Disclaimer: The following article is for educational purposes only and NOT to promote the use of illegal steroids. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultations.
Trenbolone is an incredibly potent anabolic steroid that bodybuilders use to simultaneously gain muscle and burn fat.
A well-known mantra in bodybuilding is ‘eat Clen and Tren hard‘ — for one seeking the ultimate physique.
Some people say Trenbolone’s not worth it due to the harsh side effects — being one of the most toxic compounds a person can take (physiologically and psychologically).
However, others argue that Tren’s adverse effects are exaggerated, and not notably worse than other anabolics.
Firstly, it is important to understand that each person will respond differently to Trenbolone based on their genetic code — making them more or less prone to certain side effects.
However, below are 17 effects that Trenbolone users commonly experience.
Monster Strength
Trenbolone’s effects on strength are truly exceptional, especially as it doesn’t aromatize and cause water retention.
Almost every competitive powerlifter will be running Trenbolone in their stack before a meet.
Users who are relatively new to anabolic steroids can add almost 100lbs to their bench press on Trenbolone — within the first month of a cycle.
This surely is a positive, however, bodybuilders will want to be careful of lifting excessively heavy during their first few Trenbolone cycles; to allow their muscles/tendons time to adapt. Otherwise, rapid increases in strength will leave users more susceptible to injury.
Shortness of Breath
It is not uncommon for users to experience shortness of breath when walking up the stairs or doing light exercise on Tren.
This happens due to a rise in blood pressure, indicating decreased blood flow to the heart; thus deeper breaths are needed to increase oxygen supply.
“Tren makes my cardio suck. Doing squats or lunges on Tren makes my breath run out much faster. I feel more powerful and stronger, but my aerobic capacity feels like it takes a 25-30% hit”. – Anonymous Tren-User
Muscle Gains
It is of no surprise that muscle gains on Tren are exceptional, with it being 5x more anabolic and androgenic than Testosterone.
How much muscle a user will gain on Tren will depend on their level of past steroid use.
For example, if a beginner utilizes low dosages of Trenbolone, their results, in terms of muscle hypertrophy, will be remarkable (gaining approximately 30lbs of lean muscle).
However, someone who has regularly used various steroids in the past may not gain as much, although taking Trenbolone could certainly take their muscle size to the next level — gaining 10-15 extra pounds (which is impressive for an intermediate steroid user).
Confidence of a King
Tren-users will ooze confidence due to incredible surges in exogenous testosterone. This will bring out a person’s inner alpha male to the maximum.
This powerful aura will be observed by everyone around them, and not only will confidence improve on a social level but also on a primal level.
I didn’t want to fight people, but I did walk into bars/clubs and feel like a lion. I thought to myself “If someone started something I could throw them across the room” but I wasn’t seeking trouble or any more likely to get into a fight. I just felt invincible. – Anonymous Tren-User
Hair Loss
Trenbolone is the most likely steroid to cause hair loss, recession or thinning on the scalp; due to its highly androgenic nature.
However, users have reported that approximately 80% of hair loss reverses back post-cycle — when dihydrotestosterone levels regulate back to normal.
Although hair loss may restore post-cycle for those using Tren sparingly — others looking to run regular Tren cycles long-term will face an uphill battle to preserve their hairline.
Thus, for those wanting to keep their hair as thick and full as possible, it may be wise to avoid Trenbolone; instead opting for less androgenic steroids, such as Dianabol or Deca Durabolin.
Fat Loss
Trenbolone is a potent fat burner, due to it being highly androgenic — with the AR (androgen receptor) stimulating lipolysis in adipose tissue.
How much fat a user will lose will depend on their training and diet.
Thus, someone bulking on Tren and eating in a generous calorie surplus may stay at the same body fat.
However, someone cutting on Tren, eating in a calorie deficit and doing regular HIIT may lose 6% of body fat from an 8-week cycle.
Generally, Trenbolone’s fat-burning effects are overpowered by its ability to pack on muscle; and thus most will utilize Trenbolone when trying to gain lean mass.
Constant Pump/Muscle Fullness
Pumps will be extreme during workouts, but this will also be a common theme outside of the gym — due to increased glycogen storage.
“I took a vacation that wouldn’t allow me to workout for an entire week. I thought I would shrink and look flat/deflated, but people were coming up to me telling me how big I looked, and looking back at the vacation photos I have to agree”. – Anonymous Tren-user
Tren Cough
Tren cough can be described as a ‘dry cough’ that occurs when injecting Trenbolone, lasting for several seconds.
Such respiratory distress can also occur when injecting other steroids, such as Testosterone Cypionate.
This is not thought to be serious and most likely related to Trenbolone’s high androgenicity, causing inflammatory lipids (prostaglandins) to become activated. Thus, upon injection, vasoconstriction of the muscular wall (in the bronchus) causes some irritation to the lungs.
Sweating
Trenbolone stimulates the central nervous system, increasing the production of adrenaline and therefore inducing thermogenesis. One benefit to this is that the metabolism increases, helping users to burn more calories naturally throughout the day.
However, the negative to high adrenaline levels is increased sweating in and out of the gym.
Waking up in the middle of the night in a puddle of sweat is a common theme on Trenbolone. Thus, to inhibit excessive adrenaline, users may want to reduce their caffeine intake when cycling Tren. Sleeping with a fan next to the bed will also help to cool the body down.
Hair Growth (on the Body)
Due to elevated DHT levels, we know that Tren-users can experience androgenetic alopecia (a loss of hair on the scalp).
However, for the rest of the body, users can expect faster and thicker hair growth — which can be advantageous for men coveting more grandiose beards.
Insomnia
If you struggle to fall asleep at night, Trenbolone may not be a suitable steroid, due to its stimulative effects on the CNS (central nervous system) — causing insomnia.
