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1AD (1-androstene-3beta, 17beta-diol)
or (1-androstene-3beta, 17beta-dione)
Target Hormone: 1-testosterone
Target conversion: (supposedly) very high, because it has a double bond at the 1st carbon and it is a diol version.
Conversion enzyme: 3-ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3HSD)

DHT conversion: some converting back to DHT through unknown pathway
Estrogenic effects: None whatsoever

Prohormones Banned Jan. 20th, 2005

On January 20th, 2005 the US Federal Gorvenment's ban on prohormones took effect. Don't worry though, we have numerous other products that work just as well. Find out more about these alternatives.

This is just a little bonus addition. I don't have enough data on this yet to make an accurate assumption, so most of what I'm saying here is based on product info, information obtained from Patrick Arnold, who made the stuff, and independent research. As for concrete information, I'm looking to test the product thoroughly near the end of summer and will keep meticulous records of my progress, including gains in size and strength, my diet at the time and any possible side effects I may encounter. Click here for more info on this study...

1-AD is an oral only compound that converts to a different target hormone altogether, namely 1-testosterone. Early data¹ suggests that 1-testosterone is 700% more anabolic than testosterone. How that translates in real world terms is yet to be determined. From the testimonials (they are limited) I've read the gains are slightly better than those of Nor-diol, so that would be a significant improvement, though not quite as high as the percentage might suggest. There was an initial dione version, but I believe that has been pulled and all 1AD currently available is diol. Again that means no estrogenic conversion prior, but none post-conversion either because 1-test doesn't aromatize. It's a derivative of the androgenic compound DHT, meaning that it has already undergone 5-alpha-reductase and cannot under any circumstances form estrogen.

The androgenicity is still very much an issue. It can convert to DHT via a different pathway (I should say convert back) but it's not known to what extent or what effects it has. So far no one has reported any serious side effects in this nature, but neither has there been any rigorous large-scale testing. The jury is still out on what this means to people who are at risk for things like prostate enlargement and hair loss. Since it is extremely androgenic in other ways as well, this is one aspect that will need further digging to get to the bottom of. I fear this may be the weakness of 1AD.

Oral activity is a great plus. To date orals are the only form that allow serious stacking and proper use of prohormones (more on that later). On the downside a lot of it doesn't survive the liver which makes us toss away a large amount of money spent on prohormones, because the yield is rather low. 1AD may have solved that problem. In steroids people make things 17-alkalated to survive the liver, but in return this increases liver toxicity severely. But a double bond in the one position (hence the name 1-testosterone) ensures a greater amount surviving without the risk of liver toxicity. Chemically you can liken it to the steroid primobolan, which is the same structurally except for an extra methyl-group but also has the double bond in the one position. It functions much in the same way. Making this perhaps the most potent oral prohormone to date. I would estimate oral activity to be in the neighborhood of 30%. That means even relatively small doses can exert decent effects, which will no doubt make up for its preposterous price.

In effects 1-test has been likened more often to Halotestin and trenbolone than Primobolan, qualitatively speaking. I did some research on this and this would mean that most of the gains are lean mass (not huge mass increases, then losing most) making it great to use even when cutting (though obviously the gains will be a lot smaller) and that the amount of water and fat weight is significantly reduced because there is no estrogen effect whatsoever. So blowing up like a balloon is out of the question, which isn't so visually satisfying, but it gets you harder and the gains are for real. That has to count for something. Halotestin is 17-alkalated by the way, so if you go researching don't be frightened by the enormous liver toxicity of Halostestin as I was, since 1AD is not 17-alkalated.

Since info on 1-testosterone is fairly scarce and hard to find, I did some more research on trenbolone in the specific steroid milieu (several websites, a few experienced users and a special shout-out to La Fetarde of our very own steroid boards for the info) and found that the common belief is that it is best stacked with a non-androgen for best results. Meaning that if you were thinking of stacking this, moderate doses (standard 300 to 600 mg) would be best used with Nor-diol, but if you were thinking of doing a serious stack (expensive, 900-1200 mg), you may want to consider 19Nor instead so there is no competition for enzymes.

There has been some talk of using 1AD as a pre-contest hardener as even users who were dieting and experienced very little gains boasted some impressive physiques nonetheless.

The major downsides to 1AD: physiologically the only side-effect reported so far is a loss of libido, to which Patrick Arnold himself replied that it may best be stacked with 4-diol if this worries you (or you have an insatiable girlfriend like me). And some of the testimonials said something about a distended belly, though it went away. Other than that, the only major setback is once again the cost. This stuff is even more expensive than Nor-diol (here at Bodybuilding.com the prices for both products from Ergopharm per 10.000 mg are $44.36 bucks for Nor-diol and $74.96 for 1AD), which will no doubt scare a lot of people off. And since the patent is owned by LPJ, it's unlikely that competition will lower the price as with creatine. So there probably will not be any reduction in price in the near future.

¹ Anabolic Steroids" by HL Kruskemper, Academic Press, 1968, p.109.

Read the full article by Peter "Big Cat" Van Mol: Prohormone Science - Revised with new info!

View: Main Prohormones Page