Pro-hormone vs. Steroid

Before we delve into the finer details of Laxogenin, let’s take a moment to review the major similarities and differences between pro-hormones and legal steroids.

Anabolic Steroids:

• Synthetic substance
• Mimics the male-dominated sex hormones (testosterone)
• Directly influences anabolic and androgenic changes (growth)
• Not limited by genetics

Pro-hormones:

• Pre-cursor to steroid hormones within the body
• Must first be activated in the liver (indirect influence)
• Limited by genetics
• Often has a steroidal counterpart (an illegal steroid that it mimics in benefits and side effects)

For a much more detailed explanation of the difference of anabolic steroids and pro-hormones, please check out my article on Trenavar.

How Laxogenin (5a-Hydroxy) Works

To be clear, Laxogenin is NOT a prohormone.

As I mentioned above, Laxogenin is a plant-based hormone that has been synthetically isolated from the rhizomes of Smilax Sieboldii. As you can see in this study published in the Journal of Phytochemistry, Laxogenin was successfully publicly isolated in 1992. You can also see the same positive results from this study, published in the Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society. Native to China and Japan, the Smilax Sieboldii is called an evergreen climber that grows to an average height of seven feet. As Laxogenin is isolated from a plant source, it is considered a steroidal sapogenin. More importantly, Laxogenin is a part of a group called Brassinosteroids.

Brassinosteroids, also called BRs, make up a group of 40 different steroids that are exclusively synthesized from plants. In the plants themselves, these steroids promote growth and vitality. While studies on Brassinosteroids are limited, this class of plant-based steroids shows excellent promise for muscle building potential. As you can see in this recent study published in the FASEB Journal, researchers concluded that BRs trigger an anabolic, or growth, effect through increasing protein synthesis while inhibiting protein breakdown! What does this mean for you? Total body benefits such as lean muscle mass growth, improvements in sports performance, and overall fat loss. Let me remind you one more time: This is from… a plant!

Best of all, (and I’ll elaborate on this later as well) the study cites that you will benefit from a total body anabolic response with minimal or no side effects!

Once you ingest Laxogenin, it must first pick up the necessary enzyme in the liver to be converted into its steroidal counterpart known as Anavar, or Oxandrolone. As I discuss in the Trenavar article, each pro-hormone has a steroidal counterpart. While the pro-hormone may not provide benefits to the same extent as an illegal anabolic steroid would, it still shares many of those same benefits.

Quick example: Anavar is known to promote lean muscle tissue growth in those using it. Using the illegal anabolic steroid, you may gain 10 pounds of solid, lean muscle tissue. While using the pro-hormone, Laxogenin, you may only gain 6 to 8 pounds in one cycle. There are a variety of factors that come into play, mainly your genetics, but keep in mind that if the steroid has a benefit, the pro-hormone will share that same benefit (even if it is to a lesser extent).

Potential Side Effects of Laxogenin

If you’ve ever completed a Google search for pro-hormones, there’s a good chance you’ve come across some pretty terrifying horror stories of hair loss, man boobs, and severe acne. As I discussed above, Laxogenin is a part of a group known as Brassinosteroids. In several studies, Brassinosteroids have been shown to exhibit anabolic benefits without the typical side effects associated with pro-hormones.

Just to play devil’s advocate, let’s take a look at the potential side effects that Laxogenin’s steroidal counterpart has been known for. This way you have a worst-case scenario guideline just in case you happen to be the guy who can’t seem to catch a break.

Anavar, or Oxandrolone, has been known to be one of the most easygoing anabolic steroids, as odd as that may sound. The primary reason for this is because, like Laxogenin, it is also plant based. As noted in this study from the Journal of Project Management, Anavar has been shown to promote an anabolic environment without the usual hepatotoxic effects that you would find with most other pro-hormones. Examples of hepatoxicity include jaundice, peliosis hepatis, and neoplasms. In other words, your liver gets a pass from the harmful symptoms associated with pro-hormones.

One very well known side effect of using pro-hormones and anabolic steroids is the eventual suppression of your natural production of testosterone and other growth hormones. The idea behind this is that your body is in a constant struggle to achieve balance, or homeostasis. When you begin supplementing with pro-hormones or steroids, your body senses the extreme increase in testosterone in the body and, in response, shuts down its own production. In extreme cases, it may also increase your levels of estrogen to counterbalance the high levels of testosterone.

While Anavar does suppress your growth hormone production, it is at the bare minimum when you compare it to other, more extreme pro-hormones. Most importantly, when you stop using pro-hormones or steroids, a post cycle therapy supplement to detoxify the liver and boost your natural production of testosterone is needed. This is the exciting part about Anavar. As you can see in this study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, when you cease to supplement with Anavar, your body experiences a rebound effect, boosting its own natural levels of growth hormones again.

To go further down the rabbit’s hole, here is a list of extreme side effects for Anavar. These side effects are most common in users who have ignored prescribed directions and have supplemented under the notion “more is better.”

