Post-cycle therapy, or as it is succinctly called PCT in a narrow circle, is the process of restoring vital organs, as well as hormonal levels after the use of medications (steroids, growth hormone, insulin, etc.) during preparation for bodybuilding competitions (powerlifting, heavy lifting). athletics, or for other purposes). Simply put, PTC is the process of adjusting the body’s activity after a usually long steroid course.
Is PCT necessary for short courses of steroids and is it necessary after long courses?
In order to answer these questions, we first need to answer a few other questions:
1) Will we talk exclusively about recovery after a course of anabolic steroids, or will we also touch on the topic of recovery after the use of insulin, growth hormone, thyroxine and other medications?
2) What is more important: to find out how and why to restore hormonal levels, or to find out how to “restore life” to the liver, kidneys and heart after a course of anabolic drugs? According to the author of this article, the reader is still interested in learning more about recovery after a course of anabolic steroids (in other words, synthetic testosterone), rather than about recovery of growth hormone (which is produced in scanty quantities anyway after 27-30 years) or about insulin (which in the case of short-term use, it is produced after its replacement without any visible problems). If we talk about restoration of the liver, kidneys and heart, then this is a topic for three additional articles.
That is why in this article we will talk exclusively about methods for restoring your own testosterone after using anabolic steroids, and will also touch on the topic of bringing prolactin, progesterone and estradiol back to normal after a cycle. In order to objectively answer the questions posed, the reader needs to know that today there is no sensible information on this issue on the Internet. Everyone, as they say, promotes their own product. For example, the well-known bodybuilding guru Yuri Bombella did his best to promote tribulus (tribulus herb).
Sustanon side effects
Sustanon is contraindicated for people with kidney, liver and cardiovascular problems.
Sustik is aromatized, so it has the androgenic side effects that are common to most anabolic steroids (which aromatize). Read more about side effects in the article “Anabolic steroids: side effects“.
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Tribulus and Ecdysterone
What is tribulus? Panacea is a medicine for increasing testosterone 10 times. One annotation is worth it! Then Mr. Bombella publicly retracted his words and referred to the fact that he was promoting tribulus in vain, and in general it was supposedly a non-working thing. Why did you advertise? Yes, they say, money was needed - difficult times. That's all... However, as for tribulus and ecdysterone (which will be discussed below), it is too early to draw premature conclusions. Soon the author of the article will have test results after using tribulus and ecdysterone by a person with low testosterone levels for three months. These studies will form the basis of the second part of the article.
As for ecdysterone, this substance is usually obtained from Leuzea safflower. The fact that Leuzea increases libido is a proven fact, verified by the personal experience of the author and his loved ones. However, an increase in libido, unfortunately, does not indicate any increase in testosterone itself. Of course, there is a connection between these phenomena. However, I personally cannot judge how objective it is. Most studies have shown that neither ecdysterone (including Leuzea) nor tribulus (whether in tablets or powder) leads to an increase in testosterone. However, some studies still say otherwise. However, it is not possible to find out which of these studies were objective and which were corrupt. That is why I suggest waiting for the above-mentioned tests.
How Sustanon works
The syrup has the standard properties of long esters: it helps to significantly increase muscle mass, strength and endurance, has an anti-catabolic effect, helps increase the number of red blood cells, and increases appetite.
The peculiarity of this drug is that it is included in the work very
It’s fast, and it works for quite a long time. This property is due to the fact that this drug contains 4 testosterone esters, which have different absorption rates, due to which a high level of anabolic hormones is maintained in the blood for a long period of time. This table indicates the half-life of sustanon, or rather its esters.
Sustanon retains water in the body, but this is rather a positive property, since during the course strength indicators increase significantly, so the load on the joints increases sharply, and the water that is retained eases tension in the joints.
Sustik will allow you to gain an average of 5-6 kg per month (over a two-month course, weight gain can be about 10-12 kg), but do not forget about the rollback phenomenon, due to which, at the end of the course, weight loss can amount to 20-50% typed.
What to use after a course of steroids?
