PCT article. Wrong or Right?

[Jim2542]

Found this while cruising around on the internet. It kinda goes against everything I've ever heard about PCT but what do I know, I'm just a guy with a computer! :P What are your comments about this authors viewpoints on PCT?

Many people use Post Cycle Therapy or post cycle treatment after a cycle of prohormones or prosteroids. This article will discuss the current popular beliefs in post cycle therapy, supplements you can take to enhance your post cycle experience and also some common misconceptions about being “on cycle”. With this guide you can rest assured that you will get the absolute best post cycle information to use after your cycle of steroids or prohormones.

SHUT DOWN POST CYCLE

Shut down is the slang name for the sensation that occurs when your body senses that you are over loading it with androgens. Your testicles work on a messenger system that starts at your brain, which signals the testicles to make androgens like testosterone. The tissue known as the pituitary is constantly sampling your blood and looking for estrogen and DHT, both a by product of testosterone production. The pituitary is always sending out a signal to make testosterone. If the body has too little estrogen or DHT it will send more signal to the testicles to make testosterone. This testosterone is converted to both estrogen and DHT, which will raise the levels in the blood. When the pituitary senses the levels have reached optimal, then it stops sending the extra signal.

If the body has too much androgen or estrogen, the same gland will see this and stop sending the production signal at all which will temporarily shut down the testicles. When you are introducing extra “androgen” into the blood “on cycle” the signal from the pituitary will stop completely causing the testicles to shrink for that time period. This “shrinking” of your balls is why the myth that steroids will shrink your penis originated. Steroids will not shrink nor enlarge your penis, only your balls. So, please clear that misconception up.



Ironically, this “shut down” effect may actually be a good thing. The testicles are like an engine and by running them constantly you tend to burn them out faster as an adult. The periodic shut down may actually help you keep your testosterone levels higher as you get older because you have not burned out your testicles.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE USUAL POST CYCLE

The normal route for post cycle is to take an anti-estrogen like ATD in hopes that you will get faster recovery. Also people may take a SERM like Nolvadex to lower the estrogen levels in the pituitary. The major problem is that all this accomplishes is to send more signal. Remember the testicles are like an engine and the pituitary is like a gas pedal. By lowering estrogen, you are just sending out more signal, but this only works up to a point.

After a cycle, your estrogen and DHT levels are already at a low point due to the natural shut down. So, ther is no need to “lower” them with a SERM or Aromatase Inhibitor. The pituitary already sees that the levels are low and is sending out tons of signal.

The best approach is to increase the performance of the engine in addition to stepping on the pedal. You do that with supplements that increase the enzyme activity in the testicles. The best three supplements for this are Forskolin, Ginger Root and D-Aspartic Acid. These three supplements will surely boost your testosterone production after a cycle. Forskolin increases cAMP levels, causing your testicles to be more efficient at making testosterone. Ginger and D-Aspartic Acid increase StAR synthesis, which is another enzyme in the testicles responsible for making androgens. By stacking these with an anti-estrogen you get the benefit of increased signal along with a boost in testicular efficiency.

The combination is the most effective post cycle therapy protocol. Additionally, you may want to take additional fish oil to help lower the potential blood pressure and cholesterol effects of a steroid cycle, but short term steroid or prohormone use shouldn’t have much of an effect long term as long as you have naturally low cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Post Cycle Therapy - What You NEED To Know Before A Cycle | Andro Cycles - Androstenedione Information and Effects

[ck Black]

Very interesting maybe I'll eat some ginger snaps for my pct .. No but seriously that's pretty informative

[CCarter]

"Ironically, this “shut down” effect may actually be a good thing. The testicles are like an engine and by running them constantly you tend to burn them out faster as an adult. The periodic shut down may actually help you keep your testosterone levels higher as you get older because you have not burned out your testicles."

This is intersting. Does anybody know of any evidence supporting this?

[ThunderHumper]

I think im still gona take a serm to avoid the bitch tits. But still, this is an interesting article. I wonder howmuch truth there is to it

[T-Bone]

Sounds reasonable to me. People often don't realize the PCT is new concept. In the old days guys didn't use pct and titrated their doses at the end. I don't think everyone "back then" got gyno.

[ThunderHumper]

Well thats somwhat hard to judge since there was no forums or internet. No1 could tell their story like we can now days. But i see what youre saying. Has there ever been a test to see what would happen if someone slowly let off the anabolics to let their body restore naturally? Would that even work?

[T-Bone]

Well thats somwhat hard to judge since there was no forums or internet. No1 could tell their story like we can now days. But i see what youre saying. Has there ever been a test to see what would happen if someone slowly let off the anabolics to let their body restore naturally? Would that even work?

