Use of Iconic Formulations Ultra Hard (UH) to increase DHT

[Nequals1]

This is the first of what is planned to be at least 3 posts reporting on the effects of transdermal pro-androgens.

The subject (rat) is a 48yo male, 6’4”, 198 bs. 18.7% BF, 38.1 lean mass.

This first study seeks to test the hypothesis that Ultra Hard (UH) increases DHT levels.

The primary endpoint is a significant increase is plasma DHT levels and changes in reproductive hormone panel. Secondary endpoints include incidence/frequency of erections, overall libido, thermogenesis, anger, and general alpha-male disposition. All secondary endpoints use an self assessment tool with an arbitrary scale of 1-5, with 5 being extremely high and 1 being extremely low.

Prior to the start of the study, the subject underwent a 3 week washout protocol with no supplements of any kind being used. Baseline plasma levels of T, free T, E, SHBG, FSH and LH were measured in a clinical lab.
This is the first of what is planned to be at least 3 posts reporting on the effects of legal transdermal pro-androgens.

The subject (rat) is a 48yo male, 6’4”, 198 bs. 18.7% BF, 38.1 lean mass.

This first study seeks to test the hypothesis that Ultrahard increases DHT levels.

The primary endpoint is a significant increase is plasma DHT levels and changes in reproductive hormone panel. Secondary endpoints include incidence/frequency of erections, overall libido, thermogenesis, anger, and general alpha-male disposition. All secondary endpoints use an self assessment tool with an arbitrary scale of 1-5, with 5 being extremely high and 1 being extremely low.

Prior to the start of the study, the subject underwent a 3 week washout protocol with no supplements of any kind being used. Baseline plasma levels of T, free T, E, SHBG, FSH and LH were measured in a clinical lab.Djet and alcohol consumption remained constant.

On study day 1 and each and every day for 14d, subject applied 5x pumps of UH to the chest, shoulders, axillae, and torso. The pumps were spread evenly and as consistently as possible. After application, product was allowed to dry on the skin for at least 10min before dressing. In addition to UH, creatine mono hydrate (2mg/d), and L-carnitine , L-Tartrate (LCLT, 600mg/d) were administered PO in the AM.

After 14d, blood was collected and plasma levels of DHT, T, free T, E, SHBG, FSH and LH were measured. Blood was collected 6h post application of UH.

Results:
Primary Endpoint: Plasma DHT increased approximately 2-fold (53.0 to 95.0 ng/dL)

Secondary Endpojnts:
Total T decreased modestly 402 to 373 ng/dL

Free T decreased modestly 64.7 to 59.8 ng/dL

SHBG decreased from 46 to 42 nmol/L

E2 remained constant at 22 ng/dL

LH decreased from 3.9 to 3.1 mIU/mL

FSH decreased from 8.4 to 6.9 mIU/mL

Of the self assessment scales, only frequency and hardness of erections and general feeling of alpha-ness increased while on UH. No high or abnormal levels of aggression, libido or thermogenesis were noted.

This study is too short in duration to provide definitive data in support of muscle hypertrophy or strength gains. However, a general feeling of increased strength and stamina in the gym was reported. In addition, the subject reported visible improvements in muscular definition and hardness during the study.


Conclusions and implications

Daily application of UH increased plasma levels of DHT by almost 2x. This increase was accompanied by minor decrease in T and free T, with a concomitant reduction in SHBG, and steady level of E2, suggesting that the overall the effect of UH on endogenous production of T was negligible.

The FSH and LH profile is indicative of favoring endogenous T production reflected in the magnitude of change in FSH with a substantially smaller effect on LH. It is expected the the smaller decrease in LH relative to FSH would favor endogenous T production over suppression. This is a better profile that expected, and suggests that a long-term study will not lead to significant suppression of endogenous T production.

Although 95 ng/dL is a substantial increase from baseline, it is still far below the target of ~200 ng/dL, which has been reported in clinical studies to achieve the desired benefits using 10% DHT topical creams. In addition to the fact that androsterone must be converted to DHT through 2 enzymes, one must also consider that these are plasma levels.They are expected to be lower than local concentrations of DHT in the skin and skeletal muscles in the area of application. Assuming 10% bioavailability (similar to TD T), one may extrapolate that local tissue levels of DHT could be closer to 1000 ng/dL. This is an extrapolation that must be understood to include the following assumptions: That all UH pro- hormones are converted to DHT at 100% efficiency and that the absorption, distribution and metabolism of these pro-hormones is similar to that of TD T. The latter assumption is highly likely given the similar physicochemical properties of androsterone and T, but the former is unlikely as no enzymatic conversion will yield 100% efficiency. Nonetheless the data support a longer term of use and a higher dose as a method to elicit the direct eDHT-mediated androgenic and anabolic effects in this subject using UH.

