I just want to say a few things relative to this: I strongly suspect I make more than my fair share of 5 AR. I've had acne since 14, started losing my hair gradually around 21-22, long before I'd ever used any gear. I have insanely oily skin, too.Twenty years before, to be precise. Therefore I think I may need a little more finasteride than the average bear. I just want to point out that I can't be too specific with my metabolic panels when my doctor runs blood tests. Long story, but I have to protect my livelihood.
Also, I'm a little sketchy on the purpose of the T3. Obviously I'm aware it can help with cutting, but earlier in this thread there was some mention of another mechanism that may make T3 beneficial during this type of cycle. Again, I'm a powerlifter, though I always try to at least look like an off-season bodybuilder...at least. Aesthetics are important, but not my main focus.
So, a little more info on the T3, and would I negatively effect any portion of this cycle (I've decided on NPP-100, Masteron enanthate-100, sust 250-125 twice per week. I know that sounds mild, because it is. I'm not trying to take this over the top. Were that the case I'd be using anadrol or maybe Dbol. That's what most of the really big lifters use. Also running 25 mg of MK677 every evening, 200 mcg of ipamorelin every morning
(on that note, I know where to get aquatest. I've gotta try that crazy **** one day. Test suspension, that's just nuts!)
T3 is optional but what it can and has done for me is this:
1) suppresses prolactin or at least keeps it within normal ranges
2) increases hunger
3) makes it difficult to get fat but not difficult to gain weight (because you will eat more)
4) speedier recovery + higher energy levels
5) results happen faster - what normally takes 8 weeks can be done in 5-6 with T3
The way I explained it in previous posts is that T3 increase whole body turnover of proteins as well as just speeding up bodily functions. AAS and increased calories easily outdoes catabolic activity of T3. You don't have to run it but it is safer in general as long as the doses are reasonable (50mcg or less per day). Here is an older post of mine. You'll have to research to find the studies to back these things up or choose to not believe me or choose to blindly follow my advice but regardless, I don't have time right at the moment to validate every thought of mine with "science".
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For what it is worth ( I don't have the study in front of me ) there was a clinical study that measured the composition changes of men who were bed-ridden, on 50mcg T3 and 200mg Testosterone per week.
The subjects didn't lose any muscle mass. I distinctly remember this study because it eradicated my fears of losing mass while on T3.
Also, while I was running less than 400mg/wk of various androgens during contest prep, I ran 37.5-50mcg of T3 per day and added 8lbs of lean mass while losing 16lbs of fat mass. This was over the course of about 7-8 weeks though. Used in conjunction with insulin or boat loads of carbs, T3 actually becomes solely anabolic. The catabolic nature of T3 can easily be reduced or removed with insulin or carbs. Unlike other hormones, T3 is both catabolic AND anabolic - just depends on the metabolic environment (fasted or fed state).
Just remember that T3 is strong but insulin is stronger and can overcome T3's catabolic tendencies. The best way I can explain it is using a warehouse full of goods that has a steady stream of incoming supplies that equals a steady stream of shipments. We'll call the supplies amino acids. In this scenario, you'd have zero change in composition and weight.
T3 increases the income supplies (receipts) and the shipments. But the shipments would increase in greater amounts. So we will eventually have a net deficit inventory of supplies (amino acids). We're losing inventory basically.
Insulin and AAS basically slow down the orders and therefore the shipments out of the warehouse, while T3 is still increasing the incoming re-stocking supplies on the other end. The more insulin (carbs) and AAS we use, the slower the shipments (muscle protein breakdown) we see going out. You end up with gaining inventory in that environment because T3 is still increasing re-stock receipts while insulin and AAS are slowing down the loss of inventory on the other side.
Understand? This is why T3 is awesome. It increases protein turnover but when you slow down the use of proteins via anabolics of various sorts, you just get a hyper nutrient-dumping environment from the T3. This is where cheat meals and higher calories really pay off with T3 usage. Combining T3 and AAS, you can really do things that are quite unfair in terms of what the body would be able to do naturally. You can literally transform your body and do it significantly faster to boot.