Steroid Information

Testosterone Enanthate

(Testosterone)

It is one of the most popular and commonly used anabolic steroids of all time for the purpose of both performance enhancing and Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and in all likelihood Testosterone-Enanthate is the most commonly used testosterone the world over among performance enhancers. Testosterone-Enanthate is one of the most versatile anabolic androgenic steroids one could ever use as it is for all intense purposes the perfect steroid for almost any purpose. Highly anabolic and androgenic in nature, with a rating of 100 in each, as are all testosterone forms, as the demand for this hormone is very high as is the supply you will find Testosterone-Enanthate to be one of the more easily affordable anabolic steroids on the market. From bodybuilders to power lifters, to on the field athletes and gym rats and everything in-between if you find an individual who has supplemented with anabolic steroids before and in the U.S. you’ll find over six-million who do so simply for cosmetic purposes then you’ll find a strong majority have supplemented with Testosterone-Enanthate.

Testosterone-Enanthate 101:

To understand Testosterone-Enanthate we only need to understand two things; the testosterone hormone and the Enanthate ester. In-fact, when we understand the testosterone hormone we will largely understand each and every form of exogenous testosterone as the hormone itself is identically the same in all types. The ester, in this case Enanthate is not a hormone, the ester does not provide any physical benefit that you desire to obtain. The ester does play an important role when attached to a testosterone or any anabolic androgenic steroid and the ester attached can vary greatly; however, in short, the ester is what largely determines the hormones initial and total activity and you will generally find that to be the only point of interest in its regards. While it should be clear it bears worth repeating; testosterone is simply testosterone, the form does not change the hormone; Testosterone-Enanthate, Testosterone-Propionate, mixtures such as Sustanon-250 or Omnadren, they are all comprised of the same active testosterone hormone; only the ester(s) are different, only the esters vary but the testosterone hormone remains the same.

For years testosterone and anabolic androgenic steroids in general have received a lot of bad press in popular culture, much of it based on a simple lack of education but as we understand the world isn’t flat we also understand many things about the testosterone hormone. Testosterone is a hormone naturally produced by both men and women; regardless of your thoughts and opinions on anabolic steroids you produce testosterone whether you like it or not. Individual production can vary greatly from one person to the next, there is no standard amount but men will generally produce ten times the amount as women but it remains essential to health and function for both sexes. In-fact, the testosterone hormone is one of the most important hormones any human being will ever produce; without the hormone we cannot function properly and in the way a human being was intended to. Testosterone is responsible for many functions and aspects of the human body including those of both a physical and mental nature and when levels fall below an optimal range the individual can suffer greatly.

Individuals who suffer from low testosterone levels commonly do so because of age. As we age our natural testosterone production declines, this is especially true for men but in many cases for post-menopausal women as well. Individuals who suffer will find such issues as loss in strength and muscle tissue, increases of excess body-fat, lethargy, depression, decreased libido, an inability to perform sexually, a weakened immune system to a host of other issues; does testosterone sound a little important yet? For the individual who suffers from low levels of testosterone remedy is easily available and often Testosterone-Enanthate can be the answer to this call, as Testosterone-Enanthate is just that, pure testosterone.

Of course for the performance enhancer improving low levels is not really the goal; for the performance enhancer the idea is to surpass normal levels so as to enhance the attributes the hormone carries. Regardless of the purpose of use, be it performance enhancement or TRT the mode of action within the hormone remains the same. By its very nature as a pure testosterone, Testosterone-Enanthate carries with it many traits from increasing nitrogen retention and protein synthesis, thereby promoting tissue growth and regeneration and of equal importance preservation. That alone is enough to make testosterone extremely valuable but it hardly ends there.

The testosterone hormone is also responsible for many metabolic traits and a large portion of our overall metabolic activity; and while the above plays an intrinsic role it is only a scratching the surface. Through the use of supplemental Testosterone-Enanthate we increase our testosterone levels enabling the hormone to perform a much needed action in inhibiting the release as well as reducing the amount of stress hormones we have in the body; more specifically glucocorticoid hormones. Glucocorticoid hormones are commonly referred to as muscle wasting hormones as they destroy muscle tissue and greatly promote increases in excess body-fat. If that’s not enough the direct mode of action of the testosterone hormone continues to gain in power and importance but as you can see the importance is already there. When we supplement with Testosterone-Enanthate, especially in doses beyond therapeutic measure we greatly increase the amount of IGF-1 released into the body. IGF-1 is another very powerful yet naturally produced anabolic hormone and is so essential to health and function that it affects almost every single cell within the human body.

