Peptide & Experimental
Methasterone (Superdrol)
Designer steroid, 17α-methylated anabolic steroid; not approved as a medicine, sold as a “dietary supplement” · Methasterone, methyldrostanolone, 17α-methyldrostanolone, Superdrol, 2α,17α-dimethyl-dihydrotestosterone
Methasterone, sold as “Superdrol”, is an anabolic steroid that was first described in 1956 but never approved as a medicine. In the mid-2000s it turned up in dietary supplements, in some cases advertised as a product without hormonal effects. There is no study on its effect in humans – what is documented is mainly liver damage.
In short
What holds up: animal experiments since 1959 show that methasterone is a potent androgen. In humans there is not a single study on this. The harm side, by contrast, is documented, and unusually clearly for a substance without clinical research: case reports describe severe cholestasis with jaundice, in some cases with kidney failure, in previously healthy people. In New York, contaminated vitamin preparations containing methasterone made about 16 people ill in 2012 and 2013. The FDA sent a warning letter in 2006, and the US classified the substance as a controlled anabolic steroid in 2012. In Germany it is listed in the Anti-Doping Act, and in sport it is prohibited at all times.
What methasterone is
Methasterone is an anabolic-androgenic steroid, chemically drostanolone with an additional methyl group at the 17α position; hence the name methyldrostanolone. It was described in 1956, and its anabolic effect in rats in 1959. It is not approved as a medicine.
It became known in the mid-2000s as Superdrol, sold as a dietary supplement. By March 2010, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had counted 62 dietary supplements that were said to contain methasterone. Experts classify it as a designer steroid: slightly modified anabolic steroids that are sold as supplements to circumvent laws and for which, in the absence of clinical studies, there are hardly any pharmacological data. The page Anabolic steroids gives an overview of the entire substance group.
How it works
Methasterone binds to the androgen receptor. In animal experiments it had a strong anabolic effect with a comparatively weak masculinizing effect; a study in castrated rats commissioned by the DEA confirmed both effects. As with all administered androgens, suppression of the body’s own hormonal axis is to be expected.
The 17α-methyl group slows breakdown in the liver. Steroids with such a group are the ones for which a typical acute cholestasis and liver tumours under anabolic steroids have mainly been described. No effect of methasterone has been measured in humans.
What is well supported
- Androgenic effect in animal experiments. Anabolic and masculinizing effects have been described in rats since 1959 and were later confirmed.
- Liver damage in humans. Several case reports, including a series of five cases, describe severe cholestasis with jaundice after methasterone.
- Undetected in supplements. Methasterone has also been found undeclared in vitamin and mineral preparations, with harm to the health of buyers.
What the studies show
Shah 2008: five cases of severe liver injury
Five previously healthy people had taken methasterone. About two weeks after stopping, they developed jaundice; two weeks later they were admitted to a specialist clinic, and there their bilirubin continued to rise for another two to three weeks. Around twelve weeks after presentation, all had recovered, without lasting liver dysfunction. The authors stress that the liver injury can still worsen after the first presentation, especially within two weeks.
Jasiurkowski 2006 and Nasr and Ahmad 2009: liver and kidney
One case report describes jaundice and IgA nephropathy, an inflammation of the renal glomeruli, after Superdrol; the over-the-counter product had been advertised as harmless and without hormonal effects. Another report describes severe cholestasis together with kidney failure.
Tran 2023: methasterone in a vitamin preparation
In New York in 2012 and 2013, about 16 people complained of unexplained symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss and muscle pain. What they had in common was a vitamin B and mineral preparation from the same supplier. Chemical analysis found methasterone, a dimer of it (dimethazine) and the related methylstenbolone. One patient was hospitalised with liver damage, and a child showed clear signs of virilization.
DEA 2011 and 2012: classification in the US
The US Drug Enforcement Administration based its classification on structure, animal data and the case reports of liver damage with kidney failure. It also refers to an FDA warning letter from March 2006 concerning harm to health associated with Superdrol. Since 2012, methasterone has been a controlled Schedule III anabolic steroid in the US.
Where the data stop
- No efficacy study. There is no human study and no entry in ClinicalTrials.gov on muscle mass, strength or performance.
- No frequencies. Case reports show what can happen, not how often it happens.
- Hardly any pharmacology in humans. Potency and interactions have not been studied in humans.
- Unclear contents. Products sold as supplements in some cases contained other or undeclared steroids; what is in a capsule is not known without analysis.
Status, approval and legal
Methasterone is not approved as a medicine, neither in Germany nor in the EU or the US. In the US, the FDA issued a warning letter in 2006 concerning harm to health associated with Superdrol; in 2012 the DEA classified methasterone as a Schedule III anabolic steroid.
Methasterone is listed by name in the annex of the German Anti-Doping Act. Manufacturing, trafficking and placing on the market for the purpose of doping in sport are prohibited, as are acquisition, possession and bringing it into Germany in non-small quantities for this purpose; violations are punishable under § 4 with imprisonment of up to three years or a fine. In sport, it is prohibited under the WADA Prohibited List 2026 under S1.1, anabolic-androgenic steroids, both in and out of competition.
