Turinabol
4-Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone · Tbol
Oral cross between Dbol and Clostebol; low water retention, moderate liver toxicity. Peak calibrated.
Key takeaways
- Oral Dbol/clostebol hybrid that cannot aromatize — lean gains without water retention.
- ~16-hour half-life, so the daily dose is split twice; oral bioavailability is effectively complete.
- 17-alpha-methylated: moderate hepatotoxicity and HDL suppression are the main risks.
- Long-lived metabolites stay detectable 4–6 weeks — a poor choice for tested athletes.
Overview
What it is
Turinabol (4-chlorodehydromethyltestosterone, Tbol) is an oral anabolic steroid developed in 1960s East Germany, structurally a hybrid of metandienone and clostebol. The 4-chloro modification blocks aromatization, and the 17-alpha-methyl group makes it orally active. It is best known as the backbone of the East German state doping program.
Pharmacokinetics
The half-life is about 16 hours with effectively complete oral bioavailability, so documented protocols split the daily dose in two. Long-lived nor-metabolites remain detectable for 4–6 weeks after exposure, far outliving the parent compound.
Harm reduction
No estrogen conversion removes water retention and gynecomastia risk, but the 17-alpha-alkylation brings moderate hepatotoxicity and HDL suppression, so liver enzymes and lipids are the core monitoring set. HPTA suppression is dose- and duration-dependent.
Reported dosing protocols
Protocols reported in research literature and clinic/community use — informational context, not a dosing recommendation.
| Use case | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State doping program (documented) | 10–40 mg daily | Oral | Split daily | Weeks–months |
| Performance (community) | 20–50 mg daily | Oral | Split 2× daily | 6–8 weeks |
Pharmacokinetic summary
- Model tier
- Simple (t½ + F, Tmax estimated)
- Half-life
- 16.0 hours
- Cmax
- 49.9 ng/dL
- Bioavailability
- 100%
- Typical dose
- 20–60 mg
Harm reduction
- Aromatizes
- No
- DHT derivative
- No
- Hepatotoxicity
- moderate
- Injection frequency
- Oral, 2×/day
Frequently asked questions
Does turinabol cause gyno or water retention?
No. The 4-chloro modification blocks aromatization entirely, so estrogenic side effects do not occur. The trade-offs sit elsewhere: liver strain and HDL suppression from the 17-alpha-methyl group.
How long is turinabol detectable?
Far longer than it works. The parent compound clears in about 16 hours, but anti-doping labs screen for long-lived nor-metabolites detectable 4–6 weeks after exposure — which is why it keeps surfacing in retested Olympic samples.
Is turinabol still made pharmaceutically?
No. Jenapharm discontinued it in 1994, and no licensed manufacturer produces it today. Everything on the market is underground-lab product, so potency and purity are unverified.
References
- PubMed / Bionity — Cmax calibrated to ng/dL serum peak.
- PubMed — turinabol pharmacology — Source of the PK values in this entry.
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