Royd The Noyd
Board Sponsor
- Awards
- 2
AMS - Enzyme Optimization Cycle
At Advanced Muscle Science (AMS) we want you to maximize results when you use our products. That is why we have basic stacking charts on our website you can find here. One of the most popular AMS stacks is 1-Androsterone and 4-AD. The reason is because it utilizes two similar, yet very different prohormones.
1-Androsterone (chemical name: 1-DHEA), converts to three different powerful hormones.
- 1-Androstenedione
- 1-Androstenediol
- 1-Testosterone
But the primary hormone we are after is 1-Testosterone. The most recent research on 1-Testosterone shows that it has similar anabolic and androgenic activity to the popular illegal steroid Testosterone Propionate or "Test Prop", based on Hershberger assay (4). Older research suggests it is seven times more powerful than testosterone (5-7). This makes 1-Androsterone, a prohormone to 1-Testosterone, a powerful anabolic.
When 1-Androsterone is consumed (via our cyclodextrin based orally disintegrating tablets), it comes in contact with various tissues throughout the body (blood, fat, muscle, liver, etc) (1-3).
To understand how 1-Androsterone creates this powerful effect you must also understand the conversion pathway. Meaning how does this prohormone convert to the powerful anabolic 1-Testosterone. There are two critical steps involved as well as two enzymes. The conversion pathways as well as enzymes are depicted below:
Thankfully the enzymes needed for the above illustrated conversions are abundant in the human body. They can be found in various tissues including muscle, fat, the liver, and even blood lymphocytes (1-3). We will go into more detail on the various enzymes that contribute to these conversions, but please understand that they are critical to getting the explosive anabolic effect we are needing for muscle growth. In addition more recent research suggests it is in fact metabolizing to 1-Testosterone quite efficiently.
Now that you have an idea of the metabolism and underlying hormones, we can discuss stacking to create the potential for a better cycle. 1-Androsterone is the powerhouse of your cycle. It will produce lean muscle gains with minimal bloat. Unfortunately this does not always come with zero side effects. The two most common side effects seen with 1-Androsterone are lethargy (general sleepiness), and a loss of libido (the drive to have sex).
This is where 4-AD comes in to the cycle. 4-AD converts to testosterone and estrogen (to a lesser degree). Together these help you maintain your libido, and avoid some of the lethargy that 1-Androsterone causes.
Unfortunately these two hormones utilize the same enzymes (image above depicts these enzymes) to convert to the more powerful anabolics. Because of this you want to stagger your 4-AD dose as the typical 1-Androsterone sides to not prop their ugly heads up for a week or two into the cycle.
At that point you still only want to use the minimally effective dose of 4-AD that mitigates the 1-Androsterone side effects. This way you have more 1-Androsterone converting to the powerful 1-Testosterone, helping to build more muscle.
Here is an example cycle to illustrate this concept:
Now keep in mind we are all different and some may experience certain side effects (both positive and negative) sooner or later than others. So be flexible. For example, if you feel lethargic in Week 1 of the cycle go ahead and start the 4-AD.
If you're interested in more detail related to these prohormones and stacking them please feel free to ask on the AMS Facebook page. In future blogs we hope to discuss these prohormones and the science behind them. Stay tuned!