Safety
The liver is the main concern. The case reports describe cholestasis with jaundice that may only set in after stopping and can then worsen for weeks, in some cases together with kidney failure or kidney inflammation. In the case series, all five of those affected recovered after about twelve weeks. For 17α-alkylated steroids as a group, peliosis hepatis, that is, blood-filled cavities in the liver, and liver tumours have also been described; in most cases the liver normalizes after stopping, but some consequences remain.
In addition, there are the risks of anabolic steroids as a class for the hormonal axis, the heart and the psyche, for which there are no data on methasterone itself. Typical signs of cholestasis are yellowing of the skin and eyes, itching, dark urine, nausea and fatigue; anyone who notices such symptoms should see a doctor promptly and disclose the intake.
BK-Score Not studied in humans
| Human evidence | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | 5 | |
| Safety data | 3 | |
| Hype gap | 1 | |
| Track record of use | 3 |
Evidence 1, because there is not a single study on its effect in humans and no registry entry; the anabolic effect has only been described in animal experiments (synthesis 1956, rat experiments from 1959, DEA 2011), so the direction remains open. Mechanism 5, because the structure and androgenic effect are known and the substance belongs to the 17α-alkylated steroids for which the typical cholestasis has been described (Petrovic 2022), but potency and pharmacology in humans have not been studied. Safety 3, because although there are well-described case reports – five cases of severe cholestasis that resolved after about twelve weeks (Shah 2008), cholestasis with kidney failure (Nasr and Ahmad 2009), a cluster of complaints caused by contaminated vitamin preparations (Tran 2023) – there are no systematic data on frequency or long-term consequences. Hype 1, because the substance was advertised as an over-the-counter product without hormonal effects (Jasiurkowski 2006), although it is an anabolic steroid without any human study. Use 3, because methasterone was never used medically and was sold on a larger scale as a supplement for only a few years before the US classified it as an anabolic steroid in 2012. For comparison: YK-11 (1/5/1/1/3) as a designer steroid without a human study, Ligandrol (4/6/3/2/4) with thin human evidence, Anabolic steroids (7/9/6/4/6) for the class.
The score rates the state of knowledge, not the substance. “Safety data 9” means well studied – not harmless.
Subjective assessment by Biohacking Kompakt based on published scoring rules – not a scientific rating and not a medical recommendation. Rules and all ratings (German)
Frequently asked questions about methasterone (Superdrol)
What is methasterone?
Methasterone, sold as Superdrol, is an anabolic-androgenic steroid, chemically a drostanolone methylated at the 17α position. It was described in 1956, was not approved as a medicine and was sold as a dietary supplement in the mid-2000s.
Is Superdrol a dietary supplement?
No. It was sold as one, but it is an anabolic-androgenic steroid. In the US it has been controlled as an anabolic steroid since 2012; in Germany it is listed in the annex of the Anti-Doping Act.
Is its effect in humans proven?
No. There is no study on its effect in humans and no registry entry. The anabolic effect is known only from animal experiments.
How dangerous is methasterone for the liver?
Several case reports describe severe cholestasis with jaundice, in some cases with kidney failure, in previously healthy people. In one case series, all five of those affected recovered after about twelve weeks. How frequent such damage is, is not known.
Can methasterone be hidden in supplements without anyone noticing?
Yes, this is documented. In New York, vitamin B and mineral preparations contained methasterone and related steroids; about 16 people developed symptoms, one patient liver damage.
Related
- Related topicMethylstenbolone
- Related topicDrostanolone (Masteron)
- Related topicMethyltrienolone (Metribolone, R1881)
- Related topicFluoxymesterone (Halotestin)
- Related topicDHB (1-testosterone, dihydroboldenone)
- Related topicBoldenone (Equipoise)
Sources
- Shah NL et al., Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2008 – cholestatic liver injury with methasterone, 5 cases
- Nasr J, Ahmad J, Dig Dis Sci 2009 – severe cholestasis and renal failure with Superdrol, case report and literature review
- Jasiurkowski B et al., Am J Gastroenterol 2006 – jaundice and IgA nephropathy after Superdrol, case report
- Tran BN et al., Steroids 2023 – methasterone in vitamin B and mineral preparations, harm to health in New York
- Petrovic A et al., World J Gastroenterol 2022 – liver injury caused by anabolic-androgenic steroids (review)
- Joseph JF, Parr MK, Curr Neuropharmacol 2015 – synthetic androgens as designer supplements
- DEA, Federal Register 2011 – rationale for classifying prostanozol and methasterone as anabolic steroids (synthesis, animal data, FDA warning letter 2006)
- DEA, Federal Register 2012 – final placement of prostanozol and methasterone in Schedule III
- German Anti-Doping Act (AntiDopG), § 2, § 4 and annex
- NADA – Prohibited List 2026, informational German translation (S1.1 anabolic-androgenic steroids)
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Information only, not medical advice and not a usage or dosage recommendation. Prescription-only and unapproved substances belong in the hands of a physician. Last updated: 2026-10-05.