Deca Durabolin Cycle, Stacks, Results & Side Effects

Properly known as nandrolone decanoate, Deca Durabolin is a long acting steroid with the ability to increase muscular tissue by way of nitrogen retention. This drug has been used in medicine since the 1950s, and in recent years, in veterinary practice as well. It was approved for human use in the United States in 1964.

​The original brand name was Decadurabol or Deca-durabolin and this was made by Organon USA Inc. However, another company called Schering (now Bayer Pharmaceutical) took over Organon's product after their patent expired and began producing it under the name Durabolin or Naberin .

Deca Durabolin is a Decanoate ester form of the hormone nandrolone. Without getting too specific, nandrolone falls into a class of hormones called 19-nortestosterone derivatives and is very closely related to testosterone.

The main function of Deca Durabolin in the body: it binds with the androgen receptor and can promote nitrogen retention, protein synthesis and it will slow down/reduce metabolic degradation (catabolism). Side effects usually include high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and other signs of steroids such as hair loss. [It should be noted that this steroid's side effect profile will vary enormously based on many factors such as genetics, diet, exercise routine and overall health.]

Deca Durabolin is generally prescribed for the treatment of osteoporosis not induced by other steroids or long-term glucocorticoid use. It is also used to treat anemia, hereditary angioedema (gene mutation), certain types of breast cancer, hirsutism (facial/body hair growth in women) and perhaps most famously Deca was used as a therapy drug post cycle therapy after using anabolic steroids.

The original doses for Deca Durabolin are 200mg per week which can be increased if needed up to 600mgs per week. This steroid has been known to increase appetite which can lead to gaining unwanted weight but this will largely vary by person.

​For those with higher body fat percentage, this steroid will promote water and sodium retention and can make you look round (especially in the face). If you are competing, there is a very good chance that Deca Durabolin will be banned as it has been shown to produce anabolic/androgenic ratios of 60:100.

Deca Durabolin Stack:

Deca Durabolin dosage for performance enhancing usually makes use of the longest acting ester available nandrolone decanoate also known as just plain old "deca". This ester comes in an injection form and due to its long-acting nature is effective for approximately three weeks or so at which point another injection must be administered.

For bulking purposes, the standard Deca Durabolin cycle will be 300mg per week and can go up to 600mgs. This level is effective for 8-12 weeks and should not go past this amount of time due to liver toxicity and stress. For cutting and definition, a dose of 150-200mg per week will help an individual look harder which can also increase vascularity as well since this drug does aromatize (converts into estrogen).

Results & Side Effects:

So what kind of results can you expect from Deca Durabolin? Well for starters, this is not a cutting or dry steroid. It promotes more medium to slow acting gains that are fairly easy to maintain once the user quits use.

During the first few weeks of Deca Durabolin, there will be an increase in appetite which may lead to gaining some mass but most users will find themselves settling down at their normal weight after a couple of weeks since it has a tendency to promote water and sodium retention which can encourage bloating.

Leaner individuals who have higher body fat percentages won't benefit much from using this drug. Although certain types of athletes such as runners and gymnasts have been known to take anywhere from 25mg-150mg per day for their performance. Many of these individuals have also reported bloating as a side-effect which is to be expected with this drug.

Expect the water retention properties of Deca Durabolin to be fairly low compared to other similar drugs however, keep in mind that results will largely depend on your diet and time your usage appropriately.

The steroid's anabolic/androgenic ratio is 60:100 which is very high considering it promotes non-functional mass. Since this drug doesn't aromatize, it can produce estrogen based side effects but this will largely depend on the individual's genetics. If you are prone to developing acne or hair loss, you may want to consider something else since Deca Durabolin has the ability to worsen either condition.

Deca Durabolin Side Effects:

The side effects of Deca Durabolin are generally mild but they can become more intense during longer cycles of 12 weeks or more. Since this drug is known for promoting water retention, the individual may notice some bloating or a sudden increase in weight within just a couple of days after beginning their first injection. On the other hand, if you already have high body fat then your appearance will not change all that much until you start dieting down.

