Wondering if D-Bal is an effective muscle building supplement for you? Here’s a full review of this popular steroid alternative, including ingredients, effectiveness, and much more.
Anyone who has stepped into the gym knows that building muscle takes time. And work. And patience.
But when it comes to speeding up the process of building muscle mass and building strength, there is help.
That’s where D-Bal, an all-natural alternative to anabolic-androgenic steroids, can step in.
In this review of D-Bal, we will look at the ingredients, its effectiveness, and what to expect when supplementing with it.
By the end, you will have a clear idea if this supplement can help you on your muscle-building journey.
Let’s jump right in.
What is D-Bal?
D-Bal is a steroid alternative that is manufactured by health and wellness company CrazyBulk.
Based out of the United Kingdom, CrazyBulk’s D-Bal is their best-selling supplement (it’s also a key part of the CrazyBulk Bulking Stack – full review here).
They produce a range of supplements for lifters and muscle-building aficionados, including bulking and cutting supplements.
D-Bal is formulated to mimic the effects of the anabolic steroid Dianabol, also known as Methandrostenolone.
Dianabol is a wildly effective means of increasing athletic performance and increasing muscle mass1.
Research with athletes found that weightlifters experienced significant gains in strength when taking 10-25mg of Dianabol on a daily basis. The steroid also caused “many side effects” which caused several of the weightlifters to abandon the study2.
Dianabol is also a Schedule 3 drug in the United States, making possession illegal.
D-Bal is a way to get some of the benefits of Dianabol without the whole going to jail part.
Also, because of its all-natural ingredients, you won’t experience the same side effects as Dianabol.
What does D-Bal do?
D-Bal is formulated to help you, well, get hella jacked.
The main benefits of D-Bal include:
- Increased testosterone levels
- Promotes lean muscle tissue
- Increases anaerobic capacity
- Reduce total fat stores
- Shortens recovery time
- Increased strength
Not a bad list of benefits!
But how does D-Bal accomplish all of this awesomeness?
Well, that’s where we will l go next, taking a look at what’s under the hood of this supplement.
What is in D-Bal?
Here is a more detailed look at the clinically-proven ingredients in each serving of D-Bal:
Vitamin D3 – 7.5mcg
Vitamin D3 is one of the most essential vitamins for athletes and weightlifters.
The benefits of vitamin D3 are almost endless, but when it comes to the gym to building muscle mass, vitamin D3 increases the body’s ability to synthesize protein, cut down fat stores where they stand, and even raise free and total testosterone levels1,2,3.
Magnesium – 60mg
Magnesium is one of the sneaky-sneaky supplements that most lifters don’t even think about adding to their supplement protocol.
Which is too bad!
Magnesium has a host of benefits for the muscle-obsessed.
Magnesium helps to speed recovery and promote higher levels of testosterone4. It’s also been shown to improve athletic performance, including strength and power-based activities like explosive jumps and weightlifting.
Fun fact: Approximately 50% of Americans are deficient in magnesium in their diet6.
Adequate magnesium levels also ensure that vitamin D3 is working as well as it can7.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) – 800mg
Another mouthful of a scientific name, Methylsulfonylmethane (or MSM) is a popular compound with a huge range of benefits.
For starters, it’s been shown to cut down on the amount of inflammation in the body, which helps you to recover faster after big lifting days8.
Multiple studies have found MSM to be very effective at reducing joint stiffness and pain10,11.
Fun fact: Despite the long, and relatively scary name, the FDA considers it a very safe supplement.
End of the day, this ingredient will help protect your joints when chasing big numbers on the barbell and keep your muscles recovering at a high speed.
L – Isoleucine – 300mg
L-isoleucine is a branched-chain amino acid that is commonly found in BCAA powders.
Research with L-isoleucine showed that it can promote reduced fat mass and increase strength. Added benefits include reduced muscle damage when performing resistance training12.
BCAA’s are not all built the same, but isoleucines are among the most research-backed, with multiple studies showing their ability to generate significant muscle mass13.
Suma Root (Pfaffia paniculata) – 200mg
Suma root is a herbal supplement that is absolutely jam packed with hot goodness.