As you now have a good understanding of the function and purpose of the testosterone hormone you can now begin to understand how the ester affects it and as we are only concerned with Testosterone-Enanthate it is the Enanthate ester we will look at and how it works when attached. Testosterone-Enanthate is a slow acting yet long lasting in effect testosterone form. This time factor is created by the Enanthate ester that is attached and as the Enanthate ester is fairly large so is its total half-life. The half-life of Testosterone-Enanthate is approximately 10.5 days and that is a fairly decently long half-life; in-fact, the only single ester based testosterone most will use that has a longer half-life is Testosterone-Cypionate and its half-life is only about 36 hours longer. As a large ester based anabolic steroid Testosterone-Enanthate will not require frequent injections. For the TRT patient generally one injection every week will be sufficient while most performance enhancers will find two injections of equal dosing per week to be just about perfect. Most performance enhancers will choose to inject on the same two days each week, for example, Monday and Thursday and the same can be said of the TRT patient, on the same day each week and you are advised to do the same.

The Benefits of Testosterone-Enanthate:

If you suffer from low testosterone, in most cases Testosterone-Enanthate will provide you with every last benefit you could ever need or desire. For the performance enhancer the exact same thing can be said; in-fact, Testosterone-Enanthate will provide almost every benefit an anabolic steroid can bring, for as you recall it is one of the most versatile hormones of all.

Through the use of Testosterone-Enanthate and the increased levels of testosterone now in the body we have created the perfect playing field that will lend to the promotion of mass and strength and not just mass but quality muscle tissue. Further, as it is responsible for a large portion of total metabolic activity our overall metabolic efficiency is enhanced, allowing us to lose excess body-fat more effectively or build more lean tissue if we so desire without the excess addition of body-fat that often accompany it. Of equal importance Testosterone-Enanthate will greatly improve our recovery capabilities and for the athlete this is of great importance, for it is in the recovery process that progress is made; weight training and physical stimulation is just that but it is the recovery from such events that causes the body to regenerate to a stronger degree; with Testosterone-Enanthate we are able to enhance this factor.

For the individual who suffers from low testosterone there may be parts of this that sound very distasteful; after all, the majority of people have no desire to build a lot of muscle, they do not desire a freaky look and for you there’s good news; supplementing with Testosterone-Enanthate will not provide this on its own, therefore you have nothing to fear. Yes, Testosterone-Enanthate can greatly aid in this purpose if you so desire but you must do other things as well in-order to meet this end. More importantly, when we speak of increasing muscle mass somehow in popular culture this has been deemed only as “massive piles” and as a negative attribute when nothing could be further from the truth. You need some level of muscle tissue on your frame in-order to simply function, further, lean muscle mass greatly affects your metabolism; how much of it you have is largely up to you but too little is never a good thing. In short, to be big you have to eat big, you have to train big but the intake of food plays the biggest role of all. If you have no desire to have a bodybuilding type physique then simply don’t eat like a bodybuilder and even then you shouldn’t really expect one outright; after all, you’d never say “I want to play golf but I don’t want to be as good as Tiger Woods” of course not, that is ridiculous for numerous reasons.

Testosterone-Enanthate also presents to us another very useful benefit and it remains so regardless of the testosterone form being used; the preservation of muscle tissue. When we diet in-order to lose excess body-fat some muscle mass is going to be lost but as mentioned the more muscle mass we possess the greater our metabolic activity. Fortunately testosterone protects and preserves lean tissue, especially when calories are low and fat is being burned. Not only is muscle tissue protected but as our metabolism is also being improved in general we thereby have a more pleasing physique looking back at us in the mirror.

The Side-Effects of Testosterone-Enanthate:

As exogenous testosterone is one of the most highly well-tolerated hormones any man can ever supplement with the probability of adverse side-effects is fairly low when use is done in a responsible manner. However, testosterone is so well-tolerated that even in supraphysiological doses it can be used without a negative effect; this is such an important piece of information we must delve into it in its own section later on.
While use can be very safe there are potential side-effects we must be aware of and as Testosterone-Enanthate is simply pure testosterone the potential side-effects will largely be of an estrogenic nature. When testosterone is present in the body it inevitably converts to estrogen via the aromatase process. Through this conversion some of the most commonly well-known anabolic steroid related side-effects can occur including Gynecomastia, water retention, high blood pressure and cholesterol issues. While there is no way to predict if you will fall prey it is always important to remember total dosing can play a large role; after all, if there’s more testosterone to convert into estrogen the larger the potential buildup is. For those who are sensitive to such effects anti-estrogen medications can often be their saving grace and there are none better than aromatase inhibitors (AI’s) such as Arimidex and Letrozole. AI’s do exactly what their name implies, inhibit the aromatase process; that is correct, they stop the conversion process but they have also been shown to actually reduce the total amount of estrogen in the body as well. It is true, while the use of an AI will in most cases keep an individual free and clear of such effects in a small minority it will not but in most cases if you examine your diet, ensure it is rich in omega fatty acids, ensure your carbohydrate consumption isn’t above need, ensure dosing is adequate but not too high you will normally be absolutely fine.

