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Trestolone — 7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone (MENT); potent synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid investigated as a male contraceptive and for hypogonadism
A potent synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — 7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone, developed by the Population Council as an experimental long-acting MALE CONTRACEPTIVE and androgen-replacement agent, NOT an approved product. It has real (small) human-trial data: subdermal MENT-acetate implants potently suppress LH, FSH and testosterone and drive sperm counts toward azoospermia (von Eckardstein 2003; Walton 2007) — which is the entire point of a contraceptive — and a small crossover trial found MENT maintains sexual function and mood in hypogonadal men comparable to testosterone (Anderson 1999). Pharmacologically it is an unusually potent androgen-receptor agonist that is NOT 5α-reduced (so it spares the prostate) but IS aromatized to a potent estrogen (7α-methylestradiol), so it carries estrogenic effects (gynecomastia). It is used illicitly in bodybuilding for muscle, where it shuts down fertility and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, raises hematocrit and lowers HDL. There is NO approved trestolone product anywhere, it is a controlled substance / research chemical, it is NOT a dietary supplement, and NOT a longevity drug. Informational, harm-reduction entry only — not a recommendation.
Research compound — not a dietary supplement
Trestolone (MENT) is a research compound, not a regulated dietary supplement. It is sold for research or off-label use. The evidence below is largely preclinical (animal and in-vitro) or early-stage, so no evidence score is assigned. This page is provided for transparency and education — it is not a recommendation to use. Consult a qualified healthcare provider, and be aware that purity, dosing, and legal status vary by jurisdiction.
What the evidence says
Most Trestolone (MENT) studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from medium-quality randomised trials published 1995–2013 with a typical study size of 45 participants.
Based on 8 studies · 5 RCTs · 74 total participants
Confidence
Moderate confidenceBy outcome
Trestolone (MENT) has genuine but small human-trial data from its development as an experimental male contraceptive and androgen-replacement agent: subdermal MENT-acetate implants potently and reversibly suppress LH, FSH and testosterone and drive sperm counts toward azoospermia (Noé 1999; von Eckardstein 2003; Walton 2007), and a small crossover trial found MENT maintains sexual function and mood in hypogonadal men comparable to testosterone (Anderson 1999). Pharmacologically it is a potent androgen-receptor agonist that is NOT 5α-reduced (prostate-sparing) but IS aromatized to a potent estrogen (Sundaram 1995). But the studied effect is FERTILITY SHUTDOWN (the contraceptive endpoint), it aromatizes to estrogen (gynecomastia risk), and — decisively — there is NO approved trestolone product anywhere; it is a controlled substance / grey-market research chemical used illicitly in bodybuilding, not a dietary supplement and not a longevity drug. Real small-trial signal, weighed down hard by no approved product, fertility-suppression/estrogenic harms, and illicit-use status — hence the low score.
No trials currently enrolling · 1 completed on ClinicalTrials.gov
Registered trials show research momentum for Trestolone (MENT), not proof of effect — a registration is a plan, and posted results are sponsor-reported, not peer-reviewed. They are never counted toward the evidence rating above.
Browse these trials on ClinicalTrials.govClinicalTrials.gov · as of Aug 2026
Under EU law (Reg. 1924/2006), EFSA reviews whether a specific health claim for Trestolone (MENT) meets the evidence standard. These are independent regulatory decisions on claims — not studies, and never counted toward the evidence score above.
Not authorised by EFSA
“Zea mays L. ; Common name : Maïs Facilite la perte de poids en complément de mesures diététiques. Help weight loss in addition to dieting”
“Not authorised” means the specific claim wording did not meet the EU’s evidence standard — often a matter of dossier or phrasing, not proof of no effect. EFSA judges marketing claims and is kept separate from our study-based evidence score.
Source: EU Register of nutrition and health claims (European Commission / EFSA) · register snapshot Feb 2013
Trestolone — 7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone, almost always shortened to MENT, and delivered as the ester MENT acetate — is a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid developed largely by the Population Council from the 1990s onward as a candidate long-acting MALE HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVE and androgen-replacement agent.