It first came to prominence via Russian scientists during the 1970s who used it with Olympic weightlifters. The athletes noticed an increased “sense of well-being” within just a few days14.
The combination of B vitamins, vitamin K2, zinc, magnesium, ecdysteroids, saponins and steroidal glycoisides lay a powerful foundation for testosterone generation.
In other words, better performance, increased recovery, and increased red blood cell counts15.
Ashwagandha – 200mg
Getting stronger in the gym starts with lifting heavy—but it ends with recovering properly.
Ashwagandha, another herbal supplement, is an absolute beast for speeding up recover and improving muscular performance.
One study with nearly 60 young men found that participants who supplemented daily with Ashwagandha had significantly less muscle damage compared to the control group.
In addition, those who used the supplement crushed the control group in terms of strength gain and increased muscle mass16.
Tribulus Terrestis – 75mg
The name of the game when it comes to rapidly increasing muscle mass and power in the gym is testosterone.
And when it comes to naturally boosting testosterone in the body, few supplements do a more effective job than the herbal supplement, Tribulus Terrestis.
T.T. has ergogenic (anabolic) properties, which ends up increasing testosterone levels17 , reducing inflammation18, and protect muscle against oxidative damage19.
Sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid) – 30mg
And finally, we have our last active ingredient, sodium hyaluronate.
Like MSM, sodium hyaluronate—which is naturally occurring in the body—it is specifically helpful in terms of protecting the joints and reduce inflammation.
Sodium hyaluronate has been used for decades to help alleviate joint stiffness and pain20.
It’s a powerhouse for helping the body heal, allowing you to reduce the likelihood of injury or overuse injuries and help you recover faster between lifting sessions21.
D-Bal – Frequently Asked Questions
Will D-Bal work for me?
Whether ANY supplement works for you depends on a lot of things, including training to progressive overload, eating properly, and getting lots and lots of sleep for maximum recovery.
Supplements like D-Bal can work for you, but they don’t replace the basics of a proper muscle-building program.
That said, the ingredients of D-Bal are widely studied, with a variety of mechanisms for increasing testosterone levels, increasing recovery, building more muscle mass, and helping you lift more weight than ever in the gym.
Is D-Bal safe to take?
D-Bal is a safer alternative to traditional anabolic steroids, which are not only illegal in most places, but also prone to abuse.
Anabolic steroids are additionally very hard on the kidney and liver. D-Bal is made of all-natural ingredients and herbal extracts and is portioned for maximal results. Unlike anabolic steroids, which can be toxic, D-Bal won’t raise blood pressure or toxify the kidney or liver.
As you always should when taking a supplement or beginning a new strength training program, sit down with a physician to make sure that D-Bal is appropriate for you.
How much is D-Bal?
D-Bal is not cheap. A single bottle, which has 90 capsules (which will last you approximately a month), retails for $64.99 at CrazyBulk’s official website.
You can get a much better deal by ordering in bulk (CrazyBulk has a buy two and get one free deal on everything in their store).
So if you buy two bottles, you get a third for free, significantly cutting down the cost per serving.
(Also, free worldwide shipping!)
Click here to see the latest deals and pricing on D-Bal at CrazyBulk’s official website.
How often should you take D-Bal?
D-Bal is designed to be taken approximately 45-minutes before your lifting sessions (with plenty of water) for maximal effect.
Three capsules are to be taken each day, and CrazyBulk recommends cycling D-Bal for two months at a time and then taking 1.5 weeks off.
Key Features — D-Bal
- Natural ingredients that will increase testosterone
- Clinically-proven ingredients for building muscle fast
- Manufactured in a certified facility for maximum purity
- CrazyBulk ships it for free worldwide
- Discounts for bulk and stack orders
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, supplements should be an addition to a solid training plan.
Once you have your nutrition plan dialed in, a plan to continually get stronger in the gym, and a commitment to making the lifestyle choices (LOTS of sleep!) to get stronger, than it’s time to introduce supplements.
And it’s impossible not to recommend D-Bal.
With all of its clinically-proven ingredients, clear dosing instructions, toxic-free ingredients, and multi-prong approach to elevating testosterone, it’ll be like hitting the gas on the road to more muscle mass and strength.
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