The topic of "receptor clearing" has been considered a myth for many years, but as practice shows, online opinions are emerging that it's not all that black and white. If I try to break it down, a theory comes to mind. I emphasize: THEORY.
-Bodybuilder x takes high doses for years. He reaches a weight of 260 pounds. Suddenly, due to personal reasons, he stops taking steroids and drops to 190 pounds.
-When bodybuilder x is able to train and take steroids again, he starts with small doses. And here, in addition to "muscle memory," something we'll simply call "steroid memory" is triggered. The muscles are hungry not only for training and stimulation but also for a dose of androgens. As soon as muscles receive a minimal stimulus in the form of training, food, and a small dose of steroids, they quickly "remember" what it was like to be bigger and stronger, so they respond with rapid and powerful growth—even though bodybuilder x's dose is much lower than before.
-During his break from training and steroid use, bodybuilder x stabilized his health and financial situation, for example, his life is much less stressful, he absorbs food better, trains well, sleeps well, and recovers well. All of this translates into even better progress.
-In addition, perhaps one of the most important factors in bodybuilding is time. This phenomenon is hard to read about in a 20-year-old, but it's already visible in a 40-year-old, experienced bodybuilder. During the first phase of high doses, bodybuilder x managed to build a lot of real muscle tissue. When it was lost during the break, during the recovery period, the muscles not only replenish glycogen and water but also return to their previous, true fiber thickness more easily. This creates the impression of rapid growth: the muscles are simultaneously rebuilding old fibers and replenishing them with glycogen.
That's my theory as to why bodybuilders who used high doses grow like weeds on low doses after a break. I don't think I've forgotten any factors that could have contributed to this.
There's probably no point in going into detail about the genetics involved in all this, because I'd have to write a book, lol.
Of course, it can be simplified, as Big A wrote long ago: if your health is good, the more you take, the more you'll grow, and there's no need to take a break from high doses. But we're talking about a different situation here, so I'm deliberately leaving that out.
This is a load of nonsense, but is there any truth to it? I don't know, but I wanted to share my thoughts.