It is a 19-nortestosterone (nandrolone) derivative with a 7α-methyl group; that methyl group makes it an unusually potent androgen-receptor agonist (in receptor-binding and transactivation assays MENT is more potent than testosterone, DHT and 19-nortestosterone; Kumar 1999) and, crucially, sterically blocks 5α-reduction, so MENT is NOT converted to a more potent androgen in the prostate the way testosterone is — the property the Population Council hoped would let it suppress sperm production without prostate stimulation.
Unusually for the grey-market androgens in this collection, MENT has genuine (if small) human-trial data, all from its development as a contraceptive/replacement drug.
In healthy men, subdermal MENT-acetate implants produce dose-dependent, sustained and fully reversible suppression of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone (Noé 1999 reported mean suppression of ~97% LH, ~95% FSH and ~93% testosterone with two to four implants).
A randomized clinical trial of MENT-acetate implants in 35 men (von Eckardstein 2003, Population Council/International Committee for Contraception Research) showed dose-related decreases in testosterone, LH and FSH and dose-related suppression of sperm counts — eight of twelve men in the four-implant group reached azoospermia — demonstrating MENT can inhibit spermatogenesis as a potential male contraceptive, with the androgenic side effects (raised hematocrit/hemoglobin, lowered SHBG) reversible.
A second randomized trial combining MENT implants with the progestogen etonogestrel (Walton 2007) achieved rapid spermatogenic suppression similar to a testosterone/etonogestrel regimen, but the effect was NOT maintained because MENT release from the implants declined over time, and several men noted loss of libido — illustrating that the engineering of a durable delivery system, not the molecule's potency, was the limiting problem.
On the replacement side, a small crossover trial in 20 hypogonadal men (Anderson 1999) found MENT-acetate implants maintained sexual interest, spontaneous/nocturnal erections and mood comparably to testosterone enanthate, supporting MENT as a potential androgen-replacement therapy.
The honest counterweight defines why this is a low-scoring, gated, harm-reduction entry rather than a recommendation.
First, the human evidence is real but small (tens of men), all in development-stage contraception/replacement studies, and NO trestolone product has ever been approved or marketed anywhere — its development stalled at the delivery-system stage.
Second, the headline pharmacology cuts both ways: the very effect studied is FERTILITY SHUTDOWN — potent, near-complete suppression of the HPG axis and spermatogenesis (the contraceptive endpoint), which for anyone wanting children is a hazard, not a benefit, and the suppression of endogenous testosterone is profound.
Third, although MENT is not 5α-reduced (sparing the prostate), it IS aromatized to 7α-methylestradiol, a potent estrogen (Sundaram 1995), so estrogenic effects such as gynecomastia are an expected consequence of use rather than an avoidable quirk.
Fourth, MENT has no legitimate over-the-counter or supplement form; it is sold on the grey market as a 'research chemical' and used illicitly in bodybuilding for muscle anabolism, entirely outside the supervised, monitored, dose-controlled conditions of the contraception trials — bringing the shared anabolic-steroid harms (raised hematocrit, suppressed HDL, HPG shutdown, virilization, mood effects) without medical oversight, and the unregulated supply is frequently mislabeled or counterfeit.
The score reflects this split: real but small human contraceptive/hypogonadism trial data and a genuinely potent, prostate-sparing androgen pharmacology, set against the facts that the studied effect is fertility suppression, that it aromatizes to a potent estrogen, that there is no approved product, that non-medical/bodybuilding use is illicit and unmonitored, and that it is a controlled substance and research chemical — not a dietary supplement, and not a longevity drug.
MENT (7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone) is a synthetic 19-nortestosterone derivative that binds and activates the androgen receptor with higher affinity and transactivation potency than testosterone, DHT or 19-nortestosterone, driving the anabolic, muscle-building and androgenic signalling that underlies both its replacement-therapy and its illicit performance use.
The 7α-methyl group sterically blocks 5α-reductase, so MENT is NOT converted to a more potent androgen in the prostate (the prostate-sparing property the Population Council sought). However, MENT IS aromatized to 7α-methylestradiol, a potent estrogen — so it carries estrogenic activity (and gynecomastia risk) rather than being estrogen-free.
As an exogenous androgen, MENT signals the hypothalamus and pituitary that androgen levels are sufficient, suppressing LH and FSH and shutting down endogenous testosterone and sperm production. In implant trials this suppression was potent (≈95-97% of LH/FSH), dose-dependent and reversible — driving men to azoospermia. That fertility shutdown is precisely the contraceptive goal, and the same trade-off that makes non-medical use a fertility and endocrine hazard.
