What is testosterone enanthate and what is it used for?
Testosterone enanthate is an injectable anabolic steroid in which the testosterone molecule is linked to an ester called enanthate.
This makes this form of testosterone a long-acting hormone, meaning that the user only needs to apply it once or twice a week to maintain relatively stable levels in the body.
There are several esterified versions of testosterone (propionate, cypionate, undecanoate, etc.), but this does not change its role as the primary hormone responsible for the development and maintenance of male secondary sexual characteristics.
Therefore, its main clinical use is for hormone replacement in men with hypogonadism .
In the context of bodybuilding and bodybuilding, because it is highly anabolic and androgenic, testosterone increases the ability to build muscle mass and strength when used in doses above natural levels.
When someone uses enough testosterone to reach above-normal levels, there will be more nitrogen retention in the muscles, allowing the muscle tissues to store more protein — essential for muscle repair and growth.
It also has the ability to bind to androgen receptors, which signals several processes involving muscle growth.
Like most anabolic steroids, testosterone—regardless of the ester—also increases red blood cell production.
With more oxygen-carrying cells in the blood (with more red blood cells), endurance and fitness increase, as does recovery ability.
Among other anabolic effects, testosterone also stimulates the production of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) and reduces the action of catabolic hormones.
What does a testosterone enanthate cycle usually look like?Despite having an ester that makes testosterone absorption very slow, enanthate is usually applied weekly when the goal is muscle gain.
For aesthetic purposes or to improve performance, the dose can vary greatly, but the most common reports are with doses of 200 to 600 mg, generally in cycles lasting 6 to 12 weeks.
This dosage range and duration appears to be sufficient for most people to see noticeable gains in muscle mass and strength.