Ancillary: Compound Reference

PDE5 inhibitor. Used for erectile dysfunction and blood pressure management. Low-dose daily use popular in bodybuilding for pumps and cardiovascular benefits.

Effects: Lowers blood pressure (mild), improves endothelial function, no significant impact on hormones or liver enzymes, does not affect lipids, can mildly lower haematocrit through improved blood flow. Generally blood-marker neutral.

PDE5 inhibitor with a short half-life. The original erectile dysfunction drug, also licensed at lower divided doses for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Used on demand rather than daily, which is the main practical difference from Tadalafil.

Effects: Mild, transient blood pressure reduction. No meaningful effect on testosterone, oestradiol, LH/FSH, lipids, liver enzymes, glucose, or haematology. Transient blue-tinged vision at higher doses from PDE6 cross-inhibition. Essentially a lab-neutral ancillary.

Third-generation, highly beta-1 selective beta blocker with nitric-oxide-mediated vasodilation. Used for hypertension and heart failure. Preferred over older beta blockers by enhanced athletes because it does not worsen lipids or insulin sensitivity.

Effects: Lowers blood pressure and resting heart rate. Broadly neutral effect on lipids and glucose, in contrast with older non-selective beta blockers which raise triglycerides and lower HDL. No effect on testosterone, oestradiol, or liver enzymes. Does not lower AAS-driven haematocrit. Blunts peak training heart rate.

Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) with the longest half-life in its class and unique partial PPAR-gamma agonism. Widely used by enhanced athletes as first-line management for AAS-driven hypertension.

Effects: Lowers blood pressure by blocking AT1 receptors. Raises potassium (reduced aldosterone), causes a small expected creatinine rise with a corresponding eGFR dip, and may modestly improve triglycerides and insulin sensitivity via PPAR-gamma. No effect on testosterone, oestradiol, liver enzymes, or haematocrit.

Oral retinoid (13-cis-retinoic acid) used for severe and treatment-resistant acne, including steroid acne. The only acne treatment producing durable remission. Carries significant lipid, liver, and teratogenic risks that compound with AAS use.

Effects: Raises triglycerides in a large minority of users and LDL in a smaller share, and lowers HDL. Elevates ALT and AST in roughly 10-15%. Raises creatine kinase, particularly in people training hard. No meaningful effect on testosterone, LH, FSH, or oestradiol. Severely teratogenic.

Topical retinoid (all-trans retinoic acid) cream or gel for acne and photoageing. Same drug family as oral isotretinoin but a completely different exposure profile: systemic absorption is negligible, and so is its effect on bloodwork.

Effects: No meaningful systemic effects at normal topical doses. Does not alter lipids, liver enzymes, hormones, glucose, or haematology. Local effects only: peeling, redness, dryness, and photosensitivity during the first several weeks.

Biguanide oral anti-diabetic. Used in bodybuilding to manage insulin sensitivity, especially alongside GH and MK-677. Also studied for longevity benefits.

Effects: Lowers fasting glucose and HbA1c, improves insulin sensitivity, can mildly lower LDL and triglycerides, may reduce B12 levels with long-term use, does not affect liver enzymes (may actually improve them), does not affect hormones

Amino acid derivative involved in fatty acid transport into mitochondria. Injectable form used in bodybuilding for fat metabolism, androgen receptor upregulation, and fertility support. Also available orally but with poor bioavailability.

Effects: Enhances fatty acid oxidation, may upregulate androgen receptor density, improves sperm quality and motility, supports insulin sensitivity, no significant impact on standard blood panels, mild injection site irritation possible

Small-molecule NNMT inhibitor. Blocks nicotinamide N-methyltransferase to boost NAD+ levels and activate SIRT1. Used for fat loss and metabolic support. Not a peptide but commonly grouped with them.

Effects: May improve metabolic markers: preserve NAD+ levels, enhance fat oxidation. May mildly affect lipids (improved profile through metabolic activation). No significant direct impact on hormones, liver enzymes, or haematology in limited data.

Semi-synthetic polysulfated xylan (a heparinoid) extracted from beechwood hemicellulose. Used as a disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug via IM or SubQ injection, and orally (Elmiron) for interstitial cystitis. Not a peptide despite often being sold alongside them.

Effects: Heparin-like anticoagulant activity: dose-dependent prolongation of APTT is the expected finding, usually mild at osteoarthritis doses. Rare immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (a HIT-like reaction), so platelet count matters on repeat courses. Occasional transaminase (ALT/AST) elevations reported with chronic oral use. No meaningful effect on testosterone, oestradiol, lipids, glucose, or haematocrit.

Oral triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor (noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin) originally developed for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. It failed in those indications, but produced substantial weight loss as a side effect and was redeveloped as an obesity drug. Not approved in the US, EU, UK or Australia.

Effects: Marked appetite suppression and weight loss in Phase 2 trials. Dose-dependent increases in heart rate and blood pressure are the defining safety issue. Common effects include insomnia, dry mouth, nausea, constipation, and mood or irritability changes. No direct effect on liver enzymes, lipids, or hormones beyond what weight loss itself produces.

Cell-permeable nucleoside that is phosphorylated intracellularly to ZMP, an AMP mimetic that activates AMPK. Famous from a 2008 mouse study in which untrained animals gained endurance without exercising. WADA prohibited at all times. Essentially no human performance data exists.

Effects: AMPK activation increases glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation and inhibits mTORC1, so it works against anabolic signalling. Intravenous administration in clinical studies raised lactate and increased purine turnover, so uric acid can rise. Oral bioavailability is poor. Effects at realistic grey-market doses are likely to be minimal.

Recombinant human parathyroid hormone fragment PTH(1-34), an approved anabolic osteoporosis drug marketed as Forteo and Forsteo. Unlike bisphosphonates, which slow bone loss, teriparatide builds new bone. Relevant to enhanced athletes with stress fractures, poor bone density, or a history of aggressive oestrogen suppression.

Effects: Increases bone formation and bone mineral density. Causes a transient rise in serum calcium peaking 4 to 6 hours after each dose, increases urinary calcium excretion, raises 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and can raise serum uric acid. Alkaline phosphatase rises as a bone formation marker. Transient orthostatic hypotension can occur with early doses. No effect on testosterone, oestradiol, lipids, or haematology.

Puregon (follitropin beta) is a recombinant FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) produced in CHO cells. Used in males to restore spermatogenesis after AAS-induced azoospermia or in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Always used alongside HCG (which provides LH activity).

Effects: Directly elevates serum FSH (exogenous), stimulates Sertoli cells to support spermatogenesis, increases inhibin B and AMH, may slightly increase estradiol. Does NOT directly affect testosterone (FSH acts on Sertoli cells, not Leydig cells). When combined with HCG, restores full spermatogenesis.