take about 4-5 weeks to completely clear your system. However, DHB is also found in propionate and other ester forms as well. Therefore, the frequency of the necessary injections and the clearance time will greatly depend on the ester you use.