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Steer Clear of the Crash - How to Buckle Up with PCT

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By: 
Victoria Felkar
BKIN, MA

One day you take your car for a long drive—a car that you haven’t driven for years. You end up driving for hundreds of miles, excessively speeding for all of them and without any regard for how the car is working. Close to the end, you decide to kick things up a notch and blast through the last few miles at warp speed—only stopping once you’ve reached your destination by slamming on the brakes.

You probably wouldn’t do this to your car, yet when it comes to anabolic/androgen steroid (AAS) use, so many guys are doing just this … running ridiculously high doses, “slamming on the brakes” and expecting that their bodies will return to normal function without any health issues. In my research I get to hear about the bros that “cruise” at warp speed, never once slowing down or coming off.

Think about it like this: “Natural” is like driving at 2500 RPM and a heavy-dosed cycle is like driving at 7000+ RPM; you can only go so long before the engine will give. Nor would you expect your gas tank to always remain full; at some point, you have to slow down, turn it off, fuel up, and tune up in order to keep everything functioning optimally.

With AAS use, it’s no different. Every AAS user should be taking certain steps in order to help the body recover and regain health after use. Although AAS are not addictive drugs in traditional sense, they do temporarily suppress the body’s hormone production. As a result, specific measures must be taken in order to restore natural testosterone levels and return the body to metabolic homeostasis following use. This is where post-cycle therapy (PCT) comes into play. In a simplified sense, PCT is the practice of using specific substances to fix hormonal imbalances caused by anabolic steroid use in men. When it comes to female users, please just ask yourself this: Do women have gonads? That isn’t to say that women don’t need to do certain things to help regain hormonal health—just not a traditional PCT approach.

Prior to AAS use, the body produces its own natural supply of androgenic hormones. Once AAS use is started, the body will keep making its own hormones and will also accept the constant (and excessive) additional supply of unnatural hormones. Although this new supply is synthetic man-made compounds, the body recognizes them and reduces or stops producing its own. Think of it this way: One day you win the lottery. You may not quit right away, but eventually you give up your 9-to-5 job and live off your winnings. But what happens when your money suddenly runs out?

The Crash
Once AAS use is stopped, the body doesn’t automatically start making androgens again—and certainly not at the same rate as before. It takes time to get things turned back on and bring natural hormone levels up. As a result, there will be a period of time (weeks, months, or more) when the body is struggling to make its own hormones again. As a result, the AAS user will face low androgen levels or anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism (ASIH). Among other things, ASIH is responsible for a rapid loss of muscle mass, depression, low energy, insomnia, impaired libido, and low sexual function following AAS use. ASIH is caused by the shutdown of the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis or HPG-axis, and is referred to by bodybuilders as the post-cycle crash.

The HPG-axis is a tightly regulated system of checks and balances all working hard to maintain correct testosterone levels. When you use AAS, you throw this system off. How long it takes to get this system in balance again will depend on how much the system is thrown off. How you can help get this system back quickly and efficiently? The answer is PCT.

It’s important to note that although PCT is widely used within athlete circles, there’s little scientific research to support its clinical application. As a result, most PCT protocols are simply bro-science or methods that “in theory” may stimulate testosterone production. Within medical literature, Dr. Michael Scally’s HPGA Normalization Protocol is one of the only clinically documented PCT programs. Scally was able to successfully stimulate HPG-axis function during a 45 day period post-AAS use through the combined use of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) with tamoxifen citrate (Nolvadex) and clomiphene citrate (Clomid)—both anti-estrogens classified as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).

Many PCT protocols call for these same drugs. The use of hCG is believed to treat testicular atrophy, while SERMs are thought to help stimulate the HPG-axis. Keep in mind that PCT is not “one size fits all.” Protocols should take into account factors such as individual characteristics, AAS type and dose, and duration of use. Although there’s limited research recognizing PCT and no FDA-approved drug to restore HPG axis function after AAS use, many top AAS authorities all say the same thing: PCT is vital in promoting hormone health following AAS use.

So the next time you decide to take your “car” for a spin, plan out your route—and not just for getting to your destination but for how to return safely, effectively, and without crashing.

Neither the author nor MUSCLE INSIDER support the use of anabolic/androgen steroids. The information within this article is provided for educational purposes only.

NOTE: Neither the author nor MUSCLE INSIDER support the use of anabolic/androgen steroids. The information within this article is provided for educational purposes only.