Head to head
Oxandrolone against Stanozolol
Two oral androgens with medical histories that point in different directions. Oxandrolone has bone density and growth endpoints in burned children; stanozolol's only real medical record is long-term use in hereditary angioedema, where androgens work through a mechanism unrelated to muscle.
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
StanozololStanozolol, 17-alpha-alkylated anabolic androgen
Best known from the 1988 Olympics, and its only real medical record is long-term use in hereditary angioedema, a rare disease where androgens work through a mechanism unrelated to muscle.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| Attribute | Oxandrolone | Stanozolol |
|---|---|---|
| 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 hereditary angioedema prophylaxis. Discontinued in the United States. Schedule III controlled substance. |
| Half-life | Roughly 9 hours, short for an androgen, which is why it is dosed once or twice daily rather than weekly. | Roughly 9 hours for the oral form, so it is dosed daily. An injectable aqueous suspension also exists with different kinetics. |
| Molecular weight | 306.4 Da. A steroid, not a peptide. | 328.5 Da. A steroid, 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. | A synthetic derivative of dihydrotestosterone with a pyrazole ring fused to the A ring and a 17-alpha methyl group. The 17-alpha alkylation permits oral dosing and carries the liver risk characteristic of that structure. It binds the androgen receptor and does not aromatise. Its hereditary angioedema effect works through a different route entirely: androgens increase hepatic synthesis of C1 esterase inhibitor, the complement regulator that is deficient or dysfunctional in that disease, which reduces attack frequency without addressing the genetic defect. |
| Human studies cited | 1 | 1 |
| Legal status, US | Approved indication exists; brand discontinued. Schedule III | Discontinued; Schedule III |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Oxandrolone and Stanozolol?
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. Stanozolol: Best known from the 1988 Olympics, and its only real medical record is long-term use in hereditary angioedema, a rare disease where androgens work through a mechanism unrelated to muscle.
Which has stronger research evidence, Oxandrolone or Stanozolol?
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 1 of 1 for Stanozolol. Those counts are of our own citation lists and understate any larger literature, and neither is a recommendation.
Are Oxandrolone and Stanozolol 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.. Stanozolol: Previously FDA-approved for hereditary angioedema prophylaxis. Discontinued in the United States. Schedule III controlled substance..
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.