Quinbolone (oral boldenone)
An orally active cyclopentenyl enol ether of boldenone, marketed in Italy as Anabolicum Vister. It is essentially an oral prodrug of boldenone (Dianabol's non-methylated relative) and was used for geriatric and paediatric anabolic therapy, but it is weakly effective orally and has largely vanished.
01 Overview
Quinbolone is boldenone (1-dehydrotestosterone) modified at the 17-beta position with a cyclopentenyl enol ether, which gives it oral activity without 17-alpha-alkylation. It was sold in Europe, notably Italy, as Anabolicum Vister for anabolic support in debilitated, elderly and paediatric patients.
Because it is not 17-alpha-alkylated it lacks the marked hepatotoxicity of classic oral steroids, but oral boldenone delivery is inefficient and the compound is regarded as weak, requiring relatively high doses for modest effect. Human data are thin and dated. Boldenone itself is far better known in its injectable undecylenate form (Equipoise); quinbolone is a historical footnote by comparison and is essentially uncharacterised in modern controlled studies.
02 Mechanism
Acts as a prodrug: the enol ether is cleaved to release boldenone, a moderately anabolic AR agonist that aromatises weakly to a potent estrogen and does not undergo significant 5-alpha reduction.
03 Dosing
| Tier | Dose | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vintage clinical | 20–60 mg/day | Oral | Historical dosing; oral delivery inefficient. |
Ester comparison
| Ester | Half-life | Injection freq. | Testosterone by mass |
|---|
04 Effects
| Effect | Magnitude | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild anabolic effectWeak oral boldenone effect; requires high doses for modest benefit. | Anecdotal | ||
| Appetite supportBoldenone is anecdotally associated with increased appetite. | Anecdotal |
05 Side effects
| Effect | Severity | Frequency | Evidence | Countermeasures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estrogenic effectsGynecomastia and water retention attributed to boldenone's estrogen. | Mild | Dose-dependent | Anecdotal | |
| HPTA suppressionSuppression of endogenous testosterone. | Moderate | Expected | Observational |