One way to overcome ‘Trensomnia‘ is to eat ample amounts of steak, chicken, or turkey before bedtime; combined with large quantities of carbohydrates. These 3 types of meat are rich in l-tryptophan, an amino acid that has sedative qualities, helping to soothe users’ central nervous system. Combining l-tryptophan with carbohydrates in a meal aids absorption and amplifies its soothing effects.
Taking a hot bath before bedtime is also one of the most effective and natural ways to unwind and overcome insomnia. Supplements such as GABA, red grape seed extract and valerian root can also help — in conjunction with teas such as chamomile or lavender.
If a person cannot sleep despite altering their diet, taking supplements and various other means to calm; they will become more catabolic due to a rise in cortisol. This can exacerbate Tren’s side effects, further increasing blood pressure and somewhat inhibiting fat loss/muscle growth. In this case, another steroid may be more effective than Trenbolone; not in terms of potency, but because sleep is vital for optimal body composition.
Better Sex
With testosterone, androgen and nitric oxide levels surging; blood flow will increase to the penis, positively affecting size and erection quality.
This often makes for a better sex life for many users (albeit temporarily).
“At 175mg/week of Testosterone and 350mg/week of Tren my sex drive was amazing, with my girlfriend having to tap out multiple times” – Anonymous Tren-User
However, the opposite effect can also happen to some users. Reduced libido and weakened erections can occur due to Trenbolone indirectly increasing prolactin levels, via shutdown of the hypothalamus, negatively affecting feedback regulation of this lactating hormone.
Bodybuilders can take Cabergoline, a dopaminergic that is medically used to treat hyperprolactinemia (high levels of prolactin) — helping to restore optimal sexual function.
Dark Urine
Tren-users often notice their urine go a dark colour on-cycle. This is due to Trenbolone’s thermogenic effects, effectively dehydrating the body.
Thus, it is important for bodybuilders to increase their water intake on Tren, which will result in urine returning back to its normal colour.
Irritability
Trenbolone is likely to shorten a user’s patience, due to its stimulative effect.
Simply, it is more difficult to stay cool with an elevated heart rate and high levels of adrenaline.
For many, Trenbolone is an emotional rollercoaster, with mood swings by the hour.
“Whatever may happen in your life, and whatever kind of mood you may have, it can feel like Trenbolone amplifies all of your emotions tenfold”. – Anonymous Tren-User
Photoshopped Look
If a person is already lean before starting their Tren cycle, they will begin to look photoshopped, due to a combination of:
- Reduced water levels
- Full muscles
- Increased vascularity
- Trapezius and deltoid muscles ballooning in size
The trapezius and deltoid muscles are more susceptible to hypertrophy on Tren, due to them having higher androgen receptors; causing them to respond particularly well to androgenic steroids.
A notable reduction in extracellular water can make a lean person look considerably more ripped. However, a person higher in body fat may not notice any increases in muscle definition, merely from shifts in water.
Acne Breakouts
If a person is prone to acne vulgaris, Trenbolone is likely to cause further breakouts due to its androgenic nature. This is particularly common on the back (known as ‘bacne’).
Tren causes acne due to androgens stimulating the sebaceous glands, causing increased sebum production; which is a waxy substance used to moisturize the skin.
However, when there is an excess of this viscous fluid, it can block the pores leading to cystic acne in very sensitive users.
Isotretinoin, better known as Accutane, is commonly used by bodybuilders who suffer from acne, but want to experience the benefits of Trenbolone (or other androgenic steroids).
Depression
The positive effects on mood and confidence whilst on Trenbolone are truly indisputable. However, as the saying goes: ‘What goes up must come down‘.
The crash post-cycle can be fierce, indicative of damage to the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA) and deficient endogenous testosterone levels.
Bodybuilders on-cycle have even reported random bouts of depression. This may occur due to infrequent injections, thus during a time when serum testosterone levels taper off (just before a new dose).
“I experienced depression at random times. I could wake up one morning and I would refuse to get out of bed, I’d just lay awake with my eyes open, staring at the ceiling and feeling helpless for an hour or so. Other times I would stay at home instead of working out and just lay on the couch and feel so helpless”. – Anonymous Tren-User
Therefore, Trenbolone may exacerbate mental health issues, and thus vulnerable individuals should steer away from this steroid.
After a cycle, shut down testosterone levels can cause lethargy and diminished sexual function (as well as depression). These side effects can last several weeks or months, hence why bodybuilders commonly opt for an aggressive PCT (post cycle therapy).
Below is a PCT protocol developed by Dr. Michael Scally, a hormone replacement expert. This trio of medications has proven to be a great success in clinical trials for restoring the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA) from anabolic steroids.
When 19 steroid-induced hypogonadal men were given Dr. Scally’s PCT protocol in a clinical setting, 100% of them recovered their endogenous testosterone production within 45 days.
Here is what they took:
- HCG – 2000 IU administered every other day for 20 days
- Nolvadex – 2 x 20mg for 45 days
- Clomid– 2 x 50mg for 30 days
This is considered an aggressive PCT and thus suitable for utilizing post-Trenbolone use.
Summary
You cannot definitively know what to expect on Tren until you inject it — as people have different experiences based on their genetics.
One person may become hypertensive after a few cycles, whereas another person’s blood pressure can remain in the normal range.
It is also worth noting that the negative side effects of Tren are more likely to occur at higher dosages (over 400mg/week).
Thus, less is more is a good rule when cycling potent steroids like Tren; with there essentially being a cut-off point of diminishing returns once you go past a certain dose (likely to be 300mg/week).
Furthermore, almost every Trenbolone product is different, based on the UGL (underground lab) manufacturer and their skill at formulating a pure product.
