NANDROLONE PHENYLPROPIONATE (NPP)
Overview Nandrolone Phenylpropionate is an anabolic steroid that is very similar to the popular Nandrolone Decanoate compound. However, Nandrolone Phenylpropionate was the first Nandrolone compound ever commercially sold. Nandrolone Phenylpropionate hit the shelves in the 1950’s and was brought to the market by Organon under the name Durabolin. Soon after Organon would release its Decanoate cousin under the name Deca Durabolin. Nandrolone Phenylpropionate is a small ester base anabolic steroid and is commonly referred to as NPP. This product has never been as popular as the larger ester Decanoate version, in part due to availability; however, in the modern era it has begun to see a resurgence in both use and availability thanks in part due to underground labs. Benefits Nandrolone Phenylpropionate is a 19-nortestosterone (19-nor) anabolic androgenic steroid. The 19-nor classification refers to a structural change of the testosterone hormone in that the carbon atom has been removed at the 19th position. This simple structural change gives us Nandrolone, and by adding the short Phenylpropionate ester we have Nandrolone Phenylpropionate. On the basis of the hormone’s function, Nandrolone Phenylpropionate is identical to Nandrolone Decanoate. Both forms are comprised of the same active hormone. In the case of NPP we have a shorter ester version that gives a larger burst of Nandrolone after injection, but also carries a much shorter half-life. This means Nandrolone Phenylpropionate has to be injected more frequently than its larger ester counterpart if blood levels are to remain stable. Nandrolone Phenylpropionate is slightly more anabolic than testosterone with a rating of 125 compared to testosterone’s rating of 100. It is also significantly less androgenic with a rating of 37 compared to testosterone’s rating of 100. The reduced androgenicity is due to the Nandrolone hormone reducing to dihydronandrolone (DHN) instead of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This is one of the reasons Nandrolone Phenylpropionate can be well tolerated at higher doses in some men than higher doses of testosterone. Side Effects The side effects of NPP are extremely overblown by the steroid forum community, where many will tell you to avoid it at all costs, which is paranoia and ignorance. After all, remember – it is a mild compound, so androgenic sides are very low. However, this does not mean that the user won’t experience cholesterol and heart strain, and other domino-effect side effects. Thus, the main side effects to look for are the estrogenic ones, which can cause water retention/bloat, insomnia, and high blood pressure. Consequently, in spite of the fact that NPP was made to convert into estrogen at 20% the rate of testosterone, an aromatase inhibitor (such as aromasin) should be utilized from the first day of the cycle.
