This is Jeff with Supplement Warehouse. We get a ton of questions about Vintage Muscle and comparing it to Hi-Tech's line of prohormone supplements. One question I have gotten quite a bit over the summer is the comparison of Vintage Muscle Win-Test vs Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals Winstrol. So, in today's article, I wanted to dive into and review each of these prohormones/supplements.
Before I do, I wanted to say, even though both companies decided to have the names very similar to steroids, neither are steriods, but 100% legal prohormones/supplements, at least legal in the United States (for now). They are both legit companies. We know this.
Vintage Muscle Win-Test: The Marketing
Reviewing the Win-Test page on their website, it is very heavy in the marketing. They do a great job of it on the page and with the ads I see everywhere. It was actually pretty tough to find the ingredients in this product.
Right at the top, you see the first marketing content:
Stop buying fairy dust from GNC. I've seen 50-year-old men on this look better than guys half their age. No needles. No BS. Just results. I put my name on NOTHING I don't believe in. Period. ISYMFS.
Notice the "no needles", so right there they are comparing it to steriods.
They show dozens of pictures of bodybuilders and fitness athletes that took the product and look pretty good. I didn't see any before and after pictures, but I never trust those anyway, because you don't know what other they took.
The marketing text around this product is all about cutting and getting vascular, all things related to what Winstrol, the steroid will do. Of course, this product could do that as well.
Vintage Muscle Win-Test: What's Really in It & Does it Work?
As we talked about earlier, this isn't a steroid, so don't expect it to be the same compound or get the same results.
5a-OHP
The first ingredient is 17β-(1-ketoethyl)-androstane-3-one, 17α-ol, abbreviated here as 5a-OHP. This compound is normally used for strength, lean mass, muscle hardness and cutting.
At 200mg, I wish I could say that is a good dose. I just couldn't find any clinical trials or research on the best dose for this compound. I did find people talking about it in subreddits and forums, but no actual clinical research behind it. WebMD's current monograph specifically says there isn't good scientific evidence supporting 5a-OHP for athletic performance.
How it works...
5a-OHP ultimately converts toward stanolone (dihydrotestosterone/DHT).
5a-OHP → enzymatic metabolism → active androgenic steroids → androgen-receptor activity
Abieta-8,11,13-trien-18-oic Acid
Another name for this is dehydroabietic acid (DHAA). It is a naturally occurring abietane diterpenoid/resin acid found in plants including conifers. This isn't an anabolic steroid or prohormone. It works by modifying the hormonal environment by limiting aromatase activity.
You can kind of see why this was included here now. Reduced estrogen could potentially decrease estrogen-associated water retention and produce a "drier" appearance.
This will work similar to something like Arimistane or Letro-XT.
Looking at other supplements on the market with this compound, I'd say 200 mg is a fairly aggressive dose compared with many formulations, but we don't have the human research necessary to say 200 mg is the optimal or proven dose.
My Thoughts on Win-Test by Vintage Muscle
The biggest issue here is actually 5a-OHP. The DHAA seems to have the research to show it works to reduce estrogen, therefore indirecting increasing testosterone, and drying you out. I think this is where a lot of the results come from in getting you cut. The chemical name 5a-OHP is unusual, and there's surprisingly little credible literature corresponding to the ingredient, so I am skeptical how well it works on it's own. But it is safe to take and find out on your own if it works for you.
Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals Winstrol: The Marketing
The name itself shows the marketing behind it. It has the same name as the steroid, they do own the trademark though. Now to Hi-Tech's credit, as well as us at Supplement Warehouse, we do our best to tell customers whether on the website, or in person, this is nothing like the steroid and they shouldn't be confused about that. This is a prohormone, legal in the United states, and it supports the body's natural testosterone levels.
Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals Winstrol: What's Really in It?
3β-Hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one — Epiandrosterone / Epi-Andro
I would say this is the most important ingredient in this prohormone formula. It's the one most of our customers choose this product for. It's a great ingredient for cutting, lean muscle and strength.
According to PubMed:
Its bodybuilding interest comes from its position in the DHT pathway. Epiandrosterone can undergo reduction of its 17-keto group to form 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol (3β-diol), and steroid metabolism can interconvert several of these 5α-reduced metabolites. Research confirms that epiandrosterone participates in this 5α-reduced androgen metabolism.
Epiandrosterone → 5α-reduced androgen metabolites → androgenic activity
The good news is that we have legitimate research on epiandrosterone's existence and metabolism, but not good controlled human bodybuilding trials showing that supplemental Epi-Andro at a particular dose increases lean mass by X amount.
So the research we have, but in terms of results in humans, we have to go by the feedback of users and our customers. Well, also myself. I personally use this every spring to help cut and it works for me each and every year.
(25R)-Spirostan-22a-O-3β-5α-6β-triol
It is a spirostan steroidal compound, sometimes referred to as a plant based anabolic. A name you might have heard is Super Laxogenin.
This works by: increased protein synthesis → improved recovery → increased lean muscle
But again, this is natural and not a prohormone or hormonal ingredient.
Δ5-Androstene-3β-acetoxy-7,17-dione
The final ingredient and possibly the most interesting one. This is a 7-keto-DHEA-related compound. Not as much for muscle building, but better for the cutting/recomposition side. 7-oxygenated DHEA metabolites have historically been investigated for metabolic/thermogenic effects. This is why you see 7-keto-type compounds in many weight loss and fat burning supplement. It is fitting for this product, because it is marketed as a cutting prohormone.
My Thoughts
At the end of the day, my favorite part of this Winstrol formula is the Epiandrosterone, It is a genuine endogenous steroid and participates in established steroid-metabolism pathways. Now I wish it wasn't a blend, because we don't know exactly how much EpiAndro is in it. And based on this, my next cycle, I may go with Dymethazine, which has an increased amount of the EpiAndro, or even Pink Magic. But based on the research behind EpiAndro, and my personal experience this is a great prohormone for cutting, strength and lean muscle mass.
