Oxandrolone

Anavar is oral oxandrolone, an anabolic-androgenic steroid used in bodybuilding for muscle, strength, and a leaner or harder look.

tier S · androgens · +3.0 kg lean mass in one 12-week older-men RCT

verdict

Human studies support anabolic and body-composition effects that could make an already lean physique look harder. They do not show literal water loss, a guaranteed bodybuilding result, or safety in healthy performance use.

why S-tier

S grades the certainty of the identity, human PK, and randomized outcome record; it is not a safety or current-approval grade.

the core tension

Human studies support muscle protein synthesis, lean-mass, strength, and fat changes. They do not prove a guaranteed dry bodybuilder look, and one trial found more total body water.

what it is

Oxandrolone, commonly sold as Anavar, is the free oral drug described in the historical Oxandrin tablet record: a 2-oxa, 17-alpha-methyl, 5-alpha-reduced anabolic-androgenic steroid. This page does not describe an injectable ester.

what it does

In six healthy young men, five days of oral oxandrolone increased muscle protein fractional synthesis 44 percent and increased skeletal-muscle androgen-receptor messenger RNA. In a separate older-men trial, lean mass, muscle area, and strength rose while total and trunk fat fell.

origin

Oxandrolone was sold in the United States under NDA 013718 and later generic applications. FDA withdrew the approvals effective June 28, 2023, then determined that the withdrawal rested on safety or effectiveness grounds.

does it work

A 262-man HIV-associated weight-loss trial found selected weight and body-cell-mass benefits, but also gonadal-hormone suppression and adverse transaminase, LDL, and HDL changes. This catabolic population does not establish a healthy-performance benefit.

key facts

• molecular formula: C19H30O3
• molecular weight: 306.4 g/mol
• amino acids: n/a (steroidal small molecule, not a peptide)
• half-life: 10.4 hours in younger volunteers and 13.3 hours in older adults in the historical Oxandrin label
• type: oral 2-oxa, 17-alpha-methyl, 5-alpha-reduced anabolic-androgenic steroid
• 10.4 h younger-adult label half-life
• 13.3 h older-adult label half-life
• +3.0 kg lean mass in healthy older-men RCT
• -1.9 kg total fat in the same RCT
• +2.9 kg total body water in the same RCT
• 81 participants in severe-burn RCT
• 2023 US approval withdrawn

frequently asked questions

Is oxandrolone FDA-approved now?

No. FDA withdrew the brand and generic approvals effective June 28, 2023. Historical approval and an archived label do not mean a product is currently approved or marketed.

What human half-life was measured?

The historical label reported 10.4 hours in younger volunteers and 13.3 hours in older adults. The displayed 10.4-hour curve uses the younger cohort and states the older value separately.

Is oxandrolone safe for the liver?

No safe conclusion follows from its reputation. It is 17-alpha-alkylated and carried boxed warnings for peliosis hepatis, liver tumors, cholestatic hepatitis, jaundice, and adverse lipid changes.

Does the burn trial prove athletic benefit?

No. It studied hospitalized patients with severe burns, not healthy athletes, and recorded a liver-enzyme harm signal alongside the recovery outcome.

Does Anavar actually create a dry, hard look?

The look itself has not been scored in a controlled trial. In 32 healthy older men, lean mass rose 3.0 kg while total fat fell 1.9 kg and trunk fat fell 1.3 kg, changes that could make an already lean body look harder. Total body water also rose 2.9 kg, so dry does not mean the drug literally removes water. The study did not involve trained bodybuilders.

What mechanism could explain more muscle or fullness?

In six healthy young men, five days of oral oxandrolone increased muscle protein fractional synthesis 44 percent and increased skeletal-muscle androgen-receptor messenger RNA. That supports an anabolic mechanism. It does not prove a specific cosmetic look.

related peptides

• Oxymetholone: another oral 17-alpha-alkylated androgen with human outcome data
• Stanozolol: another 17-alpha-alkylated androgen with controlled human lipid data
• testosterone: the clinically characterized reference androgen

reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.