Trenbolone acetate was first available as the veterinary product Finaject, which is no longer available. Steroid users have also extracted trenbolone acetate from Finaplix cattle implants using conversion kits. Currently, various non-pharmaceutical preparations are now sold by underground labs (UGLs), and many users purchase powdered trenbolone acetate and make their own injectable preparations.
The solubility of trenbolone acetate in vegetable oil is 50 mg/mL. Where solubility enhancers such as benzyl alcohol or benzyl benzoate are used, concentrations of 75-100 mg/mL can be achieved, and these are typical of underground lab preparations. A disadvantage, however, of concentrations higher than 50 mg/mL is that there can then be increased prevalence of “tren cough” — a brief but severe coughing fit lasting perhaps one minute after injection, often accompanied by profuse sweating. However even at the higher concentrations, for most users this is only an occasional problem, not occurring with every injection. While it is a reason to consider limiting concentration if making one’s own preparation, it is not enough reason to rule out pre-prepared trenbolone acetate products at 75-100 mg/mL.
Trenbolone is a steroid having the advantages of undergoing no adverse metabolism, not being affected by aromatase or 5alpha-reductase; of being a very potent Class I steroid binding strongly to the androgen receptor; and having a short half life of approximately one day. This last property makes it very useful for short cycle, as the transition from anabolically-effective blood levels to levels low enough for recovery is rapid.
Since it is not affected by aromatase, there is no conversion to estrogen.
Fifty milligrams per day of trenbolone acetate is a good dosing for someone on his first cycle or who is as yet less than, say, 20 pounds over his natural limit; while 100 mg/day may be preferred by the more advanced user who has already gained more than this. In a few cases, doses as low as 35 mg/day may be preferred due to to a user having unusual sensitivity to the drug with regard to night sweats or excessive CNS stimulation.
While these may appear to be rather low dosages — and for any other injectable they would be low doses as a sole Class I androgen — trenbolone is about three times more effective per milligram than most injectables at the androgen receptor. Thus, 50 mg/day trenbolone, combined with an effective dose of a Class II steroid such as 50 mg/day of Dianabol, makes for a highly effective stack despite the total milligram amount per week being modest.
Trenbolone is among the most effective androgens in aiding fat loss. But contrary to some claims, there is no special role of the acetate ester: other esters of trenbolone are equally effective.
Trenbolone is not recommended for sole use in a steroid cycle. It may be almost completely devoid of non-AR-mediated or non-genomic properties, as gains are drastically less with trenbolone alone, regardless of dosage, than when trenbolone is combined with a Class II compound at the same total milligrams per week. Accordingly, it is recommended when using trenbolone to also include a Class II steroid, or testosterone.
Trenbolone is highly suppressive of testosterone production when present in the system even at low levels. Since normal male estrogen levels are provided via aromatization of testosterone, testosterone production is highly suppressed in a trenbolone cycle and estrogen levels fall below normal. This typically yields problems with mood, libido, and/or the joints.
Even a modest amount of added testosterone, such as 100 mg/week, or low-dose use of HCG solves this problem. Alternately, a small amount of Dianabol such as 5 mg twice per day is also sufficient to avoid problems of abnormally low estrogen. Of course, for greater gains more would be used, in either the case of testosterone or Dianabol. These are simply minimal values with regard to the estrogen issue.
There was a myth that trenbolone is “hard on the kidneys.” I have found no indication in the scientific literature of particular kidney toxicity with trenbolone, nor in practice is this a problem. In some rare instances urine has appeared brown. I don’t know the reason. Simply using myself as an example, it has happened for me precisely once, over many years of use and having had at least 50 grams of trenbolone acetate through my system over time. For others, it is generally an unusual side effect if seen at all. Many users have never seen it. If it were frequent for a given user, I would suggest another drug, as the reason is not known, and it is possible to construct effective cycles without trenbolone. But this will not be the case for the vast majority, if any.
Other trenbolone myths include claims of progestagenic activity – veterinary studies show this is not the case – and supposedly sharing similarities with nandrolone due to the shared feature of lacking a 19-methyl group. However, the latter is invalid reasoning, and practice does not show it to be the case with regard to adverse traits specific to nandrolone.
I do not consider trenbolone to be capable of causing or aggravating gynecomastia. I do not know of a single case where the source of trenbolone was Parabolan (back when it was available), Finaplix H, or Component T-H. The problem appears to occur only when the source is an underground lab or the home preparation is made from powder from a black-market supplier. Since trenbolone’s wholesale price direct from a manufacturer is much higher than that of most anabolic steroids, it shouldn’t be surprising that substitution or partial substitutiion would often occur with underground products. Additionally, it might be that some have mistakenly made preparations from Finaplix S, which definitely would be capable of causing gyno, as that product includes estradiol benzoate as an ingredient.
A side effect popularly associated with trenbolone is increased aggression. However, any increase in aggressive tendency — which does not mean the act of aggression — is entirely controllable, if noticeable at all, just as with testosterone.
Two other possible side effects are night sweats and reduced aerobic performance.
Trenbolone acetate should be injected daily, when used. The difference between daily and every other day use is noticeable and significant. This is attributable to the short half-life of the drug.
About the author
Bill Roberts is an internationally-recognized expert on anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). He received a bachelor degree in Microbiology and Cell Science and completed the educational and research requirements for a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry at a major American university.
Bill entered the nutritional supplement industry prior to completing his doctoral thesis but his education was invaluable so far as being able to design/improve nutritional supplement compounds, since it was in the field of designing drug molecules and secondarily some work in transdermal delivery.
His education was not specifically "geared" toward anabolic steroids other than expertise with pharmacological principles having broad applications. This has allowed Bill to provide unique insight into the field of anabolic pharmacology with knowledge of points which he would not have known otherwise.