How Trestolone (MENT) works — from molecular targets to health outcomes. Click an edge to see supporting research.This visualization is in beta — pathways are being refined and expanded.
Avoid — an unapproved controlled substance / research chemical, not a supplement; it shuts down fertility, aromatizes to a potent estrogen, raises hematocrit and lowers HDL, and the grey-market supply is unregulated and often counterfeit.
Avoid — MENT potently suppresses the HPG axis and spermatogenesis (it is a contraceptive candidate). Discuss approved options or sperm banking with a clinician.
Do not use — a potent androgen with virilizing effects that can be irreversible; no contraceptive or replacement role in women.
Avoid entirely — androgenic; risk of fetal virilization.
Stacking androgenic agents (common in non-medical use) compounds HPG suppression, the rise in hematocrit, the fall in HDL and the estrogenic load; the combined harm is additive and uncharacterised outside clinical care.
Because MENT aromatizes to a potent estrogen (7α-methylestradiol), non-medical users sometimes add aromatase inhibitors to manage gynecomastia; over-suppressing estrogen harms bone and lipids, and this combination is unvalidated for MENT.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids can potentiate warfarin and raise bleeding risk; INR and dosing would need monitoring under a clinician.
Androgens can alter insulin sensitivity and glucose, potentially requiring adjustment of diabetes medication.
Tip: Potently suppresses LH, FSH, endogenous testosterone and sperm production — the contraceptive endpoint, and a hazard for anyone wanting children. Suppression was reversible after implant removal in trials, but recovery timing in non-medical use is uncharacterised; seek endocrine care for persistent post-use hypogonadism.
Tip: MENT aromatizes to 7α-methylestradiol, a potent estrogen, so gynecomastia and fluid retention are expected. It is prostate-sparing (not 5α-reduced), but that does not avoid the estrogenic effects.
Tip: Like other androgens, MENT raises erythrocyte count, hematocrit and hemoglobin (seen in the human implant trials), increasing clot/stroke risk; this needs hematocrit monitoring that non-medical use lacks.
Tip: HDL ('good') cholesterol fell in the human trials, an adverse cardiovascular shift with no proven offsetting benefit. Reversibility depends on discontinuation.
Tip: Androgenic and virilizing (irreversible voice/hair changes in women); androgens can also affect mood and libido. Avoid non-medical use; women should not use it.
Tip: Trestolone has no approved product and is sold illicitly as a 'research chemical' — frequently underdosed, overdosed, mislabeled or contaminated. Unknown contents add unquantifiable risk on top of the pharmacological harms.
Trestolone (MENT) has an evidence score of 3.4/10 — emerging evidence based on 6 indexed studies. A potent synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — 7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone, developed by the Population Council as an experimental long-acting MALE CONTRACEPTIVE and androgen-replacement agent, NOT an approved product. It has real (small) human-trial data: subdermal MENT-acetate implants potently suppress LH, FSH and testosterone and drive sperm counts toward azoospermia (von Eckardstein 2003; Walton 2007) — which is the entire point of a contraceptive — and a small crossover trial found MENT maintains sexual function and mood in hypogonadal men comparable to testosterone (Anderson 1999). Pharmacologically it is an unusually potent androgen-receptor agonist that is NOT 5α-reduced (so it spares the prostate) but IS aromatized to a potent estrogen (7α-methylestradiol), so it carries estrogenic effects (gynecomastia). It is used illicitly in bodybuilding for muscle, where it shuts down fertility and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, raises hematocrit and lowers HDL. There is NO approved trestolone product anywhere, it is a controlled substance / research chemical, it is NOT a dietary supplement, and NOT a longevity drug. Informational, harm-reduction entry only — not a recommendation. Representative study: PMID 14602755.
The commonly studied dose of Trestolone (MENT) is There is no legitimate non-medical dose and no approved product. Trestolone (MENT) is an investigational controlled substance / research chemical; this library does NOT provide a contraceptive, replacement, or body-composition dosing protocol. For context only: the human trials used SUBDERMAL MENT-ACETATE IMPLANTS (ethylene vinyl acetate implants releasing roughly 400-500 µg/day of MENT acetate per implant, one to four implants), administered under medical supervision in clinical-trial settings — not a self-administered intramuscular dose. Grey-market trestolone acetate sold for bodybuilding is illegal, unregulated, frequently mislabeled or counterfeit, and not an endorsed regimen.. Individual needs vary — start at the lower end of the range and adjust based on how you respond.
