Clearing Up "The Clear"

Tetrahydrogestrinone, more commonly called "The Clear", is an anabolic steroid popular for its invisible appearance and high potency. It was developed in Bay Area Laboratory Co-op (BALCO) by chemist Patrick Arnold. The drug remained hidden under the radar until 2003. Before then, urine tests could not detect the drug, making it a popular drug of choice for prominent athletes. Recently, two athletes of note, Marion Jones and Barry Bonds, have been connected to use of Clear.

 

Important Terms to Know – These terms will help with understanding how The Clear actually works. This list also includes other related terms.

• Nandrolene – An anabolic steroid that may be present naturally in the body. It is used in the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

• Trenbolone – steroid used by veterinarians to increase muscle growth and appetite. Trenbolone is also used for livestock.

• Dihyrdotestosterone – An active metabolite of the hormone testosterone found primarily in the prostate gland, testes, hair follicles, and adrenal glands.

• Hursutism – Excessive and increased hair growth in women in locations where the occurrence of terminal hair is normally minimal or absent.

• Immunosupression – The reduction of the activation or efficacy of the immune system. (Related to what we talked about in class regarding the immune system’s ability to distinguish between self and non-self antigens.)

• "The Cream" - A masking agent commonly used with "The Clear"
  

The Science Behind "The Clear"

 

“The Clear” is a highly potent agonist for the androgen and progesterone receptors, around 10 times more potent than the comparison drugs nandrolone or trenbolone, but with no estrogenic activity. The steroid has both high affinity and high specificity. It has affinity to the androgen receptor and the progesterone receptor, but not to the estrogen receptor. It has been found to bind to the androgen receptor with similar affinity to dihydrotestosterone and produces growth of muscle tissue.

 

Side Effects

 

Side effects from prolonged use are likely to include infertility in both men and women, as well as other steroid side effects such as acne and hirsutism. Unlike most other anabolic steroids, THG also binds with high affinity to the glucocorticoid receptor, and while this effect may cause additional weight loss, it is also likely to cause extra side effects such as immunosuppression that are not seen with most other steroids.