Well, God bless them with herbs. How else does modern pharmacology offer us to restore our testosterone after a cycle? One such solution is the use of gonadotropin after the course. And indeed, the use of gonadotropin leads to an increase in luteinizing hormone, and the latter already leads to an increase in testosterone itself. However, with such therapy, the production of luteinizing hormone itself begins to be suppressed.
This is why gonadotropin therapy should not be voluminous (I’m talking about dosages) or long. As for the use of tamoxifen, anastrazole and other things on the course, here I think the following should be said. You should never, well, never start PCT immediately after a course. Moreover, there is no need to start PCT until hormone tests have been completed. The same applies to liver cleansing and similar things.
How to choose the right PCT
All “chemists”, one way or another, need a recovery procedure. You just need to select it individually, since there is no single scheme for everyone, although in general they are similar. Everyone used different steroids, and perhaps a whole complex of them, and different dosages - so the consequences for each will be different. Therefore, you should think about how best to conduct PCT specifically in your case, and we will try to help you with the necessary information.
A prerequisite for everyone is that restoration of the body should begin no earlier than the effect of androgens ends. It should also be remembered that any anabolic steroid is a modified synthetic testosterone, and therefore most of the side effects will be associated with disturbances in its production. And PCT (“Post cycle therapy” in English) is needed for the most part precisely to normalize the natural production of this hormone, and everything else is secondary. Let's look at PCT after some known androgens.
After methane
After methane (methandrostenolone) and its analogues, PCT should be carried out 2-3 days after the last use. To normalize natural testosterone production and reduce recoil, it is recommended to consume:
- Testosterone boosters (raise testosterone levels). These are sports nutritional supplements that also stimulate muscle growth. Although, there is an opinion that they do not work and are of little use. But you can try.
- Omega 3 – helps suppress Cortisol (a stress hormone that breaks down muscle tissue) and also stimulates testosterone production.
- Protein mixtures or homemade shakes.
- Vitamin and mineral complexes.
- BCAA amino acid complex to suppress catabolic processes.
- To support the liver, hepatoprotectors will not be superfluous.
Among the antiestrogenic drugs you should use:
- Clomiphene (Clomid) in dosages of 25-50 mg per day, with a gradual increase from 25 to 50, and then with a gradual decrease, and gradual cessation. Session duration is 3-4 weeks.
- Tamoxifen - from 10 to 20 mg per day, according to the same regimen as in the previous paragraph.
Separately, it is worth mentioning such drugs as Gonadotropin (HCG) and Proviron. Some experts advise using them directly while taking anabolic steroids, taking them together with methane, and not after. You should take them during PCT only if your steroid session was initially composed incorrectly (large doses of pharmaceuticals and/or long course duration) and serious problems have arisen at the hormonal level.
After Turinabol
Often, after sessions of taking Turinabol, many athletes generally neglect post-cycle recovery. However, this is not entirely reasonable, especially if the cycle of use was protracted.
Since this anabolic does not aromatize, it does not have a pronounced estrogenic effect. Consequently, according to many bodybuilders, the use of anti-estrogenic drugs is unjustified. But it’s still worth getting the appropriate tests done first, since athletes’ bodies react differently to different AAS. If the level of indicators indicating estrogen is normal, then antiestrogens can indeed be neglected. If not, or if the Turinabol session was prolonged (from 8 weeks or more), and even in combination with other AAS, then it is worth taking the above-described Clomiphene and Tamoxifen.
And so, in general, all the recommendations described in the section about PCT after methane are perfect after Turinabol.
After Sustanon
This drug remains active in the body for quite a long time, so PCT after Sustanon should be started no earlier than 20 days later. If you start right away, you will be wasting your time. There will be no effect. During this period, it is better to simply use short testosterone esters in small doses. During recovery, use the same Tamoxifen and testosterone boosters for a month.
When to start PCT?
Considering that steroids take quite a long time to completely leave our body, I think that we need to wait about a month until all the chemistry comes out. It’s not even a matter of the half-lives of the drugs, but rather the impressive dosages that athletes use today. Of course, a month is an average concept and such PCT is relevant for those athletes who are not planning to prepare for the next competitive season. What to do in a month? Go get tested.