While Testosterone-Enanthate is generally well-tolerated there is one side-effect assured to occur in all men and it is that of testicular atrophy; however, as horrific as it might sound we cannot aptly label it an adverse effect. When we supplement with exogenous testosterone or any anabolic androgenic steroid our natural testosterone levels are suppressed, production is reduced and our testicles shrink. No, our testicles do not shrink into thin air, they simply lose some of their fullness but it is only temporary. Once all anabolic steroid use is discontinued and responsible use will include breaks, natural production will begin again and the testicles will return to their normal size. Further, while exogenous hormones are being used and natural production is suppressed, if we are using Testosterone-Enanthate we have no chance in suffering from low level symptoms because we are providing our body and in many cases more testosterone than it already needs for proper health and function. It must be noted, for the TRT patient as he will likely remain on therapy the rest of his life there will be no breaks and testicular atrophy will remain.

The New England Journal of Medicine:

You’ve heard the stories; steroids will kill you, steroids will turn you into a raging lunatic, steroids will rot your brain, explode your heart and everything in-between and if you ask anyone with half a brain none of this sounds like too much fun. Even so, the question remains, is it the truth? We know from a simple look at statistics that there has never been a death directly caused by anabolic androgenic steroids and we have seen evidence that destroys many of the supposed health concerns time and time again but none is more telling than the 1996 study done by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) titled “The Effects of Supraphysiological Doses of Testosterone on Muscle Size and Strength in Normal Men.” To this day it is one of the more thorough studies regarding anabolic steroid use, one done not only in a controlled manner but without emotional bias; only the facts are present. More importantly the term “Supraphysiological” refers to doses beyond therapeutic; that’s right, in the case of the NEJM study we’re talking about performance enhancement. While you can find the full study on the NEJM website a brief overview and summary will give you a good understanding.

40 men ages 19-49 were placed in four groups of ten. None of the men had ever supplemented with anabolic androgenic steroids or used any recreational drug and each man was free from any psychiatric or behavioral disorder. All 40 men were of reasonable good health and broken down into the four following categories:

  • Group One:  Placebo with no exercise
  • Group Two: Testosterone with no exercise
  • Group Three: Placebo with exercise
  • Group Four: Testosterone with exercise


Each man was instructed to follow a diet based on standardized RDA requirements and such diets were monitored closely for several weeks until the actual testing began. In the test the men not given testosterone is a simple result, they were given no testosterone and are of little concern here; however, you can again see the full results of the study on the NEJM website but here we are only concerned with the 20 men who actually received testosterone injections. Of the 20 men each received 600mg of Testosterone-Enanthate per week for a total of 10 weeks; keep in mind, 600mg per week is generally three times the amount of the standard highest therapeutic dose given to most patients who suffer from low testosterone; again, this is very much a performance level dosing. Of the 20 men who received the Testosterone-Enanthate the physical results of a positive nature were akin to the benefits we have explained here; increases in strength, muscle tissue, decreases in body-fat, etc. While that’s all well and fine what most people want to know about is the side-effects and this is where things get interesting; after all, it’s no secret that anabolic steroids work.

In the study, of the 20 men who were given 600mg of Testosterone-Enanthate per week for 10 weeks no one died, no one had a heart attack and no one had a stroke; but what about the specific health effects?

  • “The serum liver-enzyme concentrations, hemoglobin concentrations, hematocrits, and red-cell counts did not change in any study group”
  • “Plasma concentrations of total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides did not change in any study group”
  • “There was no change in the serum concentration of prostate-specific antigen in any group”
  • “No significant changes in mood or behavior were reported by the men on the Mood Inventory or by their live-in partners, spouses, or parents on the Observer Mood Inventory”

The results of the test speak for themselves.

Testosterone-Enanthate Cycles & Doses:

Be it for the purpose of performance enhancing, bulking or cutting, be it for the purpose of treating low testosterone you will be hard pressed to find anything better than pure testosterone and luckily for you that’s exactly what Testosterone-Enanthate is. For the performance enhancer generally 500mg per week of Testosterone-Enanthate is a good standard dose, especially for a beginner but for many seasoned veterans as well. 500mg per week can be used very safely and with very good results and is an excellent foundation for any anabolic steroid stack; in-fact, regardless of your dose testosterone in general is always the best foundational stone. While 500mg is a quality amount that will do more for you than you could ever hope for without, many will supplement with more and doses upwards of 1,000mg per week are not uncommon among the veteran hardcore. While there is no way we can recommend such doses outright many seem to be fine with them but long-term evidence and studies are lacking in this regard to say with any assured certainty. Further, as we have explained, when doses increase so does the probability of negative effects so if you choose to supplement this high you must proceed with extra caution. For the average man even in a hardcore sense 1,000mg per week is about as high as he’ll ever go, in the elite level, especially in competitive bodybuilding doses can get much higher but some level of an adverse reaction is almost guaranteed when it does.

Remember, responsible use will always be your best friend and responsible use will include periods of discontinuing use and will be accompanied by a quality Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) plan. A PCT plan is designed not only to aid in normalizing your body but further to stimulate the production of the essential testosterone hormone. While no PCT will in its own right bring production back to 100% it will send you on your way to just that much faster than without and the sooner this can be achieved the healthier you’ll be as well as more of your progress will be maintained. A quality PCT will always include a quality SERM such as Nolvadex or Clomid and often will include the greatly beneficial hCG hormone.