Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) is a term commonly used in the context of anabolic steroid or prohormone use. It refers to a period of time during which individuals who have used these substances undergo a specific regimen of medications, supplements, and lifestyle adjustments to help restore their body’s natural hormone balance after a cycle of steroid or prohormone use.
When people use anabolic steroids or prohormones, these substances can suppress the body’s natural production of hormones, particularly testosterone. Once the steroid cycle is completed, the sudden withdrawal of the exogenous hormones can lead to various unwanted side effects, including hormonal imbalances, reduced testosterone levels, and potential muscle loss.
Post Cycle Therapy is designed to mitigate these issues and promote recovery. The specific PCT protocol may vary depending on the compounds used, the duration and intensity of the cycle, and individual factors. However, common components of a typical PCT may include:
- Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs): These drugs help prevent the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, thus further reducing estrogen-related side effects during PCT.
- Testosterone Boosters: Supplements containing natural ingredients that may help support testosterone production.
- Liver Support: As steroids can be harsh on the liver, supplements or medications to aid liver function and recovery may be included in some PCT regimens.
- General Health Supplements: Multivitamins, antioxidants, and other health supplements may be recommended to support overall recovery and well-being.
Additionally, non-pharmacological methods such as proper nutrition, sleep, and exercise can also play a role in the recovery process.
Do I Need a PCT After Using Steroids? The Importance of PCT
Post cycle therapy is essential and you need to do it because your body’s normal production of testosterone has been interrupted. Depending on which steroids you’ve been using, how long your cycle was, and other individual factors, your natural testosterone production could be very low to non-existent following a steroid cycle. So getting your test back on track is a critical reason for undertaking PCT.
Just as importantly is the fact that once you stop using steroids at the end of a cycle it stops the anabolic state your body is in, which can lead to difficulty in maintaining the gains you’ve worked so hard to make. So the importance of doing post cycle therapy is centered on:
- Restoring natural testosterone production
- Maintaining muscle mass (muscle gains)
- Getting your body’s natural systems back on track after steroid use
Post cycle therapy (PCT) can be thought of as a post-cycle detox. You are essentially going to be telling your body to work properly again without the influence of steroids in your system. The ultimate goal is to be able to come out of your steroid cycle while maintaining as much of your muscle gains as possible, and a fully functioning, normal hormonal system.
Do I Need a PCT After Using SARMs?
While SARMs don’t convert to estrogen like many anabolic steroids do, they can and almost always will bring about a suppression of your normal testosterone production. This can range from mild suppression to almost a complete shut down of the body’s activity in producing testosterone.
This leaves you at great risk of a testosterone crash once the cycle is finished. And while estrogen normal levels don’t rise with SARMs because of aromatization, the levels of this female hormone can still rise for another reason: because of an interruption to your regular hormone function. This estrogen level increase can then bring about the same side effects we see with steroids like gyno.
To combat this, some SARMs users will take an aromatase inhibitor drug during the cycle, but this can have the opposite effect in reducing estrogen levels to near zero. Men still need small amounts o estrogen so in most cases you’ll find most AI drugs to be far too powerful to use alongside SARMs.
Common Q&A Related to PCT
What are the main benefits of PCT?
PCT is critical if you want to maintain the gains you made on your steroid cycle and to regain a naturally functioning endocrine (hormonal) system, especially when it comes to stimulating testosterone production. Reducing the effect of gyno is a high priority of PCT.
When should I start PCT?
The timing of your PCT depends on which steroids you’ve used and how long lasting they are. Generally PCT starts 2 weeks after your last steroid injection, although shorter acting steroids like Testosterone Propionate will have you starting PCT within a few days of ending your cycle. Steroids like Winstrol can require PCT to begin in as little as 12 hours.
What happens if I don’t do PCT?
Several things can happen: you can lose the gains you sweated over during your cycle, making the whole thing almost a complete waste of time (and money). More seriously when it comes to your health though is that your testosterone levels can be out of whack for a long time after a steroid cycle, bringing about problems like gyno, high blood pressure, no libido and the list goes on. In short: you don’t want to do a steroid cycle without PCT so don’t think about taking shortcuts in this area.
How long is a PCT Cycle?
A PCT cycle can last anywhere from three to six weeks depending on the steroid cycle you were on and the PCT drugs you will be using. My ideal post cycle therapy protocol above lasts between four and six weeks for a standard user.
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