 

[PoSiTiVeFLoW]

This is the first of what is planned to be at least 3 posts reporting on the effects of transdermal pro-androgens.

The subject (rat) is a 48yo male, 6’4”, 198 bs. 18.7% BF, 38.1 lean mass.

This first study seeks to test the hypothesis that Ultra Hard (UH) increases DHT levels.

The primary endpoint is a significant increase is plasma DHT levels and changes in reproductive hormone panel. Secondary endpoints include incidence/frequency of erections, overall libido, thermogenesis, anger, and general alpha-male disposition. All secondary endpoints use an self assessment tool with an arbitrary scale of 1-5, with 5 being extremely high and 1 being extremely low.

Prior to the start of the study, the subject underwent a 3 week washout protocol with no supplements of any kind being used. Baseline plasma levels of T, free T, E, SHBG, FSH and LH were measured in a clinical lab.
This is the first of what is planned to be at least 3 posts reporting on the effects of legal transdermal pro-androgens.

The subject (rat) is a 48yo male, 6’4”, 198 bs. 18.7% BF, 38.1 lean mass.

This first study seeks to test the hypothesis that Ultrahard increases DHT levels.

The primary endpoint is a significant increase is plasma DHT levels and changes in reproductive hormone panel. Secondary endpoints include incidence/frequency of erections, overall libido, thermogenesis, anger, and general alpha-male disposition. All secondary endpoints use an self assessment tool with an arbitrary scale of 1-5, with 5 being extremely high and 1 being extremely low.

Prior to the start of the study, the subject underwent a 3 week washout protocol with no supplements of any kind being used. Baseline plasma levels of T, free T, E, SHBG, FSH and LH were measured in a clinical lab.Djet and alcohol consumption remained constant.

On study day 1 and each and every day for 14d, subject applied 5x pumps of UH to the chest, shoulders, axillae, and torso. The pumps were spread evenly and as consistently as possible. After application, product was allowed to dry on the skin for at least 10min before dressing. In addition to UH, creatine mono hydrate (2mg/d), and L-carnitine , L-Tartrate (LCLT, 600mg/d) were administered PO in the AM.

After 14d, blood was collected and plasma levels of DHT, T, free T, E, SHBG, FSH and LH were measured. Blood was collected 6h post application of UH.

Results:
Primary Endpoint: Plasma DHT increased approximately 2-fold (53.0 to 95.0 ng/dL)

Secondary Endpojnts:
Total T decreased modestly 402 to 373 ng/dL

Free T decreased modestly 64.7 to 59.8 ng/dL

SHBG decreased from 46 to 42 nmol/L

E2 remained constant at 22 ng/dL

LH decreased from 3.9 to 3.1 mIU/mL

FSH decreased from 8.4 to 6.9 mIU/mL

Of the self assessment scales, only frequency and hardness of erections and general feeling of alpha-ness increased while on UH. No high or abnormal levels of aggression, libido or thermogenesis were noted.

This study is too short in duration to provide definitive data in support of muscle hypertrophy or strength gains. However, a general feeling of increased strength and stamina in the gym was reported. In addition, the subject reported visible improvements in muscular definition and hardness during the study.


Conclusions and implications

Daily application of UH increased plasma levels of DHT by almost 2x. This increase was accompanied by minor decrease in T and free T, with a concomitant reduction in SHBG, and steady level of E2, suggesting that the overall the effect of UH on endogenous production of T was negligible.

The FSH and LH profile is indicative of favoring endogenous T production reflected in the magnitude of change in FSH with a substantially smaller effect on LH. It is expected the the smaller decrease in LH relative to FSH would favor endogenous T production over suppression. This is a better profile that expected, and suggests that a long-term study will not lead to significant suppression of endogenous T production.

Although 95 ng/dL is a substantial increase from baseline, it is still far below the target of ~200 ng/dL, which has been reported in clinical studies to achieve the desired benefits using 10% DHT topical creams. In addition to the fact that androsterone must be converted to DHT through 2 enzymes, one must also consider that these are plasma levels.They are expected to be lower than local concentrations of DHT in the skin and skeletal muscles in the area of application. Assuming 10% bioavailability (similar to TD T), one may extrapolate that local tissue levels of DHT could be closer to 1000 ng/dL. This is an extrapolation that must be understood to include the following assumptions: That all UH pro- hormones are converted to DHT at 100% efficiency and that the absorption, distribution and metabolism of these pro-hormones is similar to that of TD T. The latter assumption is highly likely given the similar physicochemical properties of androsterone and T, but the former is unlikely as no enzymatic conversion will yield 100% efficiency. Nonetheless the data support a longer term of use and a higher dose as a method to elicit the direct eDHT-mediated androgenic and anabolic effects in this subject using UH.