As a rule, such tests can show that you have too much estradiol (we lower it with anastrozole), prolactin (Bergolak or Dostinex) or progesterone (Zhenale). But in any case, your total testosterone will be reduced. This is where gonadotropin comes to our aid. When treating with gonadotropin, no herbs are simply needed. Herbs (tribulus, leuzea) are used only in cases where the athlete wants, for some reason, to avoid gonadotropin therapy. As for tamoxifen, there is a long and contradictory conversation about this drug. It is relevant only when there is no money for anastrazole or Clomid. Or when anastrazole alone becomes not enough.
At the same time, among its disadvantages are: a decrease in IGF (somatomedin), vision and a number of other side effects. Here everyone must decide for themselves whether it is worth using tamoxifen after the course. As for gynecomastia, it will not be possible to completely eradicate it with medications (tmacosifen, anastrazole, bergolak). There is only one solution: go to a mammologist, and then refer the first to a surgeon. But we must not forget that the surgeon will not completely cut out your mammary gland (since if he cuts it out completely, he will disfigure the shape of your breast), which means there is a risk of recurrence of gynecomastia. Unfortunately, there are many such cases in medical practice.
Post-cycle therapy: medications
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that is extracted from the urea of pregnant women, since this is where it gets from the placenta, which synthesizes it. In its action, it is similar to luteinizing hormone, that is, human chorionic gonadotropin stimulates the testicles to produce testosterone, which is necessary to ensure that the testicles do not atrophy. Chorionic gonadotropin should be taken 2-3 weeks before the end of the “course” on “short” esters, or immediately after its end if “long” esters were used. The bottom line is that “short” drugs are quickly eliminated from the body, and long ones last up to 2-3 weeks, respectively, if we are trying to restore the hormonal arc, then we need to completely “get off” all drugs that affect the body by the time the steroids are removed from the body. to any component of the hormonal arc. You can buy gonadotropin at a pharmacy; it is recommended to take approximately 1000 units per day until the effect of the steroids wears off.
Anti-estrogen drugs - they should be taken a week before the end of gonadotropin intake. Antiestrogens are divided into aromatase inhibitors and estrogen receptor blockers, respectively, you can continue to take letrazole: 1 week on a “course” of half a tablet every 2 days and, in fact, on post-cycle therapy 3 weeks, half a tablet every four days. If you want to use estrogen receptor blockers, then tamoxifen or clomiphene are suitable for you.
Clomiphene should be taken 100 mg per day, 50 in the morning and the same amount in the evening; You can use the loading, taking the drug at a double dose on the first day in 4 doses. Tamoxifen 20 mg per day, if necessary increased to 40 mg, sometimes a load of 80 mg is used during the first day. Clomiphene stimulates luteinizing hormone more strongly, but is a weaker anti-estrogen and does not increase the sensitivity of luteinizing hormone receptors. This is why tamoxifen is better, but it also increases the number of progesterene receptors, so you can’t always take it. For example, if an athlete used progestogen drugs like anapalone or nandrolone, then tamoxifen is contraindicated. This is why it is best to use letrazole.
Proviron is a drug that blocks aromatization, SHBG and increases libido, because of the latter it is taken during PCT, but this is pointless, since it does not solve the cause of the problem, Litrazole does this. Proviron can be used during a “cycle”, when an athlete uses a long “course” of anabolic steroids, or uses a “cycle” for cutting.
Liver and cholesterol are something that is usually not included in post-cycle therapy, but you need to pay attention to this, be sure to get tested and, if the indicators are unsatisfactory, take action. To normalize the ratio of “bad” and “good” cholesterol, take OMEGA-3. With the liver, everything is more complicated, be sure to consult a doctor, but we can recommend the use of Karsil and Legalon. They take 10 tablets a day, but you should only take one drug because they essentially give the same effect.
