Andriol (Testosterone Undecanoate) Effective dosage: 200-280 mg/day Side effects: Andriol has non-aromatizing qualities therefore very few side effects. Additional comments: Can be very expensive to buy.

Andriol® is one of the few new steroids developed during the last few years. Unlike most anabolic steroids which were found on the market during the 1950s and 1960s (and which in part, have disappeared) Andriol has only been available since the early 1980s. This fact probably explains why Andriol® holds a special place among the steroids. Andriol® is a revolutionary steroid because, besides methyltestosterone, it is the only effective oral testosterone compound. Testosterone itself, if taken orally, is ineffective since it is reabsorbed through the portal vein and immediately deactivated by the liver. The substance testosterone undecanoate contained in Andriol®, however, is reabsorbed from the intestine through the lymphatic system, thus bypassing the liver and becoming effective. The liver function is not affected by this. Testosterone undecanoate is a fatty acid ester of the natural androgen, testosterone, and in the body is for the most part transformed into dihydrotestosterone, a metabolite of testosterone. For this reason Andriol® aromatizes only minimally, meaning that only a very small part of the substance can be converted into estrogen, since the dihydrotestosterone does not aromatize. The users of Andriol® therefore do not experience feminization symptoms such as gynecomastia or increased body fat.

This makes it a welcome alternative for athletes who have problems with the common injectable testosterone compounds. Due to this, Andriol® is also suitable for pre competition workouts. An additional advantage of Andriol® is non-aromatizing quality consists of the fact that the body own hormone production is only affected after a long-term administration of very high dosages. Andriol® has only a low inhibitive effect on the hypothalamus so that the release of LHRH (luteinizing hormone releasing hormone) is rarely influenced. This is very important since-as we know-LHRH stimulates the hypophysis to release gonadotropine which causes the Ledigs cells in the testes to produce testosterone. Consequently, Andriol® should be the perfect steroid; however, this is not the case.

The disadvantage of Andriol® is that it becomes effective if taken in high doses. Even if a dose of 200 mg of Andriol®/day is taken, the testosterone level in the blood is still too low for a bodybuilder to gain strength and muscle growth. The need for such a high daily dosage can be explained by its extremely short half-life time since the substance testosterone undecanoate is excreted very quickly by the body through the urine. The capsules, therefore, are effective for only a few hours so that 6-7 capsules, that is 240-280 mg (minimum), must be taken daily to achieve good results comparable to those of injectable compounds. This, however, puts the athlete in a dosage range which begins to influence the hormone production and the compound now more readily converts into estrogen. Such a dose can also manifest itself in a higher retention of sodium and water. This is one factor which competing athletes must consider. Another disadvantage is Andriol® high price. A package with 60 capsules costs approximately $80. and the minimum daily dose of 6-7 capsules thus costs almost $8. For those athletes who would like to try Andriol® 8 capsules ( 320 mg daily) should be taken. The capsules should be taken three times daily (approximately every 8 hours) after meals so that the substance can be properly reabsorbed. However, even this high dosage does not guarantee satisfactory results. Those of you who believe that you need even higher doses should then consider that it might be more sensible to switch to the injectable testosterone. Andriol® is often combined with Anavar since Anavar also does not suppress the production of testosterone and, in addition, does not aromatize.

The Andriol®/Anavar stack gives athletes who do not yet have much experience with steroids a fairly large strength increase and also often substantial muscle growth. For athletes over forty this combination is also of interest. Those working out for competitions and wanting to avoid injections on a regular basis can substitute Testosterone propionate with Andriol®. Since Andriol® is quickly eliminated by the body it should also be considered for use before competitions requiring doping tests. Women should avoid Andriol since the androgenic component common with testosterone is also strongly developed in this compound. Andriol® intake can occasionally lead to high blood pressure, retention of fluids, acne, sexual over stimulation, and, in women, the well known virilization symptoms.

The greatest advantage of Andriol® lies in its good compatibility. It can, for example, be used with Deca Durabolin® in long-term therapy and, in this combination and for health-conscientious athletes, it is an alternative to the famous Dianabol/Deca Durabolin® stack. Theoretically, Andriol® should build up muscle and mass, in combination with noticeable water retention, in a fast and reliable way, similar to the tested injectable Sustanon 250® and Testoviron Depot. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Some athletes who work out for a competition store too much water due to their use of the injectable testosterone, resulting in smooth muscles. However, if they still do not want to give up Testo, they should at least not have the estrogen-linked complications caused by taking up to 240 mg Andriol®/day and be able to reduce the water retention. In this phase, the estrogen level must be kept as low as possible, otherwise the best diet will be useless. The intake of Andriol® makes sense in this case and usually brings acceptable results. Otherwise, Andriol® is a drug better used by hobby-bodybuilders.