DHB (Dihydroboldenone, 1-Testosterone Cypionate)

DHB stands for dihydroboldenone, chemically 1-testosterone (17β-hydroxy-5α-androst-1-en-3-one). It is the 5-alpha reduced form of boldenone: the double bond between the first and second carbon atoms stays, the second double bond is gone. DHB shares little more than the name with boldenone (Equipoise), its profile is a different one.

In the early 2000s, 1-testosterone was sold in supplements as a supposed prohormone until the US banned such precursors in 2005. The injectable cypionate form appeared much later: an FDA laboratory first described it in 2021 in an injectable sold for bodybuilding. In the range, DHB comes as an oily solution at 100 mg/ml.

This information is for research and educational purposes only. No medical advice.

1-testosterone binds very selectively to the androgen receptor and activates it strongly. In cell experiments it triggered the receptor response without needing to be converted first. In rats, an equimolar dose was as potent as testosterone propionate on the prostate, seminal vesicles and the androgen-sensitive levator ani muscle (Friedel, Toxicol Lett 2006).

Because DHB is already 5-alpha reduced, aromatase cannot turn it into estrogen. Estrogen-driven water retention and gynecomastia are therefore off the table. The protective effects of estrogen on lipids, joints and libido are missing as well, which is why DHB practically always runs with a testosterone base in the research context.

DHB is not 17-alpha alkylated. Still, liver weight rose under 1-testosterone in the same rat study, while it did not under testosterone propionate. The authors therefore classify 1-testosterone as a typical anabolic steroid with the side effects typical for the class.

DHB cypionate is known for marked injection pain (PIP, post injection pain). Users report pain, swelling and redness for one to several days, some also describe flu-like feelings with a mild fever. The exact cause has not been studied, there are no trials on it. Discussed are the compound itself and the share of solvent needed to keep it in solution.

• Keep volumes small: 1 ml per site at most, rather inject more often.
• Warm the vial in your hand first, the oil gets thinner and flows more easily.
• Inject slowly and only into large muscles (glutes, thigh).
• Rotate sites strictly and only reuse a sore site once it has fully settled.

Normal injection pain fades within a few days. If the site instead gets hotter, tighter and redder, if fever lasts several days or a pus-filled swelling forms, that is no longer PIP but a suspected abscess. Have it checked by a doctor.

DHB belongs in the muscle, not in subcutaneous fat: with this compound a subcutaneous shot irritates the tissue especially badly. Glutes and thighs work well, the shoulder only for small amounts.

• Draw up with a thicker needle, inject with a thinner one (23G to 25G).
• Disinfect the rubber stopper and the injection site with alcohol first, use every needle only once.
• Never share a vial. In one case report a thigh abscess developed exactly this way: non-sterile technique and multi-dose vials shared by three people (Rich, Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999).

The key paper on 1-testosterone comes from the Center for Preventive Doping Research in Cologne. It shows that the compound is a strong androgen without any metabolic detour, as effective as testosterone propionate in rats. At the same time it increased liver weight (Friedel, Toxicol Lett 2006). In 2021 an FDA laboratory first identified the cypionate analog in an injectable sold for bodybuilding (Griffin, Drug Test Anal 2021). There are no controlled human studies.

For context, the general reviews of steroid pharmacology (Kicman, Br J Pharmacol 2008) and of effects in athletes (Hartgens and Kuipers, Sports Med 2004) remain. They describe the class-typical consequences: suppressed natural hormone production, unfavorable lipids, rising hematocrit and strain on the liver and cardiovascular system.

• Injection pain: the best-known issue with DHB, often for several days, sometimes with a feverish feeling.
• Natural production: is suppressed. Without a testosterone base, low libido, low drive and low mood are likely. PCT becomes a topic afterwards.
• Lipids: HDL drops, LDL rises, without estrogen there is no counterweight.
• Hematocrit and blood pressure: can rise, measure regularly.
• Liver: not 17-alpha alkylated, yet liver weight rose in animal testing. Keep an eye on liver values.
• Androgenic: acne and hair loss in predisposed users.

1-testosterone is named explicitly on the WADA prohibited list.

Store the oily solution at room temperature and away from light, ideally in the original box. Do not put it in the fridge: in the cold the compound can crystallize. If crystals do form, warm the vial in your hand or in warm water and swirl it until the solution is clear again. Keep out of reach of children.