Supplements are various sports nutrition products and vitamins that can help avoid catabolism, these include BCAA, arginine, testosterone boosters, zinc, vitamin E, silene and other drugs that reduce catabolism. The use of these supplements can be started at any time; they simply play a supporting role during post-cycle therapy.
Conclusion: when taking androgenic anabolic steroids, the athlete should take human chorionic gonadotropin 2-3 weeks before the end of the “course” on “short” esters and immediately after the end of the “course” on “long” esters. A week before the end of taking human chorionic gonadotropin, it is recommended to start taking letrazole and take it for 4 weeks, 1 week while the steroids are still working and another 3 weeks, in fact, during post-cycle therapy. A week after you have finished taking all medications that stimulate any segment of the hormonal arc, you can be tested again. If, God forbid, the hormonal arc has not been restored, then, most likely, you will need another anti-estrogen drug, but this is a special case that needs to be considered separately, be sure to consult a doctor!
PCT training
A very important aspect of post-cycle therapy is the training program, which should be “preventative” in nature, that is, the athlete should train less, with lighter weights and in a smaller volume. No formative exercises or exercises for small muscle groups should be used! It is best to train with basic exercises, and the training should last 30-40 minutes, and the rest between approaches should be increased to 2 minutes. In total, you can perform 10-15 approaches per workout, so for PCT the most acceptable option is a three-day split, when the athlete trains his legs on one day, his back on another, and his chest on the third. It is recommended to perform no more than three exercises per workout, all exercises are basic, repetition range 6-10, approaches no more than 5.
Sports pharmacology
Results
Is it possible to do without medications after the course? Can. Our body has the ability to heal itself. However, this self-healing sometimes takes from 6 months (complete refusal of AS and light, infrequent training) to 2 years. To summarize the first part of the article: after the course, ideally it is necessary to cleanse the liver within a month and only then proceed to PCT. PCT should begin with testing. After testing, low testosterone can be raised by using moderate doses of gonadotropin. High levels of estradiol are blocked by tamoxifen or anastrazole. High levels of prolactin and progesterone are blocked by bergolac/dostinex and zhenale.
Author, Ivan Vasiliev
Other parameters
To restore cholesterol, you need not only to eat fatty fish, but also to use omega-3 fish oil.
To change blood pressure to 140 per 90 beats. per minute the drugs Metoprolol and Enalalril are used in amounts of 50 and 5 mg, respectively.
Most often, catabolics such as Glutamine, Clenbuterol, as well as growth hormone and insulin are used to reduce cortisol.
Do you want to train and avoid significant muscle loss? Do not take asteroids for too long and in large doses, then it will be easier to normalize the production of natural testosterone, and health risks will be minimized.
Post-cycle therapy (PCT) will help bring some body parameters back to normal, as a result of which the decrease in muscle mass will be insignificant.
Average
If you are planning to carry out average post-cycle therapy, then you definitely took short testosterone solo, and with oral medications, long testosterone solo, methane, stanozolol and other substances. The course lasted at least 8 weeks.
In this case, post-cycle therapy consists of several substances. You need to take 50 mg of Clomid every day for one month, and after that you will need to take 25 milligrams of Clomid for another 30 days. At the same time, you should take tribulus 1000 mg daily until post-cycle therapy is completed.
In addition, it should be noted that PCT after taking a course of propionate must begin at least 4 days later, but if we are talking about enanthate and cypionate, post-course therapy must begin after 14 days.
Heavy
This therapy is one of the most complex, which is necessary after completion of steroid cycles, the duration of which exceeds 12 weeks. In this case, the steroid drugs you were taking would have included long testosterone esters and oral drugs, short testosterone esters and oral drugs, or testosterone trenbolones or nandrolones.
If you are an athlete who has been using these substances for 12 weeks or more, then you need to adhere to the following regimen: you should use Clomid for 15 days, then use the same substance at 50 mg for 1 month, and after that for another month consume 25 grams of these substances.
After taking this substance according to the schemes indicated above in this article, the body should stabilize the production of all substances necessary for the proper functioning, which will lead to normal functioning of the body.