Yes it would work. People did it all the time back in the day. I have a book that describes how people would use a pyramid type pattern. Low doses at the beginning to higher doses and taper towards the end. Sure it might take longer for the body to recover but it will eventually recover. A serm just helps it happen faster. However there are some natural products that work the same way a serm does and accomplish the same task without the risk of using a research chem made is some guys parents basement. Not to mention SERMS are also toxic. Of course a ton of people won't agree with me on this and it is a continuing debate that will never be settled.

[T-Bone]

Back in 04 when I first was reading up pro-hormones there were a lot of people that would tell you you could take either a SERM for PCT or you were to use E-Pharm 6-OXO. There is even a pro-hormone F.a.Q out there somewhere which recommended this. It was on the old 1fast400 forums. Not sure if it can be found on here or not.

[Jim2542]

Yes it would work. People did it all the time back in the day. I have a book that describes how people would use a pyramid type pattern. Low doses at the beginning to higher doses and taper towards the end. Sure it might take longer for the body to recover but it will eventually recover. A serm just helps it happen faster. However there are some natural products that work the same way a serm does and accomplish the same task without the risk of using a research chem made is some guys parents basement. Not to mention SERMS are also toxic. Of course a ton of people won't agree with me on this and it is a continuing debate that will never be settled.

I was hoping you'd get in on this T-bone. I read this and it made sense but its so different from everything I've ever heard.

[T-Bone]

SERM use good or bad??? GREAT READ! NOLVA USERS MUST SEE!

[T-Bone]

I was hoping you'd get in on this T-bone. I read this and it made sense but its so different from everything I've ever heard.

Don't make any rash decisions based on what I say. Read up and decide for yourself after taking time to evaluate everything you have read.

[Jim2542]

Don't make any rash decisions based on what I say. Read up and decide for yourself after taking time to evaluate everything you have read.

Lol always. Thats how I ran across this particular article. I dont plan for any need of PCT anytime soon but there's no reason not to learn.

[BaDgErFaN]

Subbed. Interesting read

[JudoJosh]

The article gives a piss poor argument against SERM use and is nothing more than a sales pitch for LGs FormX. The purpose of PCT is to restore natural test production, Clomid accomplishes this.

[JudoJosh]

"Ironically, this “shut down” effect may actually be a good thing. The testicles are like an engine and by running them constantly you tend to burn them out faster as an adult. The periodic shut down may actually help you keep your testosterone levels higher as you get older because you have not burned out your testicles."

This is intersting. Does anybody know of any evidence supporting this?

Yes, see below

Long-term suppression of leydig cell steroidogenesis prevents leydig cell aging.

Based on the observations that reactive oxygen is capable of damaging components of the steroidogenic pathway and that reactive oxygen is produced during steroidogenesis itself, we hypothesized that long-term suppression of steroidogenesis might inhibit or prevent age-related deficits in Leydig cell testosterone production. To test this, we administered contraceptive doses of testosterone to groups of young (3 months old) and middle-aged (13 months old) Brown Norway rats via Silastic implants to suppress endogenous Leydig cell testosterone production. After 8 months, the implants were removed, which rapidly (days) restores the ability of the previously suppressed Leydig cells to produce testosterone. Two months after removing the implants, when the rats of the two groups were 13 and 23 months of age, respectively, the Leydig cells in both cases were found to produce testosterone at the high levels of young Leydig cells, whereas significantly lower levels were produced by the 23-month-old controls. Thus, by placing the Leydig cells in a state of steroidogenic "hibernation," the reductions in Leydig cell testosterone production that invariably accompany aging did not occur. If hormonal contraception in the human functions the same way, the adverse consequences of reduced testosterone in later life (osteoporosis, reduced muscle mass, reduced libido, mood swings, etc.) might be delayed or prevented.

[ck Black]

So basically the ginger and the three compounds this article mentioned will help the testies produce more enzymes thus making more testosterone.. BUT doesn't hcg clearly do this for you. So basically I can either take the ginger and other stuff mentioned in the article or take HCG during or at end of cycle. What im tryig to get at is if the stuff u stack with in ur pct mentioned in this article is the same thing hcg does for us, Am I right or am I just confused

[Jim2542]

Sigh.. The article gives a piss poor argument against SERM use and is nothing more than a sales pitch for LGs FormX. The purpose of PCT is to restore natural test production, Clomid accomplishes this.

I didn't see anything about FormX but I don't know much about FormX at all. Would you care to expand upon that?

[ThunderHumper]

Well T-bone just made this 10x more fascinating lol

[CCarter]

Yes, see below

Wow, i'd never even thought of that possibility before. Now when i'm cycling i can tell myself i'm doing it for my health, and saving my balls for my old age. Although i suspect as long as i can stand i'll keep cycling.

[MadmanMike]

Interesting read, I think some people can get away with OTC pct if the hormones used were mild, everyone is different, or to be safe a 3 week low dose serm would suffice...just my opinion.