Anabolic steroidAndrogenInjectableDHT derivativeNon-aromatising

Stenbolone

Also known as Anatrofin · Stenbolone acetate · 2-methyl-1-dehydro-DHT

Written by enwyReviewed 15 Jul 20261 sources0 comments

A non-aromatising DHT-derived injectable anabolic (2-methyl-1-dehydro-DHT), closely related to methenolone (Primobolan). Marketed briefly as the acetate (Anatrofin/Stenbolone), it is a mild, dry, non-estrogenic compound that never gained a foothold and is essentially uncharacterised in modern studies.

01 Overview

Stenbolone is 2-methyl-5-alpha-androst-1-en-17-beta-ol-3-one, a dihydrotestosterone-derived steroid structurally analogous to methenolone but with a 2-methyl group in place of methenolone's 1-methyl. Like its cousin it does not aromatise and is not 17-alpha-alkylated, giving a mild, non-estrogenic, non-hepatotoxic profile. It was sold as the acetate ester (Anatrofin, Stenbolone) for a short period.

It is regarded as a lean, 'dry' compound producing modest quality gains without water retention, favoured in vintage circles for cutting-style use. It never achieved commercial success and disappeared, so essentially no controlled human data exist; its reputation is built on structural analogy to Primobolan and scattered anecdote.

02 Mechanism

Androgen receptor agonist derived from DHT. The saturated A-ring and 2-methyl substitution prevent aromatisation, so it produces no estrogenic activity and yields a mild, non-water-retaining anabolic effect.

03 Dosing

Tier	Dose	Route	Notes
Anecdotal (acetate)	200–400 mg/wk	IM	Short ester requires frequent injection; no controlled data.

Ester comparison

Ester	Half-life	Injection freq.	Testosterone by mass

04 Effects

Effect	Magnitude	Evidence
Lean, dry gainsQuality lean-mass gain without water retention, reported anecdotally.		Anecdotal
No estrogenic activityDoes not aromatise, so no estrogenic side effects from the drug.		Preclinical

05 Side effects

Effect	Severity	Frequency	Evidence
Androgenic effectsAcne, oily skin; hair-loss and virilisation risk from a DHT-derived androgen.	Mild	Dose-dependent	Anecdotal
HPTA suppressionSuppression of endogenous testosterone.	Moderate	Expected	Anecdotal
Frequent injection burdenThe short acetate ester requires very frequent injections.	Mild	Inherent to acetate	Anecdotal

06 Legal status

United States

Schedule III controlled substance

Anabolic steroid; withdrawn from market. · as of Jan 2026

07 References

Stenbolone (Anatrofin) pharmacology and structureVintage steroid literature

08 Discussion0 comments

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This page is reference information, not medical advice. Doses and protocols are documented as they appear in the clinical literature and in practice — describing them is not a recommendation to use them. Countermeasures listed here are not a substitute for a physician. Legal status varies by jurisdiction and changes.