Post Cycle Therapy In-Depth Guide

When your complete attention is on your upcoming steroid, SARM, or prohormone cycle, it's important for you to emphasize on the most critical aspect of PED cycles: post cycle therapy (PCT). In this post cycle therapy in-depth guide, we will read about why post-cycle therapy is important.

Post Cycle Therapy can be defined as a course of compounds such as Clomid, Nolvadex, and HCG that you take towards the end of your steroid, SARM, or prohormone cycle. One of the biggest reasons why you should follow post cycle therapy is to restore your body's ability to produce testosterone (the primary male sex hormone) naturally.

During a performance-enhancing drug (PED) cycle, the production of testosterone may get suppressed. This is where post cycle therapy comes into the picture. In addition to this, PCT also helps you maintain your steroid, prohormone, or SARM cycle gains for a long time.

Do I Need a PCT?

The answer is a big yes! If you have been doing a steroid, prohormone, or SARM cycle (for bulking, cutting, or recomposition), the significance of post cycle therapy cannot be neglected, especially if you have been using powerful compounds such as Dianabol, Deca Durabolin, M-Sten, or Equipoise.

PCT can be considered as a post-cycle detox that tells your body to restore its functioning and production of natural hormones. The ultimate goal of a PCT is to come out strongly and thoroughly after a steroid, prohormone, or SARM cycle while maintaining your muscle mass and strength gains and retaining a fully functioning, normal hormonal system.

For PCT, you can try out three types of testosterone-stimulating agents:

1. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) such as Toremifene Citrate (Fareston), Tamoxifen (Nolvadex), and Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid)
2. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) such as Exemestane (Aromasin), Arimistane or 1,4,6-Androstatrien-3,17-dione (ATD), Anastrozole (Arimidex), and Letrozole (Femara)
3. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)

Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators are designed to inhibit the effects of estrogen and they create a balance between the negative and positive effects of estrogen. SERMs restore the natural hormone function of the body while keeping cholesterol low. They block the action mechanism of estrogen and stimulate the production of testosterone.

Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs)

Aromatase inhibitor drugs (just like SERMs) mitigate the effects of estrogen. AIs are known to cut down the amount of circulating estrogen by inhibiting the conversion of androgens into estrogen which results in lower testosterone levels and higher estrogen levels.

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

A hormone, HCG can prevent or reverse some of the severe side effects that are common with the use of harsh compounds such as anabolic androgenic steroids. HCG prevents the breakdown of the gained muscle tissue, improves sperm production, restores/increases the natural production of testosterone, and allows testicles to make return to their normal function and size. In a PCT protocol, HCG should be used with a SERM and aromatase inhibitor.

Let us now have a close look at some PED cycles involving PCT.

We hope that this post cycle therapy in-depth guide was useful to you.