• Frequent Urination
• Breast Tenderness (Very extreme cases of Anavar abuse resulted in breast enlargement)
• Acne

The common consensus from users of Anavar is that IF side effects are experienced, they are generally so mild that you barely notice them. Keep in mind that we are talking about Anavar and not Laxogenin. Forums are filled with users of Laxogenin claiming that during their cycle, they experienced no side effects at all. Naturally, I’d take it with a grain of salt and pair Laxogenin up with a PCT, as I will discuss below.

What the Research Says about Laxogenin

Brands that market Laxogenin typically focus on the supplement’s ability to increase lean muscle tissue and strength gains without the typical side effects that are associated with pro-hormones. What’s more, if you are in a position where you will be tested for steroid or pro-hormone use, Laxogenin supposedly will not result in a positive test. What about concrete research for this pro-hormone?

As I mention above, Laxogenin is in a class called Brassinosteroids, which are plant based, proven to increase protein synthesis, and nearly free of side effects. While there is a decent amount of research touting the benefits of Brassinosteroids, real research and clinical trials surrounding Laxogenin are rare. This is common in the pro-hormone industry, simply because these supplements usually get swiped off the shelves within a year of being introduced. The trick is to look at the pro-hormone’s steroidal counterpart and base the potential benefits from that.

Due to their use for medicinal purposes and livestock, anabolic steroids have much more research that is accessible. While a pro-hormone will never have the same extreme effect as a steroid, you can rest assured that you will certainly benefit in a very similar way. In this case, we’ll take a look at what the research says about Anavar.

Muscle Mass & Strength

Several studies have shown that Anavar is a very effective supplement for significantly boosting your lean muscle tissue as well as strength. As you can see in this study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, Anavar was given to victims of severe burns who had lost most of their muscle mass and strength. Those who were prescribed Anavar and exercise showed a dramatic increase in muscle mass and strength.

Another study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed how effective Anavar was in developing muscle WITHOUT exercise. With a focus on thigh muscle, the study showed a remarkable increase in those taking Anavar compared with those taking the placebo. The most amazing thing is that none of the men exercised during the study, yet still gained a good amount of lean muscle tissue.

Fat Loss

While gaining muscle mass may be your primary goal, reducing body fat at the same time would be ideal so that you can effectively sculpt your muscles. Anavar is very well known for its fat-burning potential as demonstrated in a number of studies. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism featured a study that showed abdominal and visceral fat were both significantly reduced when supplementing with Anavar.

Wound Healing

In conjunction with the study mentioned above, Anavar has been used in the medical field as a potent supplement for healing wounds. A study published in Wound Repair and Regeneration shows how effective Anavar can be at speeding up the healing process, making it more efficient. Why would this be relevant to you? When you are in the weight room performing set after set, you are causing micro tears in your muscle. If you are taking a pro-hormone that mimics the healing benefits of its steroidal counterpart, then you may experience faster recovery rates. The faster you recover, the faster you can get back in the gym.

Remember that the research above is for Laxogenin’s steroidal counterpart, Anavar. Since Laxogenin is structurally very similar to Anavar, the idea is to base your potential benefits from this research. You can safely assume that when supplementing with Laxogenin, you will see gains in lean muscle tissue and rapid recovery along with reduced body fat.

Best Way to Use Laxogenin

Depending on the brand you buy, directions and serving sizes may vary slightly but I’m going to cover the general usage instructions that you can expect.

Dosage:

• This will range between 60 mg and 100 mg with the latter being the clinical dosage.

Cycle Length

• Again, this will vary by company. I have seen recommended cycles of 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The one thing in common was the required off-cycle of 4 weeks. If you’re new to the pro-hormone world, my recommendation would be an on-cycle of 4 weeks and an off-cycle of 4 weeks. Evaluate how you feel then try another cycle if you are up to it.

Cycle Support

• Every brand you find will tell you the same thing: Since Laxogenin is not toxic to the liver, a cycle support supplement is unnecessary. However, you CAN safely take a cycle support supplement without jeopardizing your gains. With that said, I would recommend using cycle support, even if it’s the lowest dosage on the market. Better to be safe than sorry.
• On another note, if you decide to stack with Laxogenin then you WILL need cycle support. If you stack Laxogenin with another pro-hormone such as Epistane, which is liver toxic, a cycle support is required.

Stacking Method

The nice thing about Laxogenin is that it is able to be stacked with a variety of different supplements such as natural testosterone boosters, thermogenics, pro-hormones, and intra or post cycle support. As I mention above, if you decide to stack with another pro-hormone, make sure you are using support during and after your Laxogenin cycle. Don’t forget about that 4 week off-cycle!

Popular Brands of Laxogenin

• Blackstone Labs: Anogenin
• STR3NGTH by Olympus Labs
• NANO GENIN BY ASSAULT

Conclusion

Laxogenin sounds almost too good to be true. A plant-based pro-hormone that has been proven to increase lean muscle mass without the added risk of side effects such as man boobs or hair loss. Compared to some similar options, Laxogenin is definitely fairly low risk and giving it a shot yourself should not have any negative consequences unless you are allergic or on meds that interact with it.

If you’ve been naturally supporting your testosterone levels and you’re looking to take your gains to the next stage without the potential side effects, Laxogenin may be an excellent choice.

Have You Used Laxogenin?  Leave Your Review Below!