There's a new (old) anabolic steroid that's been making its rounds in the bodybuilding scene recently. People are reporting gains of up to 20lbs in as little as 6 weeks. Bodybuilders in their crude chemistry language calling it a mix of "tren and test," arguably two of the most effective and fan favorite steroids ever used. So, what is this remarkable compound? It goes by the name of MENT or trestolone acetate and has been made widely available thanks to research chemical suppliers. 

The Rise of MENT - Trestolone Acetate
MENT (7alpha-methyl-19-nortestostrone), or trestolone acetate was one of several 19-nortestosterone derivatives to be investigated as a possible male contraceptive therapy due to its unique chemical properties. Initially, drug companies were combining progesterone with testosterone in order to produce a viable male contraceptive option due to progesterone's ability to suppress spermatogenesis. While testosterone can decrease sperm production, the dose for a test-only birth control would be too high to avoid unwanted side effects.
Testosterone can also convert to DHT via 5alpha-reductase, it can have deleterious effects on the prostate, as well as increase male pattern balding. Since MENT was incapable of binding to 5alpha-reductase and thus cannot convert to DHT, it made it a perfect candidate for an androgen male contraceptive. The reason for this lies in the unique alpha-methyl group on carbon 7 of the molecule. This methyl group sticks out below the steroidal ring structure and sterically inhibits the conversion to DHT. However, MENT still can undergo aromatization and undergo other androgen-dependent functions, making it effectively act like testosterone in the body despite being a 19-nortestosterone derivative.

Free testosterone is the amount of testosterone that is NOT bound to SHBG and is "free" to bind to the androgen receptor and elicit its effects. By MENT not being able to bind to SHBG, it is essentially free to only bind to the androgen receptor and yield the benefits of exogenous androgen use. This makes MENT a very attractive option when looking to not only add quality muscle, but also keep your sex drive high and not make any unwanted babies. What does the research say about MENT?
Well, it's actually quite impressive. In a 1992 study in rats investigating the pharmacology of MENT, researchers found the anabolic potency of MENT to be 10X greater than that of testosterone, while also being 12X more suppressive on HTPA. This means that if your average male produces 4-7mg of testosterone daily to keep muscle mass and sexual function, only 400-700mcg of MENT is needed to produce the same results.