Head to head
Oxandrolone against Nandrolone decanoate
The two anabolic steroids with real medical trial records, from unexpected places: two years of randomised use in severely burned children for one, and dialysis, burns and postmenopausal osteoporosis for the other. Nandrolone was withdrawn in most markets regardless.
Column A
OxandroloneOxandrolone, oral 17-alpha-alkylated anabolic androgen
The anabolic steroid with the best medical trial record, and it comes from an unexpected place: two years of randomised use in severely burned children, with bone density and growth as endpoints.
Column B
Nandrolone decanoateNandrolone decanoate, injectable 19-nortestosterone ester
Randomised trials in dialysis, in burns, and a 2025 meta-analysis in postmenopausal osteoporosis. The medical record is real and the drug was withdrawn in most markets anyway.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| Attribute | Oxandrolone | Nandrolone decanoate |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Muscle & Performance | Muscle & Performance |
| FDA status | Was FDA-approved as Oxandrin for weight gain after weight loss following extensive surgery, chronic infection, severe trauma and some other catabolic states. Schedule III controlled substance. The brand was discontinued in the United States, so availability now is largely through compounding or the grey market. | Previously FDA-approved for anaemia of renal insufficiency. Withdrawn from the United States market. Schedule III controlled substance. Still licensed in some other countries. |
| Half-life | Roughly 9 hours, short for an androgen, which is why it is dosed once or twice daily rather than weekly. | Roughly 6 to 12 days as the decanoate ester, so it is dosed weekly or less often. Detectable metabolites persist far longer, which matters for anyone subject to drug testing. |
| Molecular weight | 306.4 Da. A steroid, not a peptide. | 428.6 Da for the decanoate ester. A steroid ester, not a peptide. |
| Mechanism | A synthetic derivative of dihydrotestosterone with an oxygen substituted into the A ring and a 17-alpha methyl group. The 17-alpha alkylation is what allows it to survive first-pass metabolism and be taken orally, and it is also the feature responsible for the liver strain shared across oral alkylated androgens. It binds the androgen receptor, increasing muscle protein synthesis and nitrogen retention, and it is not aromatised to oestradiol, which is the basis for its reputation as producing less fluid retention and gynaecomastia than testosterone. Not aromatising is not purely an advantage: oestradiol has roles in bone, mood and libido in men, so a non-aromatising androgen removes those contributions. | 19-nortestosterone, testosterone lacking the 19-carbon methyl group, esterified with decanoic acid for a long-acting oil depot. It binds the androgen receptor with high affinity and is a poor substrate for aromatase, so it produces relatively little oestradiol. Crucially it is reduced by 5-alpha-reductase to dihydronandrolone, which is a weaker androgen than the parent, the opposite of what happens with testosterone. That is why it is comparatively less androgenic in tissues rich in 5-alpha-reductase such as scalp and prostate, and it is also part of why it has distinct central effects, including a well-documented association with sexual dysfunction that patients often find surprising given it is an anabolic steroid. |
| Human studies cited | 1 | 3 |
| Legal status, US | Approved indication exists; brand discontinued. Schedule III | Withdrawn from the market; Schedule III |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Oxandrolone and Nandrolone decanoate?
Oxandrolone: The anabolic steroid with the best medical trial record, and it comes from an unexpected place: two years of randomised use in severely burned children, with bone density and growth as endpoints. Nandrolone decanoate: Randomised trials in dialysis, in burns, and a 2025 meta-analysis in postmenopausal osteoporosis. The medical record is real and the drug was withdrawn in most markets anyway.
Which has stronger research evidence, Oxandrolone or Nandrolone decanoate?
This database does not grade compounds. It counts what was run in people: 1 of the 1 studies cited on the Oxandrolone profile were human work, against 3 of 4 for Nandrolone decanoate. Those counts are of our own citation lists and understate any larger literature, and neither is a recommendation.
Are Oxandrolone and Nandrolone decanoate FDA-approved?
Oxandrolone: Was FDA-approved as Oxandrin for weight gain after weight loss following extensive surgery, chronic infection, severe trauma and some other catabolic states. Schedule III controlled substance. The brand was discontinued in the United States, so availability now is largely through compounding or the grey market.. Nandrolone decanoate: Previously FDA-approved for anaemia of renal insufficiency. Withdrawn from the United States market. Schedule III controlled substance. Still licensed in some other countries..
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page sets two published records side by side. It is educational, it is not medical advice, and it contains no dosing protocols or recommendations for personal use.