While on cycle we have elevated insulin sensitivity. Post cycle cortisol levels can increase and insulin sensitivity in reduced. Surplus calories, reduced insulin sensitivity and elevated cortisol levels promote the storage of surplus calories as
visceral adipose tissue (VAT) or fat stored under the muscle and around your organs. In most cases this explains the distended belly while still displaying abdominal muscles.
For this reason, anti-cortisol (7-oxo, 7-oh, etc) as well as glucose disposal/insulin sensitivity promoting (ALA, R-ALA, ect) supplementation is encouraged during post cycle.
I will see if I can find the data on post cycle and cortisol.
yes i have read many times that visceral fat may be the cause of the bloated/distended belly but there are instances where this really couldnt be the case.
for instance, take a look at your common professional bodybuilder. a good amount of todays pros have the distended belly...also called roid gut and growth hormone belly. if what youre saying is true then how could these bodybuilders have such large deposits of visceral fat while on steroids, growth hormone, igf-1, dnp, clenbuterol, and god knows what else. I feel that insulin or igf-1 are the true culprits.
certain steroids can cause abdominal growth, as we have learned. tren, m1t, superdrol, igf-1, HGH, and insulin have all been linked to the gut. we know for a fact (thanks to LakeMD) that Trenbolone causes spikes in igf-1. your intestines possess around 200% (i believe this is the figure, dont take it for fact) more igf-1 receptors than your skeletal muscle.
so it would be safe to assume that igf-1/insulin plays a major role in the distended gut. tren raises igf-1, hgh raises igf-1, insulin has been theorized to bind to the igf-1 receptor, and it may be safe to assume m1t and superdrol can also raise igf-1. also, these all raise insuin sensitivity.
whether the igf-1 causes organ remodeling and therefore, a distended stomach, or whether the insulin sensitivty/insulin combination is the culprit, we will not know until actualy studies are done. i have a feeling this may take awhile.
also, my stomach became distended DURING my cycle of m1t, and then remained so until i ran a cutter with pgh.