Timing is flexible for Trestolone (MENT) — consistent daily use matters more than the time of day. There is no validated supplement timing.
Trestolone (MENT) should be used with caution — talk to a healthcare provider before taking it. The most commonly reported side effects are HPG suppression & fertility shutdown, estrogenic effects (gynecomastia, fluid retention), raised hematocrit / erythrocytosis. Use caution if any of these apply to you: Anyone seeking it for muscle, performance or anti-aging — trestolone is an unapproved controlled substance / research chemical with no marketed product; non-medical use is illegal and it is not a dietary supplement; Men actively trying to conceive — MENT potently suppresses the HPG axis and spermatogenesis (it is a contraceptive candidate precisely because it shuts down fertility); Known or suspected hormone-sensitive cancer (prostate or male breast carcinoma).
Testosterone (TRT)
Mostly mechanism / observationalThe primary male androgen and an FDA-approved prescription drug for diagnosed male hypogonadism — and a Schedule III CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. For men with genuinely low testosterone, randomized trials show real benefits: the Testosterone Trials (TTrials) improved sexual function, mood, anemia and bone density in older hypogonadal men, and the large TRAVERSE trial found TRT non-inferior to placebo for major cardiac events. But those benefits were modest and indication-specific, NOT a longevity or anti-aging result. It is prescription-only; non-medical, supraphysiologic, and 'anti-aging' use is illegal and carries serious harms — erythrocytosis, suppressed sperm production/fertility, cardiovascular and psychiatric risk. This is a harm-reduction reference, not a recommendation, and testosterone is NOT a dietary supplement.
Yohimbine
Mostly mechanism / observationalThe purified alkaloid (not crude yohimbe bark) — an alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist with modest evidence for erectile dysfunction and fasted fat loss, but real anxiety and cardiovascular risks and notoriously mislabeled supplement potency.
Oxandrolone (Anavar)
Mostly mechanism / observationalA prescription oral anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — brand Anavar/Oxandrin — and a DEA Schedule III CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. It has genuine randomized-trial evidence in FDA-approved, supervised muscle-wasting settings: it adds lean body mass, speeds wound healing and shortens hospital stay in severe burns, raises body weight in HIV-associated wasting, and modestly increases adult height in Turner syndrome. But it is 17α-alkylated and hepatotoxic (dose-related transaminase rises, cholestasis, and — with anabolic steroids generally — peliosis and liver tumours), it sharply lowers HDL and raises LDL cholesterol, and it suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and virilizes. It is NOT a dietary supplement and NOT a longevity drug; non-medical bodybuilding use is illegal without a prescription and carries real liver, lipid, and endocrine harm. Informational, harm-reduction entry only — not a recommendation.
Nandrolone (Deca-Durabolin)
Mostly mechanism / observationalAn injectable anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — brand Deca-Durabolin, the long-acting decanoate ester of 19-nortestosterone — and a DEA Schedule III CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. It has genuine randomized-trial evidence in supervised, catabolic-illness settings: it adds lean body mass and weight in HIV-associated wasting, adds muscle mass and physical function in dialysis patients, and raises hemoglobin in dialysis anemia (a historic FDA-approved indication, since largely replaced by erythropoietin). But it suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis — and because it is a long-ester 19-nortestosterone with progestogenic activity, that suppression and the resulting sexual dysfunction ('deca dick') can be prolonged. It worsens the lipid profile (lowers HDL), is associated with cardiac remodelling/cardiomyopathy and premature atherosclerosis in long-term high-dose users, and virilizes. It is NOT a dietary supplement and NOT a longevity drug; non-medical bodybuilding/performance use is illegal without a prescription and carries real cardiovascular, endocrine and sexual harm. Informational, harm-reduction entry only — not a recommendation.
Explore: Best supplements for Men's Health
Reviewed by Dr. Baher Al Hakim · Last reviewed June 2026 · evidence from 8 studies · how we score · editorial policy
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
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