In the previous post I already discussed this issue, now let’s describe the effect of specific AAS on the increase of red blood cells (RBC), which is directly connected with an increase in hematocrit (HCT).
AAS in most cases increase HCT levels by 3–6% (moderate).
An increase in HCT by 5% raises the probability of thrombosis by 33%, although this mainly applies to older individuals over sixty.
There is also an “unwritten rule” that the stronger the androgenic effect, the smaller the influence on raising RBC, meaning that the given compound is only mildly erythropoietic.
Testosterone is mildly to moderately erythropoietic, and with an increased dose the effect intensifies, meaning RBC levels gradually rise. Let’s compare other AAS with it and rank them by their erythropoietic strength.
Stanozolol
(minimally erythropoietic)
Oxandrolone
(minimally)
Methyldrostanolone
(minimally)
Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone – Turinabol (similar to TST, but slightly less)
Testosterone
Fluoxymesterone
(about 1–2% more than TST)
Methyltestosterone
(about 2–3% more than TST)
Boldenone
(about 5–6% more than TST)
Drostanolone
(about 4–5% more than TST)
Methenolone – Primobolan
(about 4–5% more than TST)
Trenbolone
(about 10% more than TST)
Nandrolone
(about 15–20% more than TST)
Trestolone
(about 25–30% more than TST)
Methandienone
(about 30–35% more than TST)
Oxymetholone
(about 50% more than TST)
As you can see, among the most erythropoietic compounds are Oxymetholone (the strongest), Methandienone, Trestolone, and Nandrolone. Never believe false claims that Boldenone is highly erythropoietic – that is a myth. The truth is, it is only slightly more erythropoietic than testosterone.
However, it is important to keep in mind that dosage, individual sensitivity, and age are the key factors influencing erythropoietic effects! The higher the dose and the older the individual, the greater the likelihood of higher RBC levels. This effect becomes most noticeable after the age of 40, and especially after 50.
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