Welcome, strong post! I am an Ultra hard user also and I love my DHT based compounds, so this is very good info, thanks for contributing research.

 

[KvanH]

Nice! Very clear and thorough post.

A few thoughts;

I don't think that too much of estimation/conclusions about hormone production suppression can be done after 14 days though. You might experience more of a suppression the longer you keep applying the UH. But we will see about that, as if I understod correctly, the use of UH will continue and more blood test results will follow.

I don't think torso is a good application site, if by it you mean middle section. I would rather apply twice daily to traps, neck, shoulders, upper back and chest. Or if not wanting to do twice daily applications, then in addition to aforementioned areas, I'd include behind the knees, tops of feet and inner thighs.

If you are interested and want to do more of this kind of research in the future, you could try Androsterone or Epiandro only application, which will allow for higher dosing of the compound in question. Alpha Seven or Ultra Epi, for example.

 

[KvanH]

@delsolrob check this out

 

[Nequals1]

Nice! Very clear and thorough post.

A few thoughts;

I don't think that too much of estimation/conclusions about hormone production suppression can be done after 14 days though. You might experience more of a suppression the longer you keep applying the UH. But we will see about that, as if I understod correctly, the use of UH will continue and more blood test results will follow.

I don't think torso is a good application site, if by it you mean middle section. I would rather apply twice daily to traps, neck, shoulders, upper back and chest. Or if not wanting to do twice daily applications, then in addition to aforementioned areas, I'd include behind the knees, tops of feet and inner thighs.

If you are interested and want to do more of this kind of research in the future, you could try Androsterone or Epiandro only application, which will allow for higher dosing of the compound in question. Alpha Seven or Ultra Epi, for example.

Thanks @KvanH. Feedback is much appreciated.

Agreed on the suppression. I was definitely overstating here a bit.

Re: Torso. Yes, I was spreading out the last pump to my abdomen. Mostly as a result of so much product on my chest, traps, and shoulders. I'll avoid that area in the next round.

Re: Double dose. Have you done this before? Can you share your process? When did you apply the second dose? What was your experience with 2x dose vs 1x dose?

Finally, I have read on this forum where some folks apply UH to the genetalia & groin. That seems like abad idea to me given the alcohol content, but expression of the eznymes responsible for conversion of andro to DHT does appear highest in the skin of this region especial the scrotum. Thoughts?

Thanks agin for your comments and input.

 

[KvanH]

Thanks @KvanH. Feedback is much appreciated.

Agreed on the suppression. I was definitely overstating here a bit.

Re: Torso. Yes, I was spreading out the last pump to my abdomen. Mostly as a result of so much product on my chest, traps, and shoulders. I'll avoid that area in the next round.

Re: Double dose. Have you done this before? Can you share your process? When did you apply the second dose? What was your experience with 2x dose vs 1x dose?

Finally, I have read on this forum where some folks apply UH to the genetalia & groin. That seems like abad idea to me given the alcohol content, but expression of the eznymes responsible for conversion of andro to DHT does appear highest in the skin of this region especial the scrotum. Thoughts?

Thanks agin for your comments and input.

I usually try to get away with one application a day, but if the amount of TD(s) to apply is too high for one application using desired areas, then I do twice a day. I wash my upper body above sink and apply the TD first thing in the morning, and apply second dose after shower in the evening. That's pretty much it, can't really give estimation on how much better it is to do twice a day. For me the area used becomes more important, when using a PH, that utilizes the entzymes on the skin to be converted to desired target hormones. For something like Ursolic acid or other natty TD's, I'm not as strict about it and use other areas as well, if from the nips up is 'full'. One thing to take in to account is, if UH or any TD you use promotes wakefullness for example, then that's obviously not a good thing to apply too close to going to bed. Cortisol modulating products can also mess up with sleep, depending the timing of application and individual response. Many times they improve sleep, when suitable application timing for the user is found.

I would not apply UH to scrotum personally. DHEA can convert more to DHT, when applied to nuts, and it's a thin skin area, but I don't see a real benefit with UH applied there. I imagine it would sting also. DHEA makes the area a little varm, but the sensation is probably about the carrier and other ingridients used as well, I assume.

 

[delsolrob]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your research! UH is a fan favorite for a reason...stuff works!

 

[Lumalux]

Excellent writeup. I am interested in raising DHT for the purpose of virilization, specifically increasing body hair. Did you notice any effect on this from the UH application? 14 days is probably not long enough to assess whether it will do this.

I have used 1-2 bottles of Ultra Hard for this purpose, with application to my scrotum. I had no issues with skin burning or irritation. If the consensus is that UH is a viable means of raising DHT, I will continue this therapy for a longer run.