Examples of Deca Durabolin related side effects include acne, hair loss and prostate enlargement but these will largely depend on genetics as well as how sensitive an individual's natural hormone are. The estrogenic properties of this drug are also very weak and most men will rarely notice any breast enlargement or water retention which is why it's recommended for endurance athletes.

One of the most common side effects of Deca is its ability to produce virilization in women due to its strong androgenic nature. Prolonged use or abuse can lead to irreversible clitoral enlargement, deepening of the voice and increased hair growth on the face and legs.

However, if you're a woman who is looking for mass gains, then Deca Durabolin may be your best option since it's one of the only anabolic steroids that will actually cause significant muscle growth in women without making them look like "bodybuilders" and it won't affect their menstrual cycle either. Other common side effects of Deca Durabolin include lethargy, depression and gastrointestinal issues such as nausea and cramps but these will largely depend on the individual's level of sensitivity to the hormone.

Deca Durabolin Cycle:

Normally, when you're using a steroid for its anabolic properties, you'll want to run it for a 4-6 week period at a dose of 200mg per week. However, since this drug is known for promoting water retention early on in your cycle then you may want to start out with a lower dosage such as 100mg every 5 days so that any unwanted weight gain can be minimized if not eliminated altogether.

If you do experience any bloating or weight gain then you can drop the dose down to 75mg per week or 50mg every 5 days even. You can also use this drug by itself but it's suggested that you stack Deca Durabolin with testosterone propionate which will improve your ability to maintain lean muscular tissue since both steroids are anabolic in nature.

The average individual, regardless of their sex or age, should expect to see results with as little as 3-4 weeks with a dosage of 100mg every 5 days. However, many people will need 8-12 weeks to notice significant changes in size and strength so keep this in mind.

The more advanced you are, the longer you'll probably have to run Deca in order to experience the best results. Given its potent nature, this drug is not recommended for beginners since they're usually sensitive to even small doses of anabolic steroids.

If you want to take advantage of plasma levels then you'll need at least 200mg every week and most men will find a dosage of 400-500mg per week adequate enough for their needs. It's suggested that you run this drug for 8 weeks and although 12 weeks is safe, 16 weeks or more is pushing it since we don't know how long nor how toxic Deca Durabolin truly is.

However, keep in mind that most people who run high end cycles such as 500+mg per week are already beyond status so if you're new or intermediate, you'll probably want to keep your cycle much shorter.

Deca Durabolin Stack:

As mentioned, due to its high propensity for water retention, Deca is commonly stacked with other steroids which are known for their lean mass promoting properties. The best stack would be with testosterone propionate or enanthate since these compounds will promote both muscle growth and strength without the added bulk that aromatizing steroids carry.

This stack can be used both by itself or in combination with other anabolic steroids such as Dianabol , Equipoise  or Anavar . If this isn't your first steroid cycle then you may want to add Winstrol  and/or Masteron  to the mix depending on whether you want a cutting or bulking cycle.

Since this is a long acting steroid, some people find that it's easier to maintain gains as opposed to those who run short esters such as propionate or even enanthate . This will make Deca Durabolin ideal for any longer 8-12 week cycles where side effects are more manageable when compared to other steroids which are known for their harsh nature when used in moderate or high dosages.

However, because of its ability to promote water retention early on in your stack, you should expect rapid size and strength gains in the first couple weeks but keep in mind that these can be lost fairly quickly due to the fact that you'll also build up a good amount of water weight as well.

By itself, Deca Durabolin is not a great mass builder but it does display the ability to increase the number of red blood cells present in your system which helps improve endurance and stamina while increasing nitrogen retention for increased protein synthesis . The more red blood cells you have, the better your performance will be both inside and outside of the gym.

This means that you'll notice faster muscle recovery time after each workout, which will help promote harder and stronger muscles. However, keep in mind that this drug carries strong side effects such as balding , prostate enlargement , bloating , high blood pressure , kidney damage , nausea among others so using other drugs that work well without these is most beneficial.