Oxandrolone (Anavar)
FROM THE REEL TO THE RESEARCH
The quick answer, with the evidence attached.
Both have demonstrated anabolic effects in human studies. Neither has been established as the superior muscle builder in a reliable head-to-head trial of healthy trained lifters identified for this comparison. The interesting distinction is how molecular changes, exposure and tissue responses produce outcomes that a mirror or scale cannot separate.
From Anavar vs Anadrol · Editorial update 2026-10-16
Related comparisons (2)
- Anavar vs Anadrol — Beyond hardness and fullness.
- Anavar vs Winstrol — The “dry muscle” story, examined.
What it is & what research shows
Study example availableOxandrolone is an oral synthetic anabolic steroid derived from testosterone. The cited label describes 2.5 mg and 10 mg tablets. The cited label covers adjunctive weight-gain treatment after weight loss from extensive surgery, chronic infection or severe trauma, offsetting protein catabolism during prolonged corticosteroid treatment, and bone pain associated with osteoporosis. [1.1]
One selected study: A single-center randomized trial compared one year of oxandrolone with placebo after severe burns, with follow-up for up to four years after therapy. Exercise versus standard care was separately randomized. Children aged 0–18 with burns covering more than 30% of their body surface were enrolled: 70 received oxandrolone and 152 placebo. In this single-center randomized trial, children aged 0–18 years with burns affecting more than 30% of body surface area received oxandrolone 0.1 mg/kg twice daily for 12 months or placebo. At discharge, they were separately assigned to a 12-week exercise program or standard care. The supplied abstract does not specify oxandrolone's administration route. Oxandrolone improved height percentile and bone mineral content, reduced resting energy expenditure and cardiac workload measures, and increased IGF-1 during the first year. Lean mass and strength increased with combined oxandrolone and exercise. Benefits persisted up to five years after burns. No harmful side effects were attributed to treatment. No author-stated limitations were available in the abstract. This was a single-center pediatric burn study, with exercise also influencing muscle outcomes. [2.1]
Sources & reading scope
- [1.1] DailyMed Oxandrin / oxandrolone labelHuman drug label · indication, pharmacokinetics and safety warnings
- [2.1] Five-year outcomes after oxandrolone administration in severely burned children: a randomized clinical trial of safety and efficacy.Human · Abstract summarized · not a full-paper review
Evidence summarized on PED Evidence
6 completed summaries
6 human-study reports
5 randomized-trial candidates
1 safety-topic reports
More about Oxandrolone: identity, safety & reference details
Also known as Anavar · Oxandrolone
Start with the research
An outcome-specific synthesis has not been prepared for this compound. This is a coverage gap, not evidence that it has no effect.
Open studies and trial records- Uses & research
The cited label covers adjunctive weight-gain treatment after weight loss from extensive surgery, chronic infection or severe trauma, offsetting protein catabolism during prolonged corticosteroid treatment, and bone pain associated with osteoporosis. [1]
- Known half-life
Mean elimination half-life was 10.4 hours in younger volunteers and 13.3 hours in older subjects after a single dose. The label says the relationship between blood concentration and therapeutic effect was not defined. [1]
Half-life describes how quickly the measured drug concentration falls by half. It does not set a dosing interval.- Evidence & important limits
The label warns about liver injury, peliosis hepatis, liver tumors, adverse lipid changes, edema and suppression of reproductive function. It also states anabolic steroids have not been shown to enhance athletic ability; these medical indications should not be generalized to healthy athletes. [1]
Safety & evidence boundaries
The label warns about liver injury, peliosis hepatis, liver tumors, adverse lipid changes, edema and suppression of reproductive function. It also states anabolic steroids have not been shown to enhance athletic ability; these medical indications should not be generalized to healthy athletes.
Explore safety questions by system
These are literature filters, not claims that this compound causes each effect. A keyword match is not a confirmed adverse reaction.
Identity, names & formulations
Canonical compound: Oxandrolone · oxandrolone
Searchable names: Anavar, Oxandrolone
Names share a parent research page. Different esters, salts, routes and brands are not assumed to have the same half-life, indication or exposure.
- OxandroloneOral · AnavarFind this formulation in the archive
Research subject only. Excluded from evidence-leader and supportive-compound recommendations.
Combination evidence stays attached to the studied combination. It is not automatically assigned to each ingredient.
Understand the evidence types
Read the model and design first, then the population, outcome and limitations. These categories describe evidence, not a best-compound ranking.
- Randomized human trials
- Compare assigned interventions. Randomization does not by itself establish low bias or relevance to every population.
- Controlled human studies
- Use a comparison group; allocation and confounding still matter.
- Prospective human research
- Follows participants forward. It may be observational or interventional, so this is not a separate quality grade.
- Observational human research
- Describes associations. Confounding can explain differences.
- Case reports and series
- Useful for unusual events and safety signals, not reliable rates or effect sizes.
- Animal research
- Can test biology and function in a living model. Human exposure, benefit and safety remain separate questions.
- Cell and tissue research
- Tests responses in a preparation, including human-derived cells. It is not a human participant trial.
- Mechanistic and computational evidence
- Helps explain or predict a pathway; predictions need experimental and clinical testing.
- Anecdotal reports
- Self-reported experiences can generate questions. Product identity, selection bias and other interventions may be uncontrolled.
Systematic reviews synthesize studies and depend on their quality. Preprint status and abstract versus full-paper reading are separate labels. Citation popularity measures attention, not reliability. A study summary is not a formal quality appraisal.
Sources for this profile
- 1. DailyMed Oxandrin / oxandrolone label Human drug label · indication, pharmacokinetics and safety warnings
Reference facts checked 2026-09-16. Source scope is listed above; this is not a formal quality appraisal. See each label for full prescribing information.
Study model describes the source. Confidence depends on methods, replication, population and outcome.
Loading compound research…
Oxandrolone study summaries
Human-first reading order. Intervention candidates are distinguished from background mentions in the library.
- Five-year outcomes after oxandrolone administration in severely burned children: a randomized clinical trial of safety and efficacy. · Human · 2012-04-01
- Effects of oxandrolone on outcome measures in the severely burned: a multicenter prospective randomized double-blind trial. · Human · 2006-03-01
- Six-week improvements in muscle mass and strength during androgen therapy in older men. · Human · 2005-12-01
- Effects of androgen therapy on adipose tissue and metabolism in older men. · Human · 2004-10-01
- Treatment with oxandrolone and the durability of effects in older men. · Human · 2003-10-24
- Short-term oxandrolone administration stimulates net muscle protein synthesis in young men. · Human · 1999-08-01