Next step would be to try testosterone cream or gel on the scrotum which has been shown to jack up DHT levels much more than injected T.

 

[delsolrob]

Excellent writeup. I am interested in raising DHT for the purpose of virilization, specifically increasing body hair. Did you notice any effect on this from the UH application? 14 days is probably not long enough to assess whether it will do this.

I have used 1-2 bottles of Ultra Hard for this purpose, with application to my scrotum. I had no issues with skin burning or irritation. If the consensus is that UH is a viable means of raising DHT, I will continue this therapy for a longer run.

Next step would be to try testosterone cream or gel on the scrotum which has been shown to jack up DHT levels much more than injected T.

I do not recommend applying UH to the scrotum - applying to the recommended sites will yield results...as indicated by the above post.

 

[Nequals1]

Excellent writeup. I am interested in raising DHT for the purpose of virilization, specifically increasing body hair. Did you notice any effect on this from the UH application? 14 days is probably not long enough to assess whether it will do this.

I have used 1-2 bottles of Ultra Hard for this purpose, with application to my scrotum. I had no issues with skin burning or irritation. If the consensus is that UH is a viable means of raising DHT, I will continue this therapy for a longer run.

Next step would be to try testosterone cream or gel on the scrotum which has been shown to jack up DHT levels much more than injected T.

Hi-
I did not actively track changes in body hair.

You are correct in that the 14d study period is
likely too short to see any appreciable change in body hair length or density. Body hair’s anagen (growth phase) phase lasts 3-6 weeks. So I agree with your assessment that the study was too short to see any difference. That having been said, your question prompted me to take a look! I can say that there may be new or longer hair growth on my chest. These are dark in color, short (5-6mm), soft and straight. They are few and mostly distributed on the pectoral versus sternal distribution of older/previously established chest hair that is longer, curly and more gray (I’m old!). I’ve never looked closely, but it appears that the same could be said for my underarms. It seems that there are similar short, soft hairs. This is totally non-quantitative, but thought I’d report as best as I can.

It’s an interesting question and I did some checking to see if I could develop a way to test this accurately. The short answer is that there are expensive cameras and imaging tools that can be used to quantify hair follicles, growth etc, but those are FDA cleared devices and thus out of my reach. I am about 2 weeks into a second 6 week study with UH. If I can put together a makeshift system to measure hair, I’ll add that to the endpoints. I won’t have true baseline data, but I could perhaps see a change. Estimating a mean growth of 5mm in 4 weeks, we should be able to see a change depending on the overall sensitivity of the method I use.

I’ll post accordingly.

 

[Lumalux]

Hi-
I did not actively track changes in body hair.

You are correct in that the 14d study period is
likely too short to see any appreciable change in body hair length or density. Body hair’s anagen (growth phase) phase lasts 3-6 weeks. So I agree with your assessment that the study was too short to see any difference. That having been said, your question prompted me to take a look! I can say that there may be new or longer hair growth on my chest. These are dark in color, short (5-6mm), soft and straight. They are few and mostly distributed on the pectoral versus sternal distribution of older/previously established chest hair that is longer, curly and more gray (I’m old!). I’ve never looked closely, but it appears that the same could be said for my underarms. It seems that there are similar short, soft hairs. This is totally non-quantitative, but thought I’d report as best as I can.

It’s an interesting question and I did some checking to see if I could develop a way to test this accurately. The short answer is that there are expensive cameras and imaging tools that can be used to quantify hair follicles, growth etc, but those are FDA cleared devices and thus out of my reach. I am about 2 weeks into a second 6 week study with UH. If I can put together a makeshift system to measure hair, I’ll add that to the endpoints. I won’t have true baseline data, but I could perhaps see a change. Estimating a mean growth of 5mm in 4 weeks, we should be able to see a change depending on the overall sensitivity of the method I use.

I’ll post accordingly.

I appreciate the very thorough reply. Any subjective observation that hair seems to be thickening or darkening or developing would be sufficient. There are a bunch of guys on the Minoxidil Beards Reddit sub that are into this. The Minoxidil alone definitely shortens the hair growth cycle and eventually results in much thicker hair all over your body. It has done this to me. But I also think that manipulating hormonal levels may be a better or safer way to achieve this goal.

 

[freefall365]

Excellent study! Unfortunately so many of these experiments are a N of 1 but nonetheless, great work and much appreciated!

It'd be intriguing to see this experiment in a 6-8 week study. Promising to see little to no shut down in this short trial. Those variations in T, LH, FSH could be seen in any subject not on a hormonal protocol from daily fluctuation, but again would be interesting to see how that plays out over a longer period.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[delsolrob]

bump

 

[lionking999]

was going to run epiandro with my upcoming var cycle. now ultra hard has my attention. Any reason why UH and var would not mix ?