Why do you use T3? Where does T4 fit in?

FrancisK · May 13, 2016

I personally have never had a good expierence with T3, the few times it was actually legit all it ever did was mess with normal body functions more than any other substance ever did and inhibit gains. After doing research here on PM it turns out I'm not alone in this.

Now with that being said I see a lot of people have T3 as a regular part of their regimen. I'm always surprised by this but I'm starting to realize it's more the norm than people who just stay away from it. I am perpetually trying to lose fat so I would love to get the benefits of T3 but it seems it just isn't worth it.

Am I simply generalizing it too much or just not using it correctly. I know T4 converts to T3 in the body so taking T4 might not be a bad idea in theory if the thought process is that it would optimize your natural thyroid production but I don't think it works that way.

I would love hear some more educated thoughts on this.

tri-terror · May 13, 2016

So t4 is not an active hormone. Your body uses an enzyme to convert to t3 which is the active hormone. So t4 supplementation wont do you anygood unless you are hypothyroid and have enough enzyme to convert it.
Well, that's not entirely true, you could get some benefit from extra t4 IF you can convert it over.

T3 is very catabolic though especially at higher doses. If you are on cycle and eating it shouldn't be an issue but some people for one reason or another lose as much muscle as fat. 12.5 to 25mcg is a decent dose for most people on a bulk. Ramps your metabolism up to help keep you from putting on too much fat and at least for me makes me hungry. I've gone up to 100mcg before but I think that is too much. I can lose a couple pounds a day that way and that's not good. No way that is all water/fat.

GreenTLB6 · May 13, 2016

I run 25mcg's on cycle most cycles. I like it for 1 - protein synthesis and 2 - bc I do feel it helps keep me a bit leaner while trying to put size on. Not only that but I run gh and gh seems to down regulate thyroid hormone a bit so I throw it in to compensate. I may go up to 50mcg's while dieting but only if necessary.

RamboStallone · May 13, 2016

I've used both independently. The people who complain they "lost" muscle are delusional and never had that muscle to begin with to be quite honest. I've gone up to 100mcgs of T3 and up to 200mcgs of T4 and have bloodwork on both.

Your body will convert the extra T4, the whole "it will only convert what it needs" theory is more bro-science. If that was the case my bloodwork would not have shown me as hyperthyroid while running it.

Now the differences. Well to me this is like comparing test prop and test cyp. On T3 within days I am hotter, having night sweats, etc, experiencing all the effects. With T4 it takes at least a full week before I start feeling the effects. Same effects from both in my opinion, the T3 just hits fast and hard and is more "direct" if you will, while the T4 comes on gradually and is tamer in the sense of the effects/sides being that the half life is much longer.

T3's half life is in hours and T4's half life is in days just to put things in perspective. In the end both work the same I have found. It comes down to preference and how you react to them in my opinion. If T3 is a little too much for you, try T4. Start low at 50mcgs a day of T4 for at least 2 weeks to see, remember half life is long so don't up the dose and end up stuck with unwanted sides for days. Rule of thumb is T4 converts to T3 at a 4:1 ratio, my bloodwork found this to be fairly accurate.

tri-terror · May 13, 2016

Rambo it is broscience what I said? Ill have to look into it again. I was told by my physician(im hypothyroid) about needing an enzyme to convert. True some people have more, and i suspect rhise individuals are the ones we look at as blessed with a high metabolism.

tri-terror · May 13, 2016

Looks like I was wrong. Wouldn't be the first time a md blew smoke up my ass....
**broken link removed**

FrancisK · May 13, 2016

Good info as always Rambo thank you pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

Is there a time of day best to take it to keep your natural production intact or is that a futile endeavor? I've read in the past not to use it before bed because that is when your thyroid is most active and then I've read the exact opposite. The amount of bro science you find with these two compounds is insurmountable.

john161 · May 13, 2016

T3 seems to decrease the fatigue you get with tren, but T4 works better with GH than T3 will. As for this conversion not occurring, that is call Hashimoto, and 2-4 grams NAC is quite useful. Additional Iodine is typically bad if you have this dss. The test is called anti-TGB Antibodies; the enzyme is in the liver, so keep it clean.

RamboStallone · May 14, 2016

FrancisK said:
Good info as always Rambo thank you pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

Is there a time of day best to take it to keep your natural production intact or is that a futile endeavor? I've read in the past not to use it before bed because that is when your thyroid is most active and then I've read the exact opposite. The amount of bro science you find with these two compounds is insurmountable.

T4 has to be taken on an empty stomach I believe. I take mine in the morning upon waking with my other supps. Half life is in days so I doubt timing really matters much.