As for the comments that PCT makes no difference in terms of recovery--that's ridiculous. This isn't something we need to guess about, guys--it is a known fact, which has not only been proven clinically, but by 1,000's of steroid users world-wide.
If maintaining natural testosterone production is a priority, which it should be for the individual that intends on "cycling" his gear (a good idea for most), then preventatve action should be taken in the form of HCG.
Although recommendations for HCG vary in regards to both onset of administration, frequency of administration, and dosage, I believe that a dosing schedule of 350-400 IU on Mon/Wed/Fri, beginning the first week of the cycle until 2 days before the last steroid clears the system, is superior to the more traditionally recommended 250 IU 2X weekly or 500 IU 2X weekly protocols.
Previously, concerns of desensitization prevented guys from dosing this druig at dosages above 250 IU 2X weekly, but we now know these concerns were heavily over-exaggerated. While the 500 IU 2 X weekly program was certainly an improvment over the lower dosed 250 IU, the dosing frequency was not ideal. With a half-life of roughly 33 hours, HCG should be injected roughly every 2nd day in order to maintain blood levels, with every 3rd day being the maximum. Otherwise, the drug's ability to maintain testosterone production will be limited to only a portion of the week. While this may be sufficient to ward off significant atrophy, why play tug-o-war with your hormonal production all cycle long when there really isn't any need?
Research has also shown that bioavailability is significantly increased with I.M. administration compared to sub-q. Still, before running off and injecting your HCG intramuscularly, you may want to consider whether or not the increased bioavailability is worth the additional scar tissue. While 1/2 slin pins will suffice for HCG I.M. injects, plenty of steroid users already have issues with scar tissue build-up. In these cases, the increase in bioavailability may not be worth it, especially when sub-q administration works just fine at the proper dosages.
HMG is another very interesting product (a combination drug containing LH & FSH), but due to the cost of the drug (especially when using it throughout one's cycle at an optimal dosing frequency and dosage), and with the conversation mainly being centered around testosterone restoration (HMG is a potent fertility drug, as well), I am going to limit my discussion to HCG. When it comes to fertility, HMG is clearly the superior choice, but in terms of testosterone production, HCG will do the job just fine at a fraction of the cost.
As stated above, HCG administration should continue to be used after the cycle is over until 2 days before the last steroid clears the sytem. PCT should be initiated 1 day after the last steroid clears. You do NOT want to run HCG during PCT, as HCG itself is suppressive of natural test production at the level of the pituitary (hinders LH production). HCG's only role is to maintain function of the testes while on-cycle, as this will help decrease recovery time during PCT by allowing the testes to respond more fully to the gonadotopic hormone release initiated via SERM/AI administration.
HCG's suppressive effect is irrelevent during one's cycle, as the steroids are already suppressing LH production. However, once the suppressive effect of the AAS has been removed, continuing to use HCG beyond that point would only make it more difficult for the SERMs/AIs to do their job, slowing recovery.
There has been some debate as to which PCT drugs are best. traditionally, the go-to choices have been Clomid and Nolva. Reserach has shown that both drugs elevate testosterone levels similarly, although Nolva is certainly stronger on a mg per mg basis. However, this does not necessarily mean Nolva is better, as both have their upsides and downsides. Personally, I prefer Clomid for a vareity of reasons, but some others feel differently. Reagardless, one thing most agree on is that they work better together than alone.
While the Clomid & Nolva protocol is the most well known, it is not the only effective option on the table. A newer, and even more effective combination would be a SERM & AI. While research has shown that both SERMs and AI's increase testosterone levels similarly (this is without dispute), they both work through different pathways to increase T levels, while Clomid and Nolva work through the same basic pathway. If experience with these kind of drugs has taught us anything, it is that combining drugs which work through different mechanisms to achieve a particular effect, usually works better than doubling up on drugs which work through identical mechanisms.
Whe using steroids, there are two primary suppressive influences we have to deal with--AAS and estrogen. After one's cycle is complete, there is no longer any need to worry about the suppressive influence of AAS, but this is not the case with estrogen. There are two ways in which estrogen can retard our recovery during PCT. If the user had been using aromatizable drugs during his cycle, estrogen levels will often remain elevated after the AAS clear the system, leaving the user with rock-bottom testosterone levels and elevated estrogen levels--the worst possible scenario. By continuing to use an AI during PCT, estrogen will be kept at bay until hormone levels normalize, providing the individual with an ideal hormonal environment for recovery.
But what if the user never used aromatizable drugs when on-cycle? Even in these case an AI is still beneficial. Remember, as SERMs cause T levels to rise, what is the first thing that happens? That's right--estrogen levels rise along with it, suppressing LH production and preventing T levels from getting as high as possible. In fact, this is exactly how OTC AIs increase T levels in non-steroid users, some of which are/were very powerful products, rivaling prescription AIs. When regulating testosterone production, the brain does not evaluate T levels alone--it also looks at estrogen levels. From the brain's prspective, a higher estrogen levels signifies a higher tstosterone level, as aromatization is the primary mechanism by which estrogen is formed in the male body. Therefore, by minimzing estrogen levels, the brain is "tricked" into thinking T levels are too low, at which point it tells the pituitary to crank out more LH, which then signals the testes to produce testosterone.
The same principle applies during PCT/SERM therpay. As SERMs cause T levels to rise, so to do estrogen levels. Evetually, estrogen levels will reach a point where they become suppressive to LH production, slowing or stopping testosterone production altogether. Therefore, by using an AI with Clomid and/or Nolva, T levels will continue to rise beyod what they would have been with SERM theapy alone. Basically, by using an AI, you are eliminating one of the two suppressive infleunces the brain uses to regulate testosterone production.
Because of this, a SERM & AI protocol is superior to the traditional Clomid & Nolva combo. Now, some guys will chose to use both Clomid, Nolva, and an AI, which may work even better. I have not seen any clinical evidence verifying that statement, but some guys claim it improves their bloodoowrk results over a single SERM and AI program. In my opinion, although I think some improvment is certainly possible, it is probably minimal.
Those who say that mainetance/recovery drugs are useless are clearly lacking knowledge on this subject. PCT is one of the biggest advances in adjunctive performanc enhancement in the last 20 years, allowing guys to cycle steroids for many years with a greatly reduced risk of long-term tstosterone deficieny. For those guys who never go off, or who go off so infrequently that it doesn' even matter, none of this information will be relevant to them, but for those guys who care about being able to maintain their own hormonal production after their steroid using years are over, then these are drugs you want to take full advantage of.
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