Dianabol Guide | History, Uses, Benefits, Side Effects & Results

💊 Dianabol | Everything You Need to Know

✅ Fact Checked 📖 WHO Classification 💪 Popular Steroid 🔬 Science Backed 🏋️ Bodybuilding Use

📌 What is Dianabol

Officially it’s called Methandrostenolone. It’s been branded a good few times under various names including “Danabol”, “Averbol”, and of course “dianabol”.

The generic name given to it by the World Health Organization (WHO) under its International Nonproprietary Name (INN) scheme is “Metandienone”.

📜 The History Of Dianabol

Today we know dianabol as an anabolic steroid, but initially it wasn’t really created to help bodybuilders to get big. dianabol is originally an all-German creation (manufactured by Ciba Specialty Chemicals). It was introduced by Ciba in 1958. It hit the US market in the early 1960s where its prominence grew over the years for various reasons which I will uncover further in this article. dianabol was developed as the first oral steroid which was supposed to be a safer alternative to testosterone. It was introduced to the US market by John Zeigler.

Contrary to popular opinion, John Zeigler DID NOT invent dianabol. Zeigler had access to the Ciba Laboratory in the New Jersey area where he tested it on weightlifters as part of his research. In fact, the dianabol used in the New Jersey Lab didn’t actually contain any steroid because at the time, that privilege was only reserved for the corporate headquarters of Ciba based out of Switzerland.

✈️ Zeigler’s Trip To Vienna and the Soviet Confession

John Zeigler visited Vienna in late 1954 with the American weightlifting team where he met a leading Russian physicist, who after a few rounds of alcoholic drinks revealed to Ziegler that the Russian athletes were taking testosterone.

🧪 Zeigler Begins His Experiements

John Zeigler was responsible for introducing dianabol to the United States.

Upon learning this, Zeigler returned to the United States and “tested out” a few weak doses of testosterone on himself, as well as a handful of guinea pigs including Yaz Kuzahara (Olympic lifter), Jim Park (professional weight lifter), and John Grimek (professional bodybuilder).

The results were quite amazing because all the test subjects enjoyed notable increases in size and strength. These enhancements also had side effects and as a result, and with the help of Ciba, Zeigler launched a research program with the aim of developing synthetic versions of testosterone (testosterone mimickers). Working alongside Ciba provided many benefits for Zeigler because he had full access to records and books taken from Nazi Germany.

Zeigler finally settled on an anabolic steroid that didn’t have many after effects called Methandrostenolone, which was developed in the United States by Ciba in the late 1950s.

⚖️ Zeigler‘s Successes and Failures

Zeigler did have some successes with the program. He managed to alter the molecular structure of dianabol to make it more “biologically active”. This essentially meant that dianabol’s effectiveness increased, but so did the health risks. This process is known as the 17 alpha alkalalyzation, which means the liver is unable to break it down.

The mere fact that dianabol re-circulated around the body meant that its effects lasted longer. But at the same time this caused immense strains on the liver, essentially preventing it from flushing out impurities (the job it’s supposed to do)

😔 Zeigler’s Regrets

In 1960, Zeigler had the entire US Olympic weight lifting team take dianabol but they still ended up losing to the Soviets. After discovering that some of his athletes had taken up to 20 times the recommended dosage of dianabol and had developed quite serious liver conditions, he gave up testing on his athletes altogether. In later years, Zeigler stated that he regretted introducing dianabol to athletes.

✅ FDA Approval

Pretty soon after the launch of dianabol, it gained FDA approval, but this wasn’t without a price. The FDA applied monumental pressure onCiba to publish a list of medicinal benefits. Ciba cooperated and the FDA swiftly approved dianabol’s use for treating post-menopausal women suffering from osteoporosis, as well as dwarfism. This was rescinded in the early 1980s before applying further pressure on Ciba to come up with further information about their product. In the end, Ciba caved in and discontinued dianabol production.

A few years later, the FDA withdrew all products containing Methandrostenolone from the shelves. Ever since then, dianabol cannot legally be manufactured in the United States. This however hasn’t stopped its manufacturing around the world by copycats.

🌍 The Current Situation

At present, dianabol is a controlled substance in the United States, as well as Europe. Despite the risks, dianabol remains a popular substance in bodybuilding circles and can be widely purchased online from around the world, including the United States. It is fairly easy to obtain without a prescription in certain countries such as Mexico, where it is marketed under the alias “Reforvit-b”.

⚙️ How Dianabol Works

Dianabol is a testosterone-derived anabolic androgen steroid that has structurally been amended from androgen testosterone with its double bond at the carbon 1 & 2 position. This alteration effectively diminishes its androgen properties.

dianabol works by firmly binding itself to the androgen receptor in order to work. The androgen receptor can best be described as a “nuclear receptor” which becomes active when it is bound by either testosterone or dihydrotestosterone.

Once dianabol binds itself to the androgen receptor, this dramatically increases protein synthesis, nitrogen retention, as well as glycogenolysis resulting in massive muscle and strength increases over a short period of time.

💉 Injectable Dianabol

The injectable versions of dianabol are C17-alpha alkylated. This means that this particular steroid has an androgen rating of 40-60 with a significantly lower tendency to affect the androgen receptor in comparison to testosterone.

📌 Dianabol Usages

🏋️ Bodybuilding

Despite lacking real any beneficial purpose (other than physical growth), dianabol was only made illegal at the start of 21st century. Thanks to the enactment of the Anabolic Steroid Control Act 1990 (find text here), dianabol in the eyes of the law, fell into the same category as amphetamines, which meant its use and possession became a criminal offence.

Despite its banning, dianabol continues to be used by some bodybuilders, typically injected and stacked with other agents such as enanthate (slow testosterone releasing steroid), cypionate (oil-soluble injectable synthetic testosterone), and trenbolone acetate (powerful anabolic steroid).

Many high profile figures have openly admitted using dianabol in the past when it was legal including the big man himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to users past and present, it is preferable to stack dianabol with other injectable agents such as nandolone, trenbolone and testosterone.

One of the downsides of long-term large-doses of dianabol is the onset of eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy. This is when the walls of the heart’s main pumping chamber called “left ventricle” become enlarged.

💊 Tonic

Dianabol was recommended as a tonic for women. They were prescribed 3 tablets a day. Opinion changed very quickly when users started to develop masculine features such as body hair growth, deepening of the vocal cords, enlargement of the clitoris, and it was subsequently discontinued.

⚙️ How Dianabol is Typically Used

The amount of dosage ultimately depends on what are the desired end results. A meager 15mg tablet a day is sufficed for producing some jaw-dropping results. Unfortunately, most dianabol users aren’t satisfied with the 15mg per day dosage, most go for the 20-25mg per day dose, and this is despite being aware of the increased associated risks involved.

It’s almost too easy to be drawn towards a dosage increase. For instance, a user who is accustomed to 25mg per day can very easily up that to 35mg per day. From 35mg per day, increasing even further can seem tempting.

Some users take 100mg per day. These individuals are usually experienced steroid users who are capable of managing larger doses. A 100mg per day dosage is certainly not recommended.

A dosage of dianabol can last up to 3.5 hours. Some users like to split the daily dosage into 3 parts spaced out through the day. This is beneficial for maintaining healthy blood levels.

When taking dianabol during a cycle, users prefer using it very early to help them achieve notable gains. After that the injectable steroids are phased-in to slowly start building the structure. By using dianabol at the beginning of a cycle, users will enjoy the best results in terms of weight gain.

Alternatively, some users like to take dianabol half way through the cycle to help break out of stale periods. It’s not uncommon for bodybuilders to reach a plateau that simply cannot be broken, and that is where dianabol can come in and help individuals progress further.

📝 How to Take Dianabol

New steroid users normally choose dianabol as their starting point in the world of steroids. This is a sensible approach because getting accustomed to needles takes time, and dianabol users don’t normally inject.

The recommended way to start taking dianabol is a 4-week course 15mg per day and no more! A simple 15mg per day dosage is more than enough to provide notable results with minimalistic side effects.

The not-so-newbies will see results in higher doses, typically up to 70mg per day. Unfortunately, such a high dose will also bring with it some side effects in certain individuals. Luckily, this rarely happens because the experienced users will stack dianabol with injectable steroids such as Nandrolone and as a result, the dianabol doses are relatively small.

Most users evenly spread the dosage through the day alongside their meals, ideally around half an hour before working out. By timing the dose with every workout, users will experience remarkable feats during workouts resulting in much enhanced performances.

🏁 Conclusion

Dianabol has earned its place in bodybuilding history as one of the most powerful and widely recognized anabolic steroids. Its ability to deliver rapid muscle growth, enhanced strength, and improved recovery made it a go-to choice for many athletes. However, these benefits come with a serious price—liver strain, high blood pressure, hormonal imbalances, and other side effects that can’t be ignored.

If your goal is to build muscle safely and legally, you don’t need to take unnecessary risks. D-Bal Max is a standout alternative that replicates many of Dianabol’s muscle-boosting effects—like increased protein synthesis, nitrogen retention, and overall strength—without the dangerous side effects. This legal supplement lets you gain lean muscle, improve recovery, and train harder, all while staying within safe, natural limits.

For fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders who want the results without the health risks, choosing a legal steroid alternative like D-Bal Max is the smarter choice. Remember, consistent training, proper nutrition, and safe supplementation are the real keys to achieving your dream physique. With D-Bal Max, you get the power, energy, and results of traditional Dianabol—but in a safe, legal, and effective way.