Steroids
All types of steroids used for muscle, explained by class and by compound: testosterone esters, 19-nor, DHT derived and oral mass builders. Built for learning, not hype.
Every compound trades size and strength for a cost in blood lipids, liver, hormones or heart. The guides below show both sides with real numbers.
Start With Your Question
Most men open this page with one question about one compound. Pick the line that fits and go straight to the guide. All types of anabolic steroids are covered.
Start With the Main Categories
The types of anabolic steroids by class: oral vs injectable, testosterone, DHT derived, 19-nor, and bulking vs cutting use.
What Are Anabolic Steroids?
Even without training, high dose testosterone grew arm and leg muscle more than placebo in 43 men. What these drugs are and how they act.
Injectable vs Oral Steroids
In the same 11 lifters, oral stanozolol cut HDL by 33% while injected testosterone cut it by 9%. How the two routes differ.
Testosterone Steroids
Fat free mass rose with the dose, by up to 7.9 kg in 20 weeks, in 61 young men. Why testosterone is the reference point.
DHT-Derived Steroids
Blocking DHT did not change muscle gains on testosterone. Self reported hair loss rose from 2% to 12% on a cycle.
Nandrolone and 19-Nor Steroids
The 19-nor family: Deca vs NPP esters, nandrolone vs testosterone, and fractures cut from 51.5% to 19.1% in trials.
Bulking vs Cutting Steroids
Oxandrolone cut 1.9 kg of fat in 12 weeks; stanozolol cut HDL 33% in 6. What bulking and cutting labels really mean.
Learn Steroids by Systems
Learning the types of steroids should not start with the best compounds. It should start with mechanisms, bloodwork, side effects and recovery.
Understand the Category
Testosterone based, DHT derived, 19-nor, oral or injectable.
Know the Main Risks
Estrogen, acne, hair, fertility, mood and heart markers.
Think Past the Cycle
Suppression, fertility and follow up bloodwork come first.
The Most Discussed Steroid Compounds
Steroid names grouped by family. Each guide covers structure, effects, estrogen activity, androgenic strength and what to monitor. Steroid names are listed with their chemical names.
Testosterone Esters
Same hormone, different ester. The ester sets how fast it is released and how often it is injected. The hormone itself acts the same.
Testosterone Enanthate
Hematocrit and hemoglobin rose in step with the dose in 121 young and older men. Esters, aromatization and monitoring.
Testosterone Cypionate
After one injection, testosterone peaked on days 2 to 5 and was back to baseline by days 13 to 14. Cypionate vs enanthate.
Testosterone Propionate
One propionate injection kept testosterone above the normal level for 48 hours. Why short esters need frequent shots.
19-Nor Compounds
Testosterone relatives missing the 19th carbon. Nandrolone is the best studied of all steroids; trenbolone has no human trials.
Deca-Durabolin
Across 11 randomised trials, nandrolone decanoate added 1.59 kg of lean tissue with no change in fat mass.
NPP (Nandrolone Phenylpropionate)
Short ester nandrolone: faster onset and clearance than Deca, progestogenic activity and prolactin monitoring.
Trenbolone
Binds the androgen receptor about 3x more than testosterone. In 1,146 users, tren meant more mood, heart and liver concerns.
DHT-Derived Steroids
Built on dihydrotestosterone. These compounds cannot aromatize to estrogen. Androgenic strength and half life vary widely across the group.
Masteron (Drostanolone)
DHT derived and not a substrate for aromatase. SHBG binding, skin and hair effects, and bloodwork on a cut.
Primobolan (Methenolone)
Six weeks of methenolone grew thigh muscle area by 13.4% in stroke patients during routine rehab. What else is known.
Anavar (Oxandrolone)
Five days of oxandrolone raised muscle protein synthesis by 44% in 6 young men. HDL and liver impact explained.
Winstrol
Six weeks of oral stanozolol cut HDL by 33% in 11 lifters. Liver injury signs, joints and bloodwork.
Proviron (Mesterolone)
In hypogonadal men, mesterolone did not raise testosterone at all. SHBG binding and what it actually does.
Halotestin (Fluoxymesterone)
Extreme androgenic strength, no aromatization and heavy liver strain. Why it sits at the edge of the risk spectrum.
Oral Mass Builders
Liver processed orals with fast onset and short half lives. They are the hardest on liver markers and HDL cholesterol.
Dianabol (Methandrostenolone)
At 100 mg a day, men gained 3.3 kg more than on placebo in 6 weeks, but not more strength. Water, HDL and liver explained.
Anadrol (Oxymetholone)
In 12 weeks, older men gained 4.2 kg of lean mass while HDL fell 23 mg/dL and ALT rose. The cost of potency.
Turinabol
Chlorinated Dianabol from the GDR files: 3680 mg a year recorded, oral liver injury about two months in, detectable 45 days after one tablet.
Other Compounds
Compounds outside the main structural groups, each with its own side effect and bloodwork profile.
Equipoise (Boldenone)
Almost no human trial data exists for boldenone. Partial aromatization, hematocrit risk and appetite effects.
Coming Next
These steroid names and side by side comparisons are being written. They will appear in the library above when published.
How Steroids Work in Practice
Three findings explain most of what all types of steroids do: they build muscle, the effect follows the dose, and so does the cost.
Muscle grows even without training
In 43 men, high dose testosterone without exercise grew triceps and quadriceps area more than placebo. Training on top added more.
That is why the effect is real and why it attracts so many users.
The effect follows the dose
In 61 young men, fat free mass rose with the testosterone dose, by up to 7.9 kg in 20 weeks.
Hematocrit and hemoglobin rose in step with the same doses, more in older men.
So does the cost
Oral stanozolol cut HDL by 33% in six weeks, against 9% for injected testosterone.
In a study of 100 men on a real cycle, every one reported at least one negative effect.
None of the types of steroids gives an effect without a cost. The question is which cost, how big, and whether you can see it on your labs.
Two Routes, Two Risk Profiles
The route changes more than convenience. Oral 17-alpha-alkylated types of steroids pass through the liver first; injectables do not.
Oral
Stanozolol cut HDL by 33% in six weeks.
ALT rose 72 U/L in 12 weeks at the higher oxymetholone dose.
Taken daily; levels rise and fall within the day.
Dianabol, Anadrol, Winstrol, Anavar, Turinabol.
Injectable
Injected testosterone cut HDL by 9% in the same lifters.
No first pass through the liver.
Cypionate peaked on days 2 to 5, baseline by days 13 to 14.
Testosterone esters, Deca, NPP, Tren, Masteron, Equipoise.
If HDL or liver markers are already borderline, orals are the riskier route. Check both before and during any use.
6 Numbers From This Hub
These figures come up again and again across the types of steroids guides. Each one is cited in the guide it comes from.
Fat free mass gained at the top testosterone dose in 20 weeks.
HDL drop after six weeks of oral stanozolol, vs 9% on injected testosterone.
Lean mass gained by older men on oxymetholone in 12 weeks.
Lean tissue added by nandrolone decanoate across 11 trials.
Days until testosterone is back to baseline after one cypionate shot.
Men in a 100 man cycle study who reported at least one negative effect.
Across all types of anabolic steroids, bigger effects come with bigger costs. Read the compound guide and the bloodwork hub together.
Types of Steroids: Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the questions men ask most about steroid names, families and routes.
What are the main types of steroids used for muscle?
The types of anabolic steroids fall into four main families: testosterone esters, 19-nor compounds such as nandrolone and trenbolone, DHT derived compounds such as Masteron, Anavar and Winstrol, and oral mass builders such as Dianabol and Anadrol.
What is the difference between oral and injectable steroids?
Most orals are 17-alpha-alkylated and pass through the liver first. In one trial, oral stanozolol cut HDL by 33% in six weeks, while injected testosterone cut it by 9% in the same men.
Do steroids build muscle without training?
Yes. In 43 men, high dose testosterone without exercise increased arm and leg muscle area more than placebo. Combining it with training added the most.
Which steroids do not convert to estrogen?
DHT derived compounds such as Masteron, Anavar, Winstrol and Proviron cannot aromatize to estrogen. Nandrolone converts only partly.
How long does testosterone stay high after one injection?
After one cypionate injection, testosterone peaked on days 2 to 5 and was back to baseline by days 13 to 14. A propionate injection kept it above the normal level for about 48 hours.
Which steroid names are the hardest on the liver?
Among the types of steroids, the oral 17-alpha-alkylated ones. In older men, ALT rose 72 U/L in 12 weeks at the higher oxymetholone dose.
Explore Other Hubs
Every topic on Muscle Science has its own hub. Move to the next one from here.
Testosterone therapy, labs and side effects.
Hub →Bloodwork & HealthHow to read every marker on your report.
Hub →PED Side EffectsWhat each compound does to the body.
Compounds explained one by one.
How cycles are structured and why.
Hub →PCTRecovery after a cycle.
Hub →PeptidesResearch peptides and what is known.
Hub →SupplementsEvidence on popular supplements.
Hub →TrainingPrograms and lifting technique.
Hub →NutritionDiet, protein and